QUES: The first rule is parental. The primitive monarchy is in the home. A young baby cries. The trained nurse turns on the light, lifts the baby, hushes it, sings to it, rocks it, and stills its weeping by caresses and song. When next the baby is put down to sleep, more cries, more soothing and disturbance, and the setting of a tiny instinct which shall some day be will--the power of control. The grandmother arrives on the scene. When baby cries, she plants the little one firmly in its crib, turns down the light, pats and soothes the tiny restless hands that fight the air, watches, waits. From the crib come whimpers, angry cries, yells, sobs, baby snarls and sniffles that die away in a sleepy infant growl. Silence, sleep, repose, and the building of life and nerve and muscle in the quiet and the darkness. The baby has been put in harmony with the laws of nature--the invigoration of fresh air, sleep, stillness--and the little one wakens and grows like a fresh, sweet rose. The mother, looking on, learns of the ways of God with men.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: How many people come to comfort the baby?

QUES: The earliest signs of people on Jamaica are the remains of the Arawak, an AmerIndian society that originated on the north coast of South America. Arawak peoples migrated to various Caribbean islands, arriving in Jamaica by the beginning of the eighth century. They were peaceful and lived by "slash-and-burn" farming. For meat, they bred pigs and ate iguana, both native to the island. They were highly skilled in such manual activities as thatching and weaving. In fact, the hammock was an AmerIndian invention that remains with us today; it is an object which, more than any other, evokes an image of a warm sunny day on a tropical isle. The Arawak left a legacy of paintings in places such as Runaway Caves near Discovery Bay, and shards of pottery found at their settlements near Nueva Sevilla and Spanish Town have added a little to our knowledge about them. Over 200 Arawak sites have been identified, and it is said that when the Spanish arrived in Jamaica there were approximately 100,000 Arawak living on the island. They called Jamaica "Xaymaca" ("land of wood and water"). Columbus and the Arrival of Europeans Columbus first arrived in Jamaica on 5 May 1494 at Discovery Bay, where there is now a small park in his honor. He stayed for only a few days but returned in 1502, landing here when the ships of his fleet became unserviceable; he waited at St. Ann's Bay for help to arrive from Cuba. After the death of Columbus in 1505, Jamaica became the property of his son Diego, who dispatched Don Juan de Esquivel to the island as Governor. Esquivel arrived in 1510 and created a base called Nueva Sevilla near St. Ann's Bay, from which he hoped to colonize the rest of the island. The Spanish immediately began subjugating the Arawak population, many of whom died under the yoke of oppression and of diseases carried by the Europeans. A number of them committed suicide rather than live the life created for them by the Spanish. The site of Nueva Sevilla proved to be unhealthy and mosquito-ridden, and in 1534 the Spanish founded Villa de la Vega, today known as Spanish Town. Pig breeding was the main occupation of these early settlers, but they also planted sugar cane and other crops that required large numbers of laborers. The number of Arawak had already fallen dramatically, so the Spanish began to import slaves from Africa to work the land; the first Africans arrived in 1517.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: For approximately how many years were the Arawak on Jamaica before the arrival of the Europeans?

QUES: Hannah Harvey was a ten year old that had many friends in school. She lived in New York and enjoyed doing gymnastics and playing soccer. One day, Hannah came home from school and her parents greeted her. She knew that something was different by the expressions on their faces. Even Jackson, Hannah's dog, was acting different. Hannah asked why everyone was being so strange. Hannah's father, who was known as Pop, explained to Hannah that his job was forcing him to move. Hannah did not seem to think this was too big of a deal. Then, Hannah's mother explained that they were moving to Kenya. Kenya, she explained, was a place in Africa and life would be very different there. As Hannah began to cry thinking about all of her friends at home, Hannah's mother calmed her with a gentle touch. Jackson began howling as Hannah cried, but was also calmed by Hannah's mother. Hannah spent the next two weeks visiting her friends and saying her goodbyes. She did not know the next time she would be home. She cried very hard when she said goodbye to her best friend, Susan. Susan did not quite understand where Kenya was, but promised to visit Hannah. The next day, Hannah boarded a plane with her family. At first, they thought that Jackson could not come with them. However, Hannah worked hard and helped make sure that he had all of his shots so that he could come. After he had them all, the airport said it was OK for Jackson to come! The Harvey family left and off they went across the ocean to begin their new life in Kenya.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: How old is Hannah when she finds out that she is moving from New York to Kenya?

QUES: Have you ever looked closely at a globe? That continents look like a giant jig-saw puzzle. North America looks like it could fit next to Europe. The edge of South America matches Africa. Scientists noticed these same features. It caused them to start asking questions. They wanted to know if these continents were was connected? If so, how can something so large move so far? What could possibly have enough force to move such a giant slab of rock? Is there other evidence that can provide clues to the past positions of continents? How can answering these questions help us? A scientist named Alfred Wegener had these same questions. Wegener look at rocks on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. He noticed they were the same type and age. He thought that the rocks must have formed side by side. He proposed that the rocks then drifted apart. One part went with North America. The other part stayed with Europe.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION:
Why does Wegener propose the continents look like a giant jigsaw puzzle?