2O ] What Nature Exploring Can Do for Your Child 



"I just wanted to scare him," he explained. "He didn't come 

 close enough to see what I really had." 



Meanwhile something remarkable had happened. The younger 

 boy had not only stopped crying, but was coming slowly toward 

 us. My interest in the "spider" had aroused his curiosity and was 

 giving him courage to at least see what the "dangerous" creature 

 looked like. It was strong evidence of the influence of older people 

 on a youngster to his advantage or detriment. 



As we spend time with children out-of-doors, we become familiar 

 with the fears they may have of little-known creatures. Once we 

 realize that these fears exist, it is usually not difficult to set at 

 rest any timidity that is really baseless. The remedy is simply to 

 give the youngster an understanding of the dreaded animal. 



"The Child Is Father of the Man" 



We contribute a great deal to a child's future happiness by 

 giving him a sympathetic acquaintance with as much wildlife as 

 possible. The point is brought home to us when we meet an 

 adult who is agitated by any number of groundless fears. 



I remember, for example, a visit to our woodland cabin by a 

 woman whose usual haunts were in New York. All day long she 

 had been enjoying the trees and flowers, the river, and glimpses 

 of bird life; but in the evening a screech owl's tremulous wailing 

 whistle suddenly shattered the quiet. All our explanations about 

 its being "only an owl" proved futile. Our visitor had been quite 

 unnerved by the unearthly sound, and it was obvious she could 

 hardly wait to return to what to her was the calming environment 

 of the big city. 



A few evenings later another visitor this time a little boy of 

 no more than five heard the wail of the screech owl. 



"What was that?" he asked. 



We told him, hastily thinking of interesting facts that might 

 dispel his fears. But we need not have bothered. As soon as he 

 heard it was an owl, he said wistfully: 



"I wish he would come close so I could hold him and pat him.*' 



It is pleasant to think how rich life will be for this child, 



