I studied French at university and in my second year (I was 19) I wrote an essay on nineteenth-century short stories. One story featured a strange bear-man who had been conceived when his mother had sex with a bear. I told my tutor that this fitted the description of a "conte fantastique" perfectly, because although events seemed supernatural, there was also a logical explanation and what happened in the story, although unlikely, could happen in real life. He looked at me in amazement and then said, very slowly, "look, I know we're not studying biology here..."
A childhood belief about reproduction
others believed things like this
- when I was little my uncle told me he was part bear. I believed people could be part bear until I was twelve. — Audrey
- I used to believe that God looked like an enormous version of "Woody" from the Toy Story series.— Ryan
- I used to think that when a movie was 'based on a true story' it was happening for real then and there— Tom
- I used to think that dreams were events that really happened, I just couldn't remember them when I was awake.— Warren
- I used to believe that if you stepped on the cracks of the pavement, a bear would jump up and eat you.— Nina
- I used to talk with my teddy bear and I really thought he answered me.— Joy