Books Quote by Edward Clodd
““To the secular arm, therefore, be delivered any and every book which, catering for the youngsters, throttles the life of the old folktales with coils of explanatory notes, and heaps on their maimed corpses the dead weight of biographical appendices. Nevertheless, that which delighted our childhood may instruct our manhood; and notes, appendices, and all the gear of didactic exposition, have their place elsewhere in helping the student, anxious to reach the seed of fact which is covered by the pulp of fiction. For, to effect this is to make approach to man's thoughts and conceptions of himself and his surroundings, to his way of looking at things and to explanation of his conduct both in work and play. Hence the folk-tale and the game are alike pressed into the service of study of the human mind. Turn where we may, the pastimes of children are seen to mimic the serious pursuits of men.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Role of Folklore in Education, 1904
He argues that children's stories, even with scholarly notes, can teach adults about human nature and thought, but such didactic tools belong elsewhere.
In simple terms: Kids' tales can teach adults, but need proper context.
Key Takeaway
Use stories wisely for learning.
Themes
education
folklore
learning
human nature
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- teaching history
- literary analysis
- child development workshops
Key Concepts
didactic literature
cognitive development
cultural transmission
Questions to Reflect On
- How can educators balance story and analysis?
- What modern media serve similar purposes?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on notes may distract from narrative impact.
![“And those characters [in a fairy tale] dwell in a moral world, whose laws are as clear as the law of gravity. That too is a great advantage of the folk tale. It is not a failure of imagination to see the sky blue. It is a failure rather to be weary of its being blue- and not to notice how blue it…” quote by Anthony Esolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2c4/anthony-esolen-32671_anthony-esolen_and-those-characters-in-a-fairy-tale-dwe_2085690.jpg)
