> So what about the kids who allegedly know everything
>in umpteen square miles? Children are naturally
>curious, and would have some time free from chores,
>but even they would be officially discouraged from
>wandering too far away from the stead. I'm sure that
>they know everything there is to know about the
>immediate neighbourhood, but also sure that they don't
>go that far. We certainly didn't on the station. The
>woods started at the end of the yard, and went on
>basically forever, but we never went far. There were
>wolves (less known about them then), there were bears,
>and there were rabid animals from time to time. Plus
>if you did get lost and all the grown-ups had to dump
>what they were doing to come find you, there would be
>much worse trouble!
Reading between the lines of the Hunter cults in TR & ST, I'd say any child who wandered off into the woods or up the mountains and didn't need rescuing would be regarded as destined to be a hunter or maybe a shaman. Across the fields, up to the high pastures, across the stream - all things kids get up too. But going willingly into truly wild places then the kid's a bit strange and they'll be a tendency to put them in the care of those who understand that strangeness.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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