The Age of Innocence

Let me tell you a story of a child, without language, able to sit up, exploring his world with utter abandon.

He sits in the grass, balanced on his diaper clad bottom because he doesn't like the feel of the grass on his bare legs. His mother moves him to a blanket under a tree and he gazes up through the branches, big blue eyes open wide, following the shadows of bird wings when they fly over, watching an ant zigzag across the blanket in front of him and he reaches for it. Coordination not being very well developed yet, he kills the ant and it falls from his tiny chubby fingers.

Mother brushes the ant away and hears the telephone ring. She runs into the house and grabs the phone. Turning to come out of the house, she sees the child sitting on the blanket under the tree, big blue eyes firmly fixed on something else in his hand. Holding it up to the light, he opens his little mouth and to his mother's horror bites the head off the little snake.

The child is fine.