Things They Say...

"... The Woman's Voice considers this corner one of the corners dearest to its heart and to the hearts of its readers, for in it the pure, beautiful life of our children is revealed. Many readers have asked us to continue this section, in which we record those lovely sayings that bespeak an early liveliness and intelligence.

And The Woman's Voice is happy to announce that it has set aside valuable prizes for this corner, for the loveliest picture and the loveliest saying — reserved for the children, to remain among the memories of their childhood on the day they become young men and women.

So do not deprive your clever, beautiful child of a memory precious to your heart and to his.

Little Samia ran to her father, Mr. Jibran Bej'azi, and clung to him, saying: Papa, Papa, when is Uncle Tanios coming from Palestine?!

When her father asked her what she was preparing for her uncle, she said artlessly:

— I want to kiss him, and keep on kissing him, till there are no kisses left on my lips.

Mr. Bej'azi says that a poet heard this saying and declared: this is wonderful poetry.

Footnote: Samia Bej'azi is today a young lady in the moon's own age.

Little Wissam Suleiman, three years old, was watching in fear and fright as the priest went about the rooms of the house, sprinkling the holy Epiphany water and murmuring the traditional prayers between his lips, while Wissam ran from room to room. He came to his father and said in alarm: Papa, what does this priest want?

His father reassured him that the priest wanted nothing, but was sprinkling the water and praying to drive the devils out of the house.

And the little boy asks in astonishment: Papa, where are the devils?... There's nobody in the house but Papa. What are we, a church? Let him go to the church and chase the devils out of there.

Ayman Jureidini, of Hama, is two and a half years old, and his mother had grown accustomed, whenever she wanted to put him to sleep, to lay him in his bed and rock him as though the two of them were traveling by train to Beirut, to "Auntie's," whom little Ayman loves very much.

Once his mother put him up into his bed and began rocking him and saying:

— The train is off to Beirut... to Beirut... toot toot!!

But Ayman was not sleepy this time, and after half an hour of steady rocking he slipped out from under his quilt and got down to the floor without his mother noticing, until she heard him say:

— Travel by yourself today, Mama... eh? I'm not going!!