i 5 8 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



These children were dealing with real things 

 through interest, and their imaginations blazed 

 with more keenness than it was possible for the 

 powers of legends and fairy tales to incite. They 

 had been to school, had studied, had worked, 

 had learned without realizing it. Their reports 

 amounted to enthusiastic recitations of new, big 

 lessons well learned. Best of all, they were happy, 

 and were eager to go on with this schooling — this 

 developing. We have continued these excursions 

 somewhat irregularly through the years to the 

 present time and handled them with increasing 

 effectiveness. 



While a guide on Longs Peak I developed what 

 may be called the poetic interpretation of the 

 facts of nature. Scientific names in a dead 

 language together with classifications that dulled 

 interest were ever received, as they should have 

 been, with indifference and lack of enthusiasm by 

 those who did not know. Hence I began to state 

 information about most things in the form of its 

 manners and customs, its neighbours and its biog- 

 raphy. 



Nature's storybook is everywhere and always 

 open. And I wish children might have everywhere 

 what the children have had here in enjoyment, 

 educational foundation, and incentive. What we 

 are doing here may be done elsewhere. 



John Muir, in writing of his boyhood experiences, 

 says: "The animals about us were a never-ending 



