1. Bible Stories

Bible stories are the best of all to tell to children. They have a cultural, esthetic, literary, educational, and ethical value, quite apart from their spiritual and religious use, that puts them in the very front rank as stories that interest, instruct, and inspire young life. These stories are the rich inheritance of the race. They are a treasure-house of ethical and spiritual wisdom. Bible stories are never sectarian. It is the teller’s fault if he so interprets them. They are pervaded by a perennial humanity and a direct simplicity that make the strongest appeal to the young of every century. The Bible reaches into the soul and impels the will to action as no other book does. For these reasons every child should be made familiar with the Bible from babyhood up. Simple parts should be read aloud to the child in its early years. The simplicity, dignity, and grandeur of the language, the objective spirit, and the dramatic action bring many parts of the Bible within the comprehension of even a very young child. In telling such adapted forms as are reproduced in this volume, care should be taken, as early as possible, to familiarize the child with the Bible version itself. Some of the best collections of Bible stories are: “Children’s Treasury of Bible Stories,” Mrs. Herman Gaskoin; “Tell Me a True Story,” Mary Stewart; “Stories About Jesus,” Dr. and Mrs. C. R. Blackall; “Story of the Bible,” J. L. Hulburt; “Story of the Bible,” C. Foster; “Kindergarten Bible Stories,” Cragin; “Old Stories of the East,” James Baldwin.