For                            parents,
 the                            birth of a child is a miraculous event.
 Old                            myths say
 a                            magical fairy gives to the child
 gifts                            of human character.

 I                            would ask that her gift
 to                            each child in the world
 would                            be a sense of wonder so indestructable
 that                            it would last throughout life,
 as                            an unfailing antidote
 against                            boredom and disenchantments of later years,
 against                            the sterile preoccupation with things artificial,
 against                            alienation from our sources of strength.

 (original                            by Rachael Carson adapted to basic English)