nature: water

I used to believe that somebody turned the ocean waves off at night.

I used to believe that there was a giant toad under the sea, and when it breathed in, the tide would go out, and when it breathed out the tide would come in. This toad was known as the "undertoad", and if you went swimming when it was breathing in, it might swallow you.

I grew up on a farm on eastern Long Island (New York). It had a large pond from which we pumped water for irrigating the crops. My father told me that I should never go near this pond because there were hundreds of poisonous, copperhead snakes there. Not wanting to be bitten by a copperhead, I always avoided the entire area. Of course, there are no poisonous snakes?copperhead or otherwise?found on Long Island. Yet, even though I now know there?s no danger of being bitten by a snake, going anywhere the pond still makes me nervous.

I used to believe you got high tides when the sea was full (I lived on the Thames, then)

I used to believe that if you were wet, say from being in the pool or running through the sprinkler, and you walked near something that smelled very badly, say dog poo or garbage, that the smell would stick to you.

I used to believe the old story of how water drains backwards in the southern hemisphere. I believed this until I was 24 years old and actually researched it. I regularily run into people who still think it is true, but I can't laugh at them because... well, that used to be me.

I used to believe…

My dad used to tell me and my sisters that there was a giant plughole in the harbour, and that there was no water there at certain times of day because someone had pulled the plug out. ...For years I looked for that plug every time we drove past!

I was told that if I ever drank puddle water from the driveway I would get polio and have to live in an iron lung.

I used to believe…

a friend of mine used to believe that the tide went out during the day and
in at night. He still believed this at 18 until I told him better!!

I used to believe that the "source" of a river, was a bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup stood in a cave, in the hills, with the water trickling out from under it.

I used to believe that some puddles had bottoms and if you jumped in others you'd fall forever and ever.

I thought that all the Rivers were numbered (in the way roads are) - as I knew about the River Seven, Tens and Fourth (Severn, Thames and Forth)

I used to believe…

Living on the Somerset coast, we can see the south coast of Wales. I used to believe when the tide went out it was in over in Wales. I was always jealous as they seemed to have it much more often than us...

I didn't understand how floods were contained (by higher ground) so I assumed they ended suddenly, like huge cubes of water.