We stumbled upon this gem during our homeschool read aloud today! We have had the pleasure of reading two books this year by Sam Campbell, “How’s Inky” and “Too Much Salt and Pepper”. Both stories tell of the adventures in nature the Campbell’s experienced at their summer cabin. We wrapped up “How’s Inky” a few weeks ago and have been working our way through “Too Much Salt and Pepper”. The back cover states, “Too Much Salt and Pepper” will prick your heart as you see the warm wisdom of nature Mr. Campbell reveals in every chapter.” Well my heart was definitely pricked today and I felt compelled to share. Here is the excerpt:
“Too Much Salt and Pepper”, Chapter 9 - Play Is The Thing, The Naturalness of Joy p.135
“You fellers been busy today?” went Inky’s comments. (Inky is the porcupine)
“Yes old top, we have been busy. We have been trying to learn something about the way you forest people play, how you know joy.”
“Yea! You folks could do with a little information about that.” Inky scratched his side, shook out his quills, twitched his nose, and went on. “Sometimes when I hear what you folks do to have a good time, as you call it, I feel sorry for you. Why do you do the things that tear down your health and your characters, and call that fun? Good Balsam Juice, if we animals went carousin’ around eatin’ and drinkin’ things that did us no good, we certainly would be failures at livin’ in the woods! You noticed everything you saw in nature was buildin’ up, didn’t you? You don’t find any of our folks playin’ around unless that play is makin’ him strong and able to get along in the world. That’s what play ought to be. You don’t have to tear yourselves to pieces just to have fun, do you? We see some human folks go through this woods a-puffin’ and blowin’ and complainin’, hardly able to walk. Lost all their strength tryin’ to have a good time. There’s so blamed much fun in this world, fun of the right kind - why don’t you human beings wake up? Why don’t you make your play develop your strength, give you health, spruce up your minds and your characters? Sometimes, by Balsam Juice, I get disgusted with you! You can be so much better and so much happier than you are if you’d only use some common sense.”
We all stood in silence. Inky looked from one to another, and Giny stroked his quill-capped head.
“There,” he went on, turning to waddle away into the night, “there, I guess I’ve been too mean again. You folks are kinda sensitive about your faults. You’d rather not hear about them. Rather be let alone even if you’re doin’ the wrong thing. I suppose I shouldn’t talk such stuff to you, even when I know it’s right.”
Hoping and praying we can all learn something from Inky the porcupine, so that we may see more common sense in the world today and for people to stand up for what is right. “Right”, defined by only ONE standard, God’s.