Next morning I suggest a walk before breakfast; there is nothing
he would like better; children are always ready to run about, and
he is a good walker. We climb up to the forest, we wander through
its clearings and lose ourselves; we have no idea where we are,
and when we want to retrace our steps we cannot find the way. Time
passes, we are hot and hungry; hurrying vainly this way and that we
find nothing but woods, quarries, plains, not a landmark to guide
us. Very hot, very tired, very hungry, we only get further astray.
At last we sit down to rest and to consider our position. I assume
that Emile has been educated like an ordinary child. He does not
think, he begins to cry; he has no idea we are close to Montmorency,
which is hidden from our view by a mere thicket; but this thicket
is a forest to him, a man of his size is buried among bushes. After
a few minutes' silence I begin anxiously----
JEAN JACQUES. My dear Emile, what shall we do get out?
EMILE. I am sure I do not know. I am tired, I am hungry, I am
thirsty. I cannot go any further.
JEAN JACQUES. Do you suppose I am any better off? I would cry too
if I could make my breakfast off tears. Crying is no use, we must
look about us. Let us see your watch; what time is it?
EMILE. It is noon and I am so hungry!
JEAN JACQUES. Just so; it is noon and I am so hungry too.
EMILE. You must be very hungry indeed.
JEAN JACQUES. Unluckily my dinner won't come to find me. It is
twelve o'clock. This time yesterday we were observing the position
of the forest from Montmorency. If only we could see the position
of Montmorency from the forest.
EMILE. But yesterday we could see the forest, and here we cannot
see the town.
JEAN JACQUES. That is just it. If we could only find it without
seeing it.
EMILE. Oh! my dear friend!
JEAN JACQUES. Did not we say the forest was...
EMILE. North of Montmorency.
JEAN JACQUES. Then Montmorency must lie...
EMILE. South of the forest.
JEAN JACQUES. We know how to find the north at midday.
EMILE. Yes, by the direction of the shadows.
JEAN JACQUES. But the south?
EMILE. What shall we do?
JEAN JACQUES. The south is opposite the north.
EMILE. That is true; we need only find the opposite of the shadows.
That is the south! That is the south! Montmorency must be over
there! Let us look for it there!
JEAN JACQUES. Perhaps you are right; let us follow this path through
the wood.
EMILE. (Clapping his hands.) Oh, I can see Montmorency! there it
is, quite plain, just in front of us! Come to luncheon, come to
dinner, make haste! Astronomy is some use after all.
Be sure that he thinks this if he does not say it; no matter which,
provided I do not say it myself. He will certainly never forget
this day's lesson as long as he lives, while if I had only led him
to think of all this at home, my lecture would have been forgotten
the next day. Teach by doing whenever you can, and only fall back
upon words when doing is out of the question.