enlightened by
others concerning the sexual life, and she recognised that what her
mother had told her about the matter was quite untrue. I do not mean to
imply that stories of the stork and cabbage-garden variety are to be
altogether excluded. It would be as reasonable to prohibit all kinds of
fairy tales. Some tell us that we should tell children fairy stories
only so long as they regard the whole of life as a fairy tale. But in
view of the vivid imagination of childhood, no such sharp distinction is
practicable. Let the reader recall his own childhood. Does the child
regard the fairy tale as a lie, even after he has began to doubt if the
world of fairy stories has any actual existence? Certainly not.
Similarly with regard to the stork fable. I consider that the complete
suppression of this fable, unless we replace it with some like poetical
fancy, can do nothing but harm to the child's nature. All that we must
ask is that such a story shall not for too long be put before the child
as fact. When the child's development has gone far enough, it will be
well to dispense with the stork story. This is suggested by
considerations both of prudence and of morals, and the like
considerations urge us to describe to the child, tactfully and at the
proper time, the true nature of the reproductive processes.

Such a course is desirable, if merely for the reason that when a child
is sexually enlightened by other children, this is usually effected in
so coarse a manner as very readily to undermine the bases of respect for
the sexual life of humanity. A child who has been instructed regarding
this grave and important matter by his parents and in a proper manner,
is in a position to reject offers of a coarse method of enlightenment;
but by the customary--too long customary--plan, as far as children are
concerned, of altogether ignoring the sexual life, children are deprived
of the power of repelling obscene methods of enlightenment.

The legal dangers to which reference was made on p. 201 _et seq._ are
additional reasons for undertaking the sexual enlightenment of the
child. I pointed out that, in certain circumstances, a boy of thirteen
who undertook sexual practices with a girl of twelve was committing a
punishable offence. But sexual enlightenment is desirable, not merely
for those of this age, but also for those who are somewhat older. A
large number of people are completely ignorant of our penal code in
these relationships. I re