1. The Story-Teller Hector Hugh Munro (Saki)

2. A story in a story Structure: naughty wayward children aunt’s effectless didactic story bachelor’s story children satisfied Model girl in town (clicking medals) An invitation to the prince’s park (award) Devoured by a wolf (reward?)

3. The two stories Aunt’s story: good girl, good friends, saved when danger comes A typical story guardian may narrate to a young kid function: teaching feedback: not welcomed (children simply don’t listen) author’s attitude: “Evidently her reputation as a story-teller did not rank high in their estimation. ” Bachelor’s story: good girl, clicking medals, an invitation in the prince’s garden fantastic garden, beasts in the garden wolf, spotless clean pinafore, clicking sound climax (or anticlimax): good girl eaten by the wolf an unusual story function: silence the noisy children (non-educational) feedback: beautiful (children) improper (aunt) attitude: “for the next six months or so those children will assail her in public with demands for an improper story!” (irony and kind of admire)

4. Macabre Macabre of the bachelor’s story: the horrible death of the good girl Macabre of the children: children find delight in the story

5. Children are not spotless angels as what most adults figure. They have their feelings, their imagination and their own estimation of the world. They also possess the power of fright and cruelty that most adults choose to ignore. Other examples: the Toys of Peace Shredni Vashtar Macabre: A typical Saki story

6. How to make a story good? Know what the audience want answering children’s questions in the course of story telling Novelty Pay attention to details: "She was so good that she won several medals for goodness, which she always wore, pinned on to her dress. There was a medal for obedience, another medal for punctuality, and a third for good behaviour. They were large metal medals and they clicked against one another as she walked. " Moral? It depends…