When a herd of cattle see a strange object, they are not satisfied till each one has sniffed it; and the horse is cured of his fright at the robe, or the meal-bag, or other object, as soon as he can be induced to smell it. There is a great deal of speculation in the eye of an animal, but very little science. -John Burroughs Science
The common bees will never use their sting upon the queen; if she is to be disposed of, they starve her to death, and the queen herself will sting nothing but royalty, nothing but a rival queen. -John Burroughs Death
Birds and animals probably think without knowing that they think; that is, they have not self-consciousness. Only man seems to be endowed with this faculty; he alone develops disinterested intelligence, intelligence that is not primarily concerned with his own safety and well-being but that looks abroad upon things. -John Burroughs Intelligence
Without the name, any flower is still more or less a stranger to you. The name betrays its family, its relationship to other flowers, and gives the mind something tangible to grasp. It is very difficult for persons who have had no special training to learn the names of the flowers from the botany. -John Burroughs Relationship
To treat your facts with imagination is one thing, to imagine your facts is another. -John Burroughs Imagination
For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice - no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service. -John Burroughs Patience
I seldom go into a natural history museum without feeling as if I were attending a funeral. -John Burroughs History
How beautiful the leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. -John Burroughs Nature
To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. -John Burroughs Morning
I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. -John Burroughs Life
The spirit of man can endure only so much and when it is broken only a miracle can mend it. -John Burroughs Strength
Without the emotion of the beautiful, the sublime, the mysterious, there is no art, no religion, no literature. -John Burroughs Religion
The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are. -John Burroughs Wisdom
A sap run is the sweet goodbye of winter. It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and frost. -John Burroughs Marriage
The dog is often quick to resent a kick, be it from man or beast, but I have never known him to show anger at the door that slammed to and hit him. Probably, if the door held him by his tail or his limb, it would quickly receive the imprint of his teeth. -John Burroughs Anger
To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. -John Burroughs Life
In October, a maple tree before your window lights up your room like a great lamp. Even on cloudy days, its presence helps to dispel the gloom. -John Burroughs Great
