TJ, Fishing is an age-old survival strategy: <She would hold out something, get somebody interested in wanting a closer look, and withdraw the object from reach and/or view. No one taught her to act this way.>
Which I think is learned, though fitting very well to DNA so is easily learned, like walking, but easier.
I don't mean a study class in "how to tease". It will have been "Hmmm, I don't want Coconut to eat these nice gold coins so I will hide them". Of course Coconut observed the less than surreptitious manoeuvre, just once, which you probably didn't notice, and immediately she understood. Fishing was born.
Daddy:
"Want this?"
Coconut:
"Oh wow, sure do."
Daddy:
"See how it disappeared and you can't have it and I have got it."
Daddy teaches Coconut a lot that Daddy might, on reflection, one of these days, perhaps a long time from now, consider was not a good lesson.
Bearing in mind that some "good" things are two-edged and an inventive mind can easily figure out to use the idea the other way.
.... reading on...
Hey presto:
< She also takes care of her box of squeaky clean silver coins, playing with them once per day, at 8:30pm, before bath at 9:00. She makes sure to, on her own, place the coins back into the wooden box and hands the box to me to place high above her on the shelf. Truly mysterious. >
She has observed Daddy and his gold coins. And deduced there is something quite valuable about these really nice little things which she was not allowed to eat and were put up high in a safe place. And look remarkably like coins which are carried around and used for getting the shops full of good stuff.
Mqurice |
