What Lurks?

Consider a boy with a fishing rod and a can of worms as he heads for a nearby pond or river, afoot or on a bicycle. Imbued by the spirit of research and an eagerness for adventure, he is about to engage in an activity that is nearly as old as Man: "What lurks in the deep pool at the bend of the river, and how can I catch it?"

... Someone once said that all children are born with the spirit of research, but that it is spanked out of most by the age of seven. While this conclusion may be an overstatement, we must admit that the spirit of research does suffer a bit during the early years from such things as parental fears, methods of teaching, and demands for conformity. But the spirit often becomes only latent, and like Sleeping Beauty in the fable, is ready to be awakened by the right kiss of circumstance. The sounds of the surf and the crying gulls, the quiet surface of a lake, the scent of pine needles and wet autumn leaves, or the smell of smoke and the glow of a crackling fire – all these mysteries are of the music of Nature that can awaken and keep us among the truly living.

During the years, our own researches into the phenomena of why fish bite, and why they don't, have been met with mixed reactions... We have no desire to enter into controversy over the possible merits or demerits of our researches. We simply believe that the spirit of the boy with his fishing rod and can of worms, far from requiring any apologia, is something that should be understood, shared, and encouraged by all of us.

The child is still the father and the leader of the man.

Source: Westman, James (1961), Why Fish Bite and Why They Don't

Footnote of Interest: The Spirit of Christmas Research was removed from an early draft of Dicken's A Christmas Carol at the insistence of his editor, an avid spanker.