Valuable lessons can be learned in very early life

I "grew up" in Gisborne New Zealand - a seaside town of then about 15,000 people and one hundred times as many sheep (including the mayor). I've no idea how old I was - best guess about 3 therefore the year was about 1943. Mum and dad were heavy smokers so incendiary devices were readily at hand. One day a friend and I decided to take up smoking so we purloined a fag and a box of matches and headed off to the nearby forest to experiment. We both hated the taste of the cigarette so we buried it beneath a pile of dry pine needles. When these burst into flame we knew exactly what to do - everything was under control.

We sauntered home for a pail of water. We were sauntering back with my little beach bucket full of water when a neighbour caught sight of the forest fire which by this time had spread to the tree tops. He called the fire brigade. It took 3 units half a day to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately I didn't see the pyrotechnics because by this time I was hiding under the bed where I remained until dad returned home from work to administer one of his renowned counselling sessions. I never took up smoking.

What was the valuable lesson that has guided my daily machinations? Don't get caught or you'll be flogged. :-)

I have no photos from my childhood. However I have purloined the picture to add colour.

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