Child Went Forth, A (1942)

[Music] la [Music] [Music] there was a child child went forth every day and the first object he looked upon that object he became and that object became part of him for the day or a certain part of the day or for many years or stretching cycles of years so spoke Walt Witman Splash right into the middle of an idea an idea that children are people and a belief that how they play and stretch those muscles and minds of theirs is a of real [Music] importance here is a camp a school a farm all rolled into one and it's a brand new world to these children it has flowers and pigs sunshine and mud but best of all it has room and time to let you find out what it's all about without being marched in lines and told what you have to do every five minutes if you feel like playing with a kitten you can probably find a kitten that feels the same way about it and if you want to pick a rabbit up by his ears that's a problem that rests between just the two of you you and the [Music] rabbit seven and six year olds even threes and twos puzzling wondering questing learning now just off hand you might say we're smearing paint on some old boxes and bits of wood and you might also think that all this doesn't matter but that's where you'd be wrong painting is a very serious [Music] business just the right tone just the right shade in just the right place is important don't ask us why but it is we [Music] know there's work to be done we're building a waiting pool and we need rocks big rocks whoops not that big these construction jobs take a lot of thinking about no Childs Play This engineering no [Music] sir and there you have it a pool of perfect bliss uh-oh what this is trouble yes I'm afraid we're human too settled for one old spare watering can as I was saying a pool of perfect bliss did you ever find a good clay plain mud without somebody shouting now don't no no no don't do that you can make a pie that is a pie sand hands and Minds at work work that doesn't stop here but leads on into the years ahead [Music] [Music] [Music] no grown-up interference in the world of your own making there are some nice grown-ups around all right but they don't butt in just give us a chance we can untangle our own traffic jams without any crumpled fenders or crumpled feelings either time to refuel these motors of ours [Music] [Applause] [Music] you've forgotten how much energy is popping inside of us that has to cut loose and it isn't all sweetness and light either [Music] ouch oh go climb a [Music] tree go climb something anyway this is a real world not Never Never Land [Music] now don't tell me they let that child slide down that pole all by himself oh [Music] the gentleman has trouble with his shoulder straps she likes it [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] everybody [Music] a [Music] [Applause] [Music] all [Music] [Music] a place Blended of security and Independence freedom but with the discipline of Common Sense and simple rules that never change where are those feet going up to imagination call it a treehouse but now it's a boat now a castle anything you want to believe and friends to share it with you [Music] this is not a substitute for home and parents there is none but it is a green and lovely interlude where you meet your fellow six and threey olds on your own level where people care and watch but keep us free to try and fail and try again until we learn to live together [Music] [Music] why is a mouse [Music] no silly screaming and jumping up on chairs when these children grow [Music] up bath [Music] time soap and water where's the victim good old pupsy he can take [Music] it there's a dog's life for [Music] you it's all in the day's work [Music] ahead this is a day they've waited for the camp gets some new tenants [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] farm ducks need to have their wings clipped just like cutting your fingernails it doesn't hurt at all somebody isn't quite so sure about [Laughter] that ducks ducks ducks [Applause] right [Music] I'm going to put my head on the water going to come [Music] out I think this would be a little not any have to visit a neighboring [Music] Farm no circus lions and tigers no camels or zebras from the zoo [Music] well here [Music] goes ba ba black sheep have you any privacy [Music] [Music] [Applause] not so long ago this English lad was watching bombs [Music] for should defense industry call mothers away or should we have to face the Stark necessity of evacuations of our cities here is the beginning of a way to solve the problem of our children in Modern Warfare but war or peace in city or country is there not food for our serious thought in this approach to [Music] [Music] childhood end of the day lollipop [Music] time there was Bobby the horse and Pacer the horse there were the chickens and the Ducks and a great big mother Pig with many little piglets there was a goat called buttons all these animals became their friends after they had played and lived and worked together all summer long the end of the summer came again they packed their things put everything away the things they had made and the things they had brought and back again they went on trains and boats and in cars to their own mommies and daddies and to their own homes did you like it no I didn't did you do like it yes let's take a run with the goat because soon we're going to have to go to sleep where Go goat our goat buttons really yes shall we yeah where is it I [Music] [Music] [Music] and the third month lambs and the s's pink faint litter and the Mar's fold and the cow's calf and the noisy brood of the Barnyard or by the Meer of the Pond Side di all became part of that child who went forth every day and who now goes and will always go forth every day