Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

thunder and lightning. Hitler and Germanplanes take the place of the devil,again inthe morning.of the lionsIn the Children's Centre, for instance, Charlie,four and a half years old, called from hisbed in the evening that the shelter was notsafe enough, and that the house would falldown on him. He would certainly have calledout in the same way in peace time to say thathe had a fear of earthquakes or of thunderstorms.Roger, four years old, demanded thathis mother come every evening and standarched over his bed until he fell asleep. Itis well known that there are many childrenof that same age, who, at all times, refuse togo to sleep unless their mothers stand by tohold their hands and safeguard them againstforbidden actions. There is another boy ofthe same age whom the nursery superintendenthas to assure with endless repetitions that ifshe leaves him at night he will surely find herand the tigers.This fear also only disguises itself as a fearof air attack at night. When we inquire intoit more closely we realise that he is afraidthat he has done wrong somehow, and that forpunishment his teacher and protector will bespirited away at night. We can convinceourselves of the truth of this explanation whenwe have the chance to remove these children31