GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THINGS 



the Indian brave, who was able to find his way through the 

 trackless forest because he observed and remembered 



all the things in the 

 forest that might serve 

 as guide posts. The 

 green growth on the 

 trunks of the trees, a 

 mark on a rock or tree 

 trunk, a broken twig, or 

 unusual sound, each had 

 its message to the keen- 

 sensed Indian. We 

 think this was very 

 wonderful, but a boy or 

 girl who uses his senses 

 carefully and makes ob- 

 servations that are accu- 

 rate will soon find that 

 these signs, which might 

 be unnoticed by the 

 poor observer, have a 

 real story to tell. 



More Than Observa- 

 tion Necessary. But 

 observation alone will 

 not take us far. The 

 Indian saw accurately 

 but he also said to him- 

 self that this green 

 growth on a tree means 

 "north side," and that 

 broken twig means 

 "some one has passed 

 this way." So it is 

 with any one who 



Turn book so that top of cut a is at bottom. 

 Slowly turn book while watching the stairs. 

 Result? Are the two horizontal lines in b 

 parallel? Do the two horizontal lines in c 

 appear the same length? Measure them. 

 Is the line cut diagonally by the two oblong 

 blocks a straight line ? Which of the three 

 figures in d appears tallest ? Measure. 



