scenes, or sequels that would be logical outcomes. These imaginary scenes usually mean the introduction of some new characters, so that there is plenty of chance for creativity.

Rachel Field's charming little poem Roads is one example of good literature for dramatization.13 By examining it, one can to a certain extent generalize on the requirements of material for creative drama.

A road might lead to anywhere-
To harbor towns and quays,
Or to a witch's pointed house
Hidden by bristly trees.

It might lead past the tailor's door,
Where he sews with needle and thread,
Or by Miss Pim the milliner's

With her hats for every head.

It might be a road to a great, dark cave
With treasure and gold piled high,

Or a road with a mountain tied to its end,
Blue-humped against the sky.

Oh, a road might lead you anywhere

To Mexico or Maine.

But then, it might just fool you, and—

Lead you back home again!

Whether the teacher or leader chooses the material, or whether the children ask to dramatize a story or poem from a book they have enjoyed, it is vitally important that all or most of the children like it. The reason a child enjoys a story is chiefly because of the kind of emotional appeal it makes to him. A story or a poem that fails to arouse emotion is dull, and will never make a creative play.

Children like this poem. If presented to them by a leader who enjoys it, they never fail to respond to it. The unusual thing about it is that it appeals to an amazingly wide age range. Beginning with about the fourth grade, one can count on its sure appeal for a creative play to every age level from 9 to 50. It means all things to all ages. Each does something different with it.

Even third-grade children enjoy hearing it; but their experience is too limited for them to grasp its real possibilities for dramatization; it is better saved for those who can do more with it.

Each description arouses the imagination to create something beautiful or funny or poignant, the final two lines ranging all the way from the pleasure of getting home to dinner to the warm, deep feeling that "home" stirs in everyone after a long absence.

13 Field, Rachel. Pointed People. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1924. Also in Stories to Dramatize by Winifred Ward. Anchorage, Kentucky, Children's Theatre Press. Permission from Arthur S. Pederson.

The emotional appeal is strong. "A witch's pointed house hidden by bristly trees" is a fearsome thing. Who knows what may happen to those who venture too near? “A great, dark cave with treasure and gold piled high" may mean pirates, or treasure to be found in chests that have been left there by robbers. "A road with a mountain tied to its end" may mean a climb to the top of a hitherto unscaled peak. There is the possibility of quaint or funny incidents both at Miss Pim's and at the tailor's.

The content of the story should have potentialities for giving children meaningful experiences true to life values. This does not mean that it should be profound. It may be light and beautiful, or humorous. It need not concern morals or ethics. The important thing is that it should concern values in life. They must be sound values. In many of the old tales the central character falsifies to the villain about an action of his own or another character. Because he is the hero lying to the villain, the feeling is given that it is all right to fib if you do so to such a person. This, of course, is a false idea, and it is the leader's responsibility to see that the stamp of approval is not put on it. The teacher would probably never say, "this is wrong, children!" She might ask, however, "What do you think he could have replied so that a lie would not be necessary? Somehow we never like to have people we admire tell lies." When children know that they themselves are not involved, they feel free to discuss quite objectively what they consider right and what they consider wrong.

The poem, Roads, as it happens, does not concern ethics at all unless they come into the playing of the poem.

A good story for a play gives plenty of opportunity for interesting action. In the poem, Roads, there is material which may be used entirely as pantomime. It could even be danced. It is only when it is tied together with characters who walk the road, are involved in things that happen, and arrive back home again, that speech is actually necessary.

A story that is good material for a play always has interesting characters. The poem, Roads, is full of possibilities for delight ful and interesting people. The children must decide who the characters which travel along the road will be. Some groups are mainly interested in the scenes along the road, and spend all their time playing these. Others are likely to use one or two characters who, for one reason or another, walk along the road and are involved in what happens at each place.

The quality of the story should be good. If it is not carefully written, it will not be worth the time it takes to work it out. Expe

rience with good literature has a lasting influence on the taste of boys and girls. The poem Roads is well written; its style, language, quality of images are superior. The author has made a valuable contribution to children's literature with many poems and stories. Her Doorbells and General Store are some of her poems which are much used for creative dramatics. The readers can make a story out of the poem, Roads-a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

One Way of Introducing "Roads."-When the time seems right to introduce "Roads" to a fourth-grade language arts group which has enjoyed dramatic play and a little characterization, consider what, in the children's experience, will be the key to open the door for them to see the delightful possibilities in it.

Actual experiences are always good to set a mood. Lacking an immediate experience with an interesting road, such as children might see if they were in camp or at a picnic, try asking a question, "What do you see when I say 'roads'?" This will bring forth many ideas. At first they will be realistic ideas such as "a road that led out of our camp last summer that I always wanted to explore." Encouraged to use their imaginations, they may come forth with "the road of moonlight on the water," or "the road we'll be traveling to the moon in 25 years."

When the mood is right, say the poem slowly, giving the children (who are perhaps listening with closed eyes) plenty of time to visualize it. Since each place is pictured with only two lines of verse, it would be like a kaleidoscope if you were to read the poem rapidly.

"What place did you see most clearly?" the teacher might ask. It will be surprising to see how distinctly some of the children saw every road. In a second reading, the children could choose one scene and see what is happening there.

What an abundance of ideas will pour forth! No matter what their age, many of the listeners will see complete incidents taking place in their chosen scene. Each child who seems eager to describe his scene should be given a chance to express himself; and the teacher will listen with keen interest to every evidence of creative thought. This is important.

One fourth-grade teacher, after she and the children had listened to all the ideas, said, "Do you suppose we could put together our good ideas for one of the scenes and play it?"

Since more children had described "the great dark cave" than any other scene, they decided after a discussion to play that one, and begin with some pirates dragging in loot to hide it. One of the girls (a potential Girl Scout) had a plan for a Girl Scout troop

to be picknicking near there, and to discover the cave with all its "treasure and gold." They decided to begin with the pirates dragging in a part of their treasure to stow it away, then return to the ship to get the remainder. Several girls would then come along on the way to join their leader and the rest of the troop for a picnic. The last girl, always lagging behind, would see something shiny. as she passed the entrance of the cave, which was concealed by bushes. One of the pirates, in his haste, had dropped a gold coin!

This would lead to the discovery of the cave and the gold. Then what should they do gather as much gold as they can carry away? They were all for doing this when the teacher asked, "Whose gold do you suppose this is?"

"Why, it's stolen," the children replied. "Nobody knows where the pirates got it."

The question then arose that even if they know it is stolen, do they have the right to take it? After a little discussion, the girls decided that good Scouts would run to tell their leader.

"Let's have the pirates come back and catch them!" exclaimed one of the boys who could see real excitement ahead.

"Yes, and". . . gleefully drawing their fingers across their throats with an ominous sound, several boys showed what would happen.

It looked as if the story might come to a bloody climax. The teacher gave no opinion on the matter but asked whether others had ideas about this. Fortunately, in every classroom there is usually a "steady element," or group which can be counted on to protect against extremes.

In this instance the boys finally agreed it would be just as much fun if the girls almost got caught; that they would hear the pirates just in "the nick of time." When they played the scene, though it went no further than this, their idea was that the Scout leader "got the law on the pirates" and they were caught.

With this much guidance the children had planned the scene. If they had taken over entirely, they would very likely have followed their first impulse to carry away the treasure, and be caught and "done away with" by the pirates. With the teacher's acceptance of the children's ideas, with no evidence of disapproval but with several questions to stir their thinking, they had an experience they enjoyed. This required some creative thinking, organizing of ideas. into a dramatic form, and cooperative planning. Even though their play was anachronistic, it was an enriching experience for the children. The group spent three-quarters of an hour in planning this scene, and played it several times with different casts. Each time it was evaluated. The "audience" commented on whether the players made