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Fabre’s growth story

December 22, 1823, Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre, French entomologist, animal behaviorist, and writer.

Born in a farming family in the village of Saint-Ren in Provence, France.

In the following years, Fabre spent time at his grandparents' house in Maraval, not far from the village. At that time, as a young man, he was already attracted by the lovely insects such as butterflies and grasshoppers in the countryside.

At the age of seven, Fabre returned to Saint-Réne to start school, but that childhood period has always been deeply engraved in his heart.

In 1833, the Fabre family came to Rodez, and his father made a living by running a cafe.

Four years later, the family moved to Toulouse.

Fabre entered the seminary in Toulouse, but dropped out midway and went out to make a living. He worked on the railway and sold lemons in the market.

Later, he passed the selection examination for the Normal School of Avignon, received a scholarship, and obtained a higher school diploma after three years of study.

After graduation, Fabre, who was nineteen years old, began his teaching career in Cabentela, teaching a course on the history of natural sciences.

In 1849, he was appointed physics teacher in Ajaccio, Corsica.

The island's beautiful natural scenery and rich species ignited his passion for studying plants and animals.

The botanist Le Guin of Avignon imparted his knowledge to him.

After that, he followed Mokan Tangtong to collect flower and plant specimens. This knowledgeable and talented teacher laid a solid foundation for Fabre to later become a naturalist and embark on the path of scientific research.

In 1853, Fabre returned to mainland France, was employed at a school in Avignon, and moved his family into a simple house on Dyer Street in the Saint-Dominique neighborhood.

In 1857, he published "Observations on the Habits of the Arthroplasty". This paper corrected the erroneous views of Léon Dufour, the founder of entomology at the time, and won praise from the French Academy and was awarded the Prize for Experimental Physiology.

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During this period, Fabre also devoted his energy to the research of the natural dye madder or alizarin. The red color on the French soldiers' military trousers at that time came from madder powder.

In 1860, Fabre obtained three patents for such research.

Later, Fabre was invited by Victor Druid, the Minister of Education of the Government, to be responsible for the organization and teaching of an adult night school, but his free teaching methods caused dissatisfaction among some people.

So he quit his job and settled down with his family in Orange, where they stayed for more than ten years.

During these more than ten years, Fabre completed the first volume of the ten-volume "Insects".

During this period, he went to Wandu Mountain with his friends many times to collect plant specimens.

In addition, he also got acquainted with the British philosopher Mill, but Mill died young, and the plan they hatched, the "Vaucluse Vegetation Grand View," died prematurely.

At the same time, a great misfortune befell Fabre: he had six children. Among them, the only son Jules, who had the same interests as his father and loved observing nature, passed away at the age of sixteen.

After that, Fabre dedicated several plants he discovered to Jules, who died young, to express his memory.

The study of fungi has always been one of Fabre's hobbies.

In 1878, he wrote many wonderful academic articles on the subject of fungi in Vaucluse.

He also studied the wild rice in great detail and described its aroma in detail. Gourmets claim that they can taste all the flavors he described from real wild rice.

In 1879, Fabre bought the deserted stone garden in Selignan and lived there until his death.

This is a barren and barren land, but it is a land that insects love. In addition to being a place for his family to live, it also has his study room, studio and testing ground, where he can quietly concentrate on thinking and devote himself wholeheartedly to his work.

Various observations and experiments; it can be said that this is the world he has always dreamed of.

It was here that Fabre, while conducting observations and experiments, compiled his observation notes, experimental records and scientific notes from the first half of his life studying insects, and completed the last nine volumes of "Insects".

Today, this former residence has become a museum, quietly located in the botanical garden with a rich Provence style.

Fabre persisted in self-study throughout his life and successively obtained a bachelor's degree in business, a bachelor's degree in mathematics, a bachelor's degree in natural sciences, and a doctorate in natural sciences. He was proficient in Latin and Greek and loved the works of the ancient Roman writer Horace and the poet Virgil.

He was also almost self-taught in painting and watercolor, and left many exquisite illustrations of fungi that were praised by Nobel Prize winner and French poet Frederic Mistral.

In Fabre's later years, the success of "Insects" won him the reputation of "Homer of the Insects" and "Poet of Science", and his achievements were widely recognized by society.

Although Fabre received many scientific titles, he remained as simple as ever, shy and humble, and lived a poor life.

His talent was admired by literati and scholars at that time, including British biologist Darwin, 1911 Nobel Prize winner for literature - Belgian playwright Maeterlinck, German writer Junger, French philosopher Bergson, poet Ma

Latin American and Provence writers Roumanier and others.

Because "Insects" accurately recorded Fabre's experiments and revealed many secrets about insect life and living habits, Darwin called Fabre an "inimitable observer."

When he lived in Selignan, many scholars and writers came to visit him.

Fabre received scholars such as Pasteur and the British philosopher Mill in his residence, but his correspondence with them was not frequent.