Letter 1: "The Book of Nature" in English | Letters From a Father to his Daughter

 

Starting "Letters From a Father" in English!  Letter #1 "The Book of Nature"  

In this letter, Nehru writes to his daughter Indira that he would  share the story of the earth through letters. Since living far apart, they can no longer have their usual conversations, he hopes to broaden her understanding of the world beyond India and England, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all countries and peoples.

Nehru introduces the concept of Earth's ancient history, noting that before human life, there were animals, and before that, no life at all. He describes how scientists study fossils, rocks, and the Earth's natural elements to understand this history. These natural elements—like mountains, rivers, and stones—are akin to a "book" that can be read to understand Earth's past.

He encourages Indira to learn the "alphabet" of nature to read its stories, using a small, smooth pebble as an example of how nature tells its history. He explains how the pebble, once a rough rock, became smooth through the movement of rivers, illustrating the dynamic processes that shape the Earth. Through this analogy, Nehru highlights the richness of nature's stories and the importance of observing and understanding the world around us.