National Geographic: The Savage Garden Page #4

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It's already cutting an escape hatch.

But it can take three days to get out!

How do you get out of a hole

the size of your head?

It sure helps to be a living accordion

Portrait of the Michelin

man as a young grub.

The young weevil must now hide itself.

But a hungry shrew is nearby.

The grub will start to dig underground

where it will metamorphose

and wait perhaps years

before emerging to continue

its seemingly pointless cycle of life.

On the other hand,

look how we're spending our time.

The shrew is intent on finding grub.

I mean, a grub.

Hiding and sneaking,

amputation and slaughter.

I was beginning to think my garden

was trying to tell me something.

And at this point,

like the mantis, I was all ear.

Heh, heh.

I was off-balance, confused.

And I was about to come

face-to-face with a force so...

vital... so unstoppable...

I could never look at my

garden the same way again.

Shrews!

A female seems to be accepting

a male's overtures.

Is she so hot a shrew

as she's reported? Humph.

I had no idea I was listening

to a love song.

But the young couple was actually off

to a good start for

what can be a taxing business.

Mating is as hectic as the

rest of the shrew's life...

often 20 times a day.

Your mileage may vary.

What a sight!

They looked so... vulnerable.

I was amazed

that two shrews - two recluses

could put aside their grouchiness.

Suddenly, I realized I had been

obsessed with the

darker forces of nature

with savagery and death.

True enough, for the male shrew,

even love can be a drag.

But now I saw my garden's other side.

It was really about love

and life and renewal.

Mostly, it was about copulation.

My garden wasn't the scene of

an apocalypse after all;

it was more like... genesis.

The wonder. The wonder. The wonder.

What I discovered is that there

was a problem in my garden.

And I was the problem.

I was spending so much time trying

to control the garden that

I wasn't seeing things

that were right in front of my eyes.

Look down here.

A female shrew's been nesting.

Let's see how she's doing.

Ah, baby shrews.

Some of the smallest and most

helpless of newborn mammals.

It would take nearly

But they'll sure grow fast.

They'll leave the nest in three weeks.

A couple of weeks later,

they'll be looking

for mates themselves.

It's a beautiful thing.

Don't worry.

I'm not going New Age on you.

But I couldn't help feeling that

one of them was smiling at me.

You know, I have a way

with the garden's creatures.

So here is my advice about the garden.

Give up the slightest idea

that you can control it.

Leave yourself open to delight.

Keep your eyes open.

And enjoy the wonderful

flavors that you'll have... Ohh!

Well, and of course,

you must share your garden!

That was a very good tomato.

Stay away from those trees!

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