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Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

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When caught <strong>and</strong> brought back, Pamela insisted:"There is no bomb".When this was turned down, they allscreamed in chorus: "There is no bomb! Weare going out in the garden!"Pamela then came inagain <strong>and</strong> said firmly:"It has exploded".This attitude of denying what isunpleasant<strong>and</strong> disturbing in reality is natural enough tochildren. It is more surprising that also ourgrown up staff was not inclined to act otherwise.Our social worker decided that this wasthe appropriate time to give the garden a reallygood overhaul. Whatever grass had survivedon the children's playground was cut, anew s<strong>and</strong>pit dug, <strong>and</strong> the jungle gym repainted.Whenever anyone triedto send a member ofthe staff out of the garden, he was met with theindignant remark that after all "the bombwould not go off just at this moment".Though certainly all our windows wouldhave been smashed if the explosion had occurred,no one in the house was ever seen tokeep away from windows.Our bomb once more became impressivewhen after much hard labour a bomb disposaldetachment of soldiers had dug it out of itscrater <strong>and</strong> loaded it on a truck to be removed.Its presence in the street, which by now had117

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