302 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL, I33 



Practical work was learned by a child younger than 7 by obser- 

 vation and by participation. A lack of interest or willingness to 

 help was reproved. At about 7 years of age, the child was given 

 certain responsibilities. "Go into the house and tend to your olla, so 

 the soup will not boil over." "I always helped to tend our sheep when 

 I was a little girl." "I began to spin yarn when I was 9 years old." 

 "A boy when 7 or 8 years old is sent to find a horse or a cow 

 that has strayed away, or for hens that are no longer with the others." 

 "Each one of my children has a garden plot. I show them how to plant 

 vegetables, and I teach them to water their garden and to weed it. 

 When I take fresh vegetables to market. I let them take the ones they 

 have grown ; with the money they receive for theirs, I let them buy 

 clothes." 



At 14 or 15 years of age a boy began to assume the responsibilities of 

 adult work, such as raising cattle, shearing sheep, plowing and plant- 

 ing fields, and harvesting. Fathers were the teachers in this ; but 

 "my mother encouraged my brothers to be good workers, to be amiable 

 when working with others, and to be attentive to the work that they 

 were doing." A girl did a woman's work, such as weaving and cook- 

 ing, at II or 12. 



INCENTIVES AND COMPULSIONS 



It was not customary to reward a child for work well done. How- 

 ever, an occasional parent, especially a mother, did so, usually with 

 something the child stood in need of, more particularly clothing. More 

 often as an incentive the desire of the child to do what was expected 

 of it was aroused. Mothers would say, "When shearing time comes, 

 I know you will be a good help" ; or "This is for you ; I know you 

 will always be a good child." One informant had interested her teen- 

 age daughter in learning Arabic words from a woman whose laundry 

 she was doing. To learn English she had the daughter ask the field 

 assistant's help. The interpreter was asked by the daughter for lessons 

 in German words. When an old woman was shown photographs of 

 Navajo and Blackfeet, she called her grandchildren and explained, 

 "These are Mapuche [indigenous people] from North America." 



Compulsions consisted in dealing with a child in a serious manner, 

 that is by talking to it, scolding it, or if necessary, switching it. Often 

 during interviews small children were corrected in earnest words, 

 but not with harsh or hurting ones. The usual expression was, "Look 

 here ! Sit down, and be quiet." 



A woman in her sixties had not switched any of her children ; she 

 had talked to them, giving them good advice, and had scolded them. 



