Evening star., 1949-04-04
This and That
~ Bp Charles Z. Traceuel
BETHESDA, Md.

Dear Sir: ..
II would like to know what you think OF
this dyed baby chick, Easter bunny, duck
and painted turtle business at this time of
year. I understand that the little chicks are
only day old when they are dyed. Will it
harm them? How about the painted roses
on turtles? What do people do with the
ducks and bunnieS after the novelty has worn
off? Yours truly, F. o. M
City life sometimes works up sensitivity
that is very unpleasant. This seems to result
from a withdrawal from the plain facts OF
life as known to country people.
City walks are too smooth, their weather
is too diluted. as it were, their knowledge OF
animals and birds and plants toolimited.
There is harshness and cruelty in life, and
no one should be too upset when he meets
it face to face, now and then.
We are better prepared for life If we do
meet such things without too much squeam-
ishness.
We do not think any one should be too
upset over the dyed chicks. and the turtles
and the bunnies and ducks.
The dye does not hurt the little chicks, al
though what the children may do to them,
innocently enough, Is admittedly another
matter.
The small turtles, sold with roses painted
on their backs. will suffer and die from the
paint, as they grow. The paint job constricts
the carapace, and causes 1t to grow at an
uneven rate with the remainder of the
creature.
Such painted amphibians probably will not
live more than year. at the best. but it is a
question whether poor handling or the paint
will cause them to expire first.
AS for the ducks and rabbits widely given
as gifts, these small creatures and what they
suffer offer an excellent chance for people
to give lessons to others.
Also to themselves.
1t is too much to expect young child to
be interested in the daily care of another
young growing thing.
Older people, however. who have the care
of both, should set good examples.
After the gift animal has been petted for
time, it should be slipped out and away.
Often the person who sold it will be glad
to have it back. Usually one will know some
older child who would like it, and thus the
| creature would have a better chance In life.
|
| Surely there is enough real cruelty and
abuse-both of animals and humans-in the
world today without worrying too much
| about smaller matters.
The smaller matters are important, of
course and no doubt 1t is good that some
sensitive souls worry about them. but in the
main we would all do better to work on in
creasing our indignation at the larger in
| justices
| The war Is only q few years over, and
already millions of people seem perfectly
willing to forget the terrible deeds Of the
| enemy.
| We invite them to our shores. and see their
| pictures without hate.
| Shouldn't we hate them. just little?
Shouldn't the smugness of the former enc
| my, in his neat suit and well slicked hair.
| kind of worry us, at least bit?
| They belong to a crowd that tried TO
wreck our civilization. that said our books
| should be burned. that our friends should
| be tortured MANNED and killed.
| What right have we to worry over baby
| chicks and painted turtles, when we do moth
| ing or very little about the crying abuses In
| human society?
That doesn't mean that we should not be
| interested in ducks. chicks. turtles, bunnies.
even goldfish. We can see that children un-
derstand that they. too. are little things. that
| should not be handled or squeezed too much.
| that should have good food water and care,
| Just as they do. We can all try to help them
| find good homes In the end. But we shouldn {
waste our precious power to worry. We need
that for larger jobs