SYMBOLISM IN THE KINDERGARTEN. 359 
the game being to form themselves into snow crystals ; or in portraying evaporation, 
some of thc children are clothes props, and stand with arms extended to support the 
rying clothes, while others are the dancing sun rays that kiss the particles of moisture 
and bear them away to the blue sky beyond.” 
« But,” said the second kindergartuer, ¢ while no objection should be made to a 
natural and agreeable way of scientific instruction, notably through plays involving sci- 
antific truths, still it is necessary that we should be absolutely true to fact. And it is not 
always possible to imitate natural phenomena with the movements of the body ; and if 
.t were, it is a very clumsy and unpoetic representation of a marvelously exquisite phe- 
nomenon. In the case of evaporation the particles must fly upward, in order to be true 
;0 life. Sunlight does not dance but radiates. In regard to the kissing of the particles 
away, this may be a pretty poetical conception, but should not be taught as a scientific 
truth, nor along with a scientific truth. It endangers the child’s intellectual integrity 
to confuse symbolism with scientific truth. In short, especially in intercourse with 
shildren, I believe in calling a spade, a spade.” 
Greatly moved, the first kindergartner replied : ‘How different you are from us! 
Now, when we speak of a frozen brook we say : ‘ The water is asleep’; when the wind 
olows the branches of the tree we say: ‘It whispers to the leaves’; and when in 
autumn the leaves fall to the ground, we never say that they drop or are blown from 
she tree, but that ¢ Mother Earth calls them to cover her baby roots and help keep them 
warm while they are asleep in their little brown bed waiting for the brook to wake up 
again.’” (In other words, during the winter time.) ‘‘Oh, no,” she added, with a sud- 
len burst of eloquence ; “we never call things by their real names.” 
This is no effort of the imagination ; the conversation really took place. 
Another phase of the use of symbolism at this period is the practice of abnormally 
stimulating the imagination. For instance, the following highly wrought scheme for 
developing the Christmas idea was presented to an audience of teachers. ‘¢ After lead- 
ing the children up, through innumerable carefully planned steps, to the Christmas 
shought, directing their minds, absorbing their sympathies in the one direction, the 
climax is reached when the children are about to be dismissed for the Christmas holi- 
days. They have listened to stories (and always thanked their teachers when stories 
were told them), and on this particular occasion they will hear the Christmas story that 
is told every year.” It is not, however, the Biblical account of Christ, but a fairy story, 
intended, no doubt, by the writer to convey the essentials of the Christ story. The 
axercises take place in the afternoon. The room is darkened, save for the flickering 
firelight ; the children are gathered in a circle around the kindergartner, who in solemn 
and awe-inspiring tones now tells the story. 
Let us picture that scene. A large class of poor children, the offspring, in the 
majority of cases, of superstition and unreasoning fear, easily awed into any state of 
mind ; a darkened room, in itself unnatural in the day-time ; flickering firelight, sub- 
dued tones, fairy story. Age of subjects, three to siz! And all this done for the sake of 
making a deep impression upon the children! This in some lands might be called a 
species of voodooism, and reminds one of a spiritual séance. This matter of dealing 
olindly and recklessly with the young child’s imagination is a serious thing, and we 
kindergartners should beware of entering in where angels fear to tread. A child is a 
delicate creature, and while it should have every care and tender nurture, still, just as 
in plant life sometimes a touch, though lovingly given, will destroy the delicate leaflet, 
in the child also there are some things which to touch is to destroy. They must be 
allowed to grow toward their Creator, until the fullness of their time. 
Regarding the question from the poetic side—should we cloak the manifestations of 
ature in language other than their own ? 
The symbol is beautiful, but so is the fact beautiful. Whispering winds, singing