166 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



gather rare materials — materials that arouse re- 

 flection, imagination, reasoning; the brain is grow- 

 ing. 



A nature library is kept convenient for the chil- 

 dren and they use it with inspiring enthusiasm. In 

 this library are the best works obtainable on nat- 

 ural history: books concerning birds, bears, beav- 

 ers, insects, wild flowers, and forests, written by 

 people with an intimate acquaintance with and an 

 enthusiasm for their subjects. These are books 

 filled with facts. There is not a single reference 

 to fairies who rewarded good children; bears that 

 ate bad children are not even mentioned. There 

 are no billboards carrying morals in capital letters. 

 There are no lessons either brutally blunt or 

 with camouflage decorations. There are no text- 

 books. 



Someone once called my attention to the fact 

 that my nature library lacked the common books 

 that were written about nature for children. These 

 had not been intentionally omitted. I had never 

 thought of them, nor, through the years, had a 

 single child ever asked for one of them. So I be- 

 lieve for most practical purposes they may be 

 classed as non-essentials. 



One day while homeward bound, after two hours 

 with the strange trees at timberline, we purposely 

 came close to a large and nearly round boulder. 

 All ran to examine it. We called it the Ice King's 

 marble. Ice probably had taken it from the top 



