The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THE HOBBY

A TEACHER WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH A YOUNG BOY IN HER
CLASS. SHE FELT THAT HE NEEDED PSYCHIATRIC HELP
BECAUSE HE WAS APPARENTLY A MISFIT AMONG HIS
CLASSMATES. SHE DECIDED TO WORK WITH HIM HERSELF,
AND TRIED DIFFERENT WAYS TO AROUSE HIS INTEREST IN
SOME HOBBY. BUT THIS WAS QUITE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE
HE WASN'T VERY RESPONSIVE TO HER IDEAS.
ONE DAY SHE NOTICED HIM OBSERVING A FLY WITH
CONSIDERABLE FASCINATION. SHE ASKED HIM IF HE THOUGHT
HE MIGHT LIKE TO LOOK INTO THE STUDY OF INSECTS
AND MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE CLASS IN THREE WEEKS.
THE BOY THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD, SO HE WENT TO
THE LIBRARY TO READ UP ON THE ART OF COLLECTING
INSECTS AS A HOBBY.
AT THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK, THE TEACHER ASKED HIM HOW
HE WAS GETTING ALONG WITH HIS READING AND HIS HOBBY.
HE SAID HE WAS HAVING A VERY HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING
ONE OF THE BOOKS HE HAD TAKEN OUT OF THE LIBRARY.
BUT THE TEACHER ENCOURAGED HIM TO CONTINUE READING
AND SAID HE WOULD PROBABLY FIND IT MORE INTERESTING
AS HE WENT ALONG.
THE SECOND WEEK THE BOY STILL COULDN'T GET IT.
BUT THE TEACHER REMINDED HIM THAT HE STILL HAD A WEEK
BEFORE HE HAD TO PRESENT HIS TALK.
WELL, THE THIRD WEEK AND THE DAY OF THE PRESENTATION
APPROACHED, THE BOY CONFESSED THAT HE STILL HADN'T
FINISHED THE BOOK, SO THE TEACHER TOLD HIM TO BRING
IT IN SO SHE COULD SEE IT.
HE BROUGHT IN THE BOOK AND THE TEACHER READ THE
TITLE: ADVICE FOR EXPECTANT MOTH-ERS.

Submitter comment: MY SISTER TOLD US THIS STORY WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I
HAD DINNER AT MY PARENTS' HOME IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN,
SHE HAD HEARD IT FROM SISTER MARTIN, OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF DETROIT FACULTY, ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE--ABOUT
APRIL 1.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN