“Beth, look what we have here! Put your hand inside and feel the little fishes. Do you feel them swimming around and around? How do they feel?”
“Smooth and slippery!”
“Can you catch one, Beth?”
“Look, Mrs. James. I caught one! I caught a fish! Oh, he got away!”
“Yes, just look at him flopping on the ground. I’ll pick him up and put him back in the water with the other minnows. See him swim away! No, we are going to put one on this fishhook and use him for bait. You are going to go fishing in the lake.
“Let me help, Mrs. James. Is it on right?”
“Yes, dear. Now, Beth, take my hand and step down. Let’s walk over here. Doesn’t the grass feel good under your feet. Now let’s stop and sit down here and hold the pole out over the water. Did you hear it splash when we threw the line with the bait into the lake? Just sit quietly and wait until a fish nibbles. You’ll feel the pole jerk in your hand.”
“Can we eat the fish, Mrs. James. I want to eat him for my supper.”
“Of course, if we can catch him, Beth! He’s a very clever fish, though. We’ll have to be very smart.”
“I want to sit on your lap, please, Mrs. James. Hold me please and help me catch the fish for supper.”
“Alright, Beth. Come along. We’ll both hold the pole if you’d like.”
“Smell the wind, Mrs. James. Smell the wind. I can see the wind on my face. It’s so nice. Hear the leaves, Mrs. James. Do you hear them falling? I want to catch a leaf.”
“Yes, Beth, we’ll catch a leaf after we go fishing. Oh, Beth, look! We have a nibble. Did you feel the pole shake? A fish is pulling on the line. Reel it in now, like this. Hold your hand like this on the reel and roll it in like this. Look! It’s coming closer now.”
“Oh, Mrs. James, it’s a big one, isn’t it? We’re going to have fish for supper!”
Keep reeling it in Beth. Now it’s almost out of the water. There! You have it. It’s a little bass. It must be eight inches long. Oh, Beth, I’m so proud of you. You caught a bass. Look at its big wide mouth See, you can put your fingers inside. No, he won’t hurt you. Feel it’s slippery body. Isn’t this exciting!”
“Come, let’s go show the others!”
“Alright, Beth. Careful now, don’t drop him! Look everybody, Beth caught a fish. We used a little minnow for bait and caught this nice bass. Come feel of its body and its big mouth. Now we’ll put it in the bucket with the other ones. We’ll go back now, and you can show them to your mothers. Beth is going to help her mother cook her fish. Isn’t it fun? How many of you were lucky enough to catch fish today?”
All six of the children had caught a fish.
“Would you like to come back another day and fish again in this beautiful lake?”
“Beth, take my hand. I’ll hold your pole in my other hand, so you won’t accidentally poke somebody with it.”
“Mrs. James, look at the warm sun. Doesn’t it feel good? Please hold me up to a tree so I can see an autumn leaf up close.”
“Of course, dear. Up we go. Here’s a nice one just ready to fall. Isn’t it lovely and crinkly? Can you hear it in your fingers? Would you like to take some home? Autumn is such a beautiful season. It’s such a beautiful day today with the warm sun on our faces and the wind in our hair. Thank you, Beth for sharing this day with me.”
The two followed the others onto the little yellow bus with bold letters on the side, “Lighthouse for the Blind.”
(Written in the early 1970’s. Edith’s neighbor in Sandalwood, Ann Masterson, was an active volunteer with Lighthouse for the Blind and brought a small group of children to the Sandalwood lakes for a field trip, Edith assisting.)