Sticking : Children and the lively matter of sticks

[Extract] Some children stumble across an ants’ nest lying bare and exposed in the middle of an otherwise grassy and lightly treed hillside. One child walks slowly up to the nest’s edge, bending over as far as she can to have a look without letting her feet fall forward. Suddenly she straightens up and looks around. Trampling off through the grass, she soon returns with a large stick. From the nest’s edge, she reaches out with the stick, placing it as close to one of the ant holes as she can. Tapping impatiently at times, she entreats the ants to come out and to come closer. Realizing this works better if she keeps the stick still, her patience is eventually rewarded. Some ants emerge. They crawl up the length of the stick toward the child’s hand. When the point of contact is almost reached, the child releases the stick in a mix of panic and delight. At the thud of the stick, the flurry of ant activity intensifies below.