Summary

Wonders of Nature Word on the Week 3rd October 2026.
It was a book of that title which I received from my father. It was on the occasion of my 9th birthday. He must have had a grossly exaggerated view of my mental capacity as it would have been more suited to someone twice my age!
I have always cherished the book for two things. He enjoyed writing and the inscription written with his Parker fountain pen is perfectly displayed on the inside of the front cover. The year is 1946 when writing was something to take pride in and the Parker with its gold nib was the ultimate writing instrument!
The second thing the book gave me was immediate reference. It was the page on tadpoles that was so explicit! I would have had loads of these creatures, in their birth jelly, imprisoned in Kilner jars and never known the exact phases of the cycle to the frog state. This page was delightfully clear and, to a nine-year-old, was worth the whole book!
My father, in an attempt to cater for the anticipated influx of frogs, dug a small pond in the back yard. In order to make it watertight he lined it with concrete. It was about 3x2 feet and 6inches deep. It had to be filled manually and there was no drain!
I remember we emptied the frogspawn into it in a family ceremony and were surprised to find it watertight! Vegetation was added and we thought we had produced a frogs’ paradise! However, word soon got around and we noticed the pond had attracted the attention of the local cats. As the young ones emerged from the jelly they attracted the attention of the bird life who saw it as a new addition to their diet!
We ended up making a large lid of framed chicken wire which sealed the pond from predators. It still permitted the cleaning of the pond – one of the less enjoyable tasks of frog rearing! There seemed to be the promise of a multitude of ‘frog lets’ – the hind legs grow first – then the tail disappears. This is followed by swimming aided by frog’s flippers!
I think perhaps Mother thought she would have to call up Moses who has had experience of the Egyptian plague (Exodus 8). However, nature took its course and its balance was restored!
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth (Psalm 8 verse 9).