creepy crawlies

My older cousin told me that the average person swallowed 7 spiders per month from sleeping with their mouths open (so the spider would crawl in). It took years to realize that couldn't be true.

nrs

Whenever we would squish spiders in the house my brother and I would flush them down the toilet and he always said to be careful when I sat down to go to the bathroom cuz they might be coming back up to get me. Sometimes at night when I wake up and go I think about that and it still gives me the creeps.

Anon

As a child, I was told that if I were to kill a group of ants, it would start to rain. Still to this day I watch where I step if I don't want it to rain.

Gina

i used to believe that if a lizard's tail drops into your ears you'll become deaf

Anon

i used to think bugs could sting you through closed glass windows.

Anon

When I was little, I was playing outside and something got under my shirt and I ran in the house crying. My mom located the bug, which turned out to be a grasshopper......I didn't want to go outside again as I thought the same thing might happen.....in fact, I told my mom that I wouldn't even go out in the winter time. When she asked why, I told her that there would be "snowhoppers"!! Mom laughed, I didn't think it was so funny!

SK-Wisconsin

When I was about 5 years old, I found a worm in the backyard. Me being me, I wanted it for a pet. Of course, my mother didn't want a slimy invertebrate in the house so she decides to tell me that all worms grow up to be snakes. I actually believed in this until I was in fourth or fifth grade.

Shama

When I was little, my parents used to take us out to this local mexican restaurant quite often. Well, I was a bit of an obnoxious child, and to get me to behave, they used to tell me that the giant pot/urns in the corners of the room were filld with bugs and if I was bad the waiter would come over and put me in there and close the lid. Ever since then, I have had this unnatural fear of bugs. Not outdoors, but indoors. I can't sleep if I know there is a bug in the room. My parents laugh about it now, writing it off as first-time parent experimenting.

taliba

I have always loved nature and from a very early age was read books about animals from all over the world. When I was about five years old I rode my little 16" bicycle down the quarter mile long lane of our farm. In the middle of this quarter mile journey toward the end of the lane nearest the road and away from the house, I saw a snake crossing the road. It was about two or three feet long. When I reached the end of the lane I was terrified because I was certain this was a "baby" snake and that its mother, a 30'(at least) python was lurking in the ditch on the side of the lane. I sat there at the end of the lane for a long time. I thought at least I was lucky and had not run over the baby and made the "mom" python mad. I decided on a plan and screwed up my courage enough to get on my bike and race back down the lane as fast as I could pedal that little bike. I raced into the house and related my brush with death to my mother only to find out that pythons did not live in Iowa they live on another continent. I was both relieved and chagrined

Elizabeth

We have (In Vermont at least) those huge mosquito looking bugs referred o as "sewing needles", and when I was little one would get into my room or my tent while camping and my mother would say "They'll sew your eyes shut unless you close them." So she'd get me to go to sleep that way, but I believed it to be true.

Ethan

My father told me that dragon flies were darning needles, and they would sew your ears shut. I was always afraid of them.

Sandy

The people that lived next door to my grandparents had bee hives. It was pretty terrifying visiting there asquite a few bees would buzz around you. These neighbors told me these were special bees and they did not sting. I was never afraid after that and they never did sting me.

Bea

As a child, I believed that if a little bug that I call a genie (don't know if that is the real name) landed on your finger and you made a wish while she was sittling there your wish would come true. To this day this 27 year lod believes that if a genie lands on yur finger you will have good luck!

Anon

I used to believe that if you kiss a frog then the would would really turn into a king.

jing

I used to belive that there was only one toad frog in the whole world. His name was toadder, i would catch him in the morning and let him loode in the evening. I cryed for days when i discovered more than one frog.

April Ferguson