What Do You Think?
Originally Published as My Pleasant Entertainment
by
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TWO GOATS
Two goats met at the opposite sides of a narrow board that crossed a steep ditch that had a deep flowing stream. One goat wanted to cross on one side, the other on the other side.
"Move,” said the one goat. “No,” said the other, “I was here first. You wait! First come, first serve.”
"Get out of the way, I was first,” shouted the first goat. “Besides, I'm older; I should go first!”
On and on they argued who was first. Both started to cross the board. They jumped at each other, reared back and bumped each other. Locking horns, shaking and bumping, until they knocked themselves into the water, they struggled to get out, and then finally climbed the steep banks of the ditch.
Dear children, you see, we must not be stubborn as goats. We must think first and then act.
PRETTY PRINCESS
"Mother, why does Grandma keep saying that soon the pretty princess will greet us? What does she look like? I have never seen her,” said Jacob.
"Yes, son,” answered his mother. “A pretty princess will again greet us. No one knows how she looks, since no one has seen her. But all long for her, and when she comes, everyone will rejoice.”
"Who will she go to first?”
"When the pretty princess steps onto this earth, she will go to the forests, touch the trees and flowers, and the flowers will bloom, while the trees will turn green. She will then cross the fields and meadows, and under her feet the seeds that were sleeping all winter will raise their little heads. Birds from distant places will return when they feel her presence. They will fly to her, and sing to her gloriously from the heavens.”
"Insects from the soil will inhale her breath and surface to salute her. This beautiful princess will step into all people's hearts, and will bring them happiness and merriment.”
"Now I know, Mother! The pretty princess is spring!” said Jacob, as he jumped with delight.
"You are so right,” answered Mother. “Whenever she steps upon this earth, all people and animals in all parts of the world get excited. In every country she will scatter her presents for a sweet spring.
MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY
"Tomorrow is mother's birthday. What will you get her?” asked Jerry.
"I'm going to get her a bouquet of roses,” answered Fran.
"No! Not roses. Mother likes carnations better,” shouted Sally. “So I am going to get her carnations.”
"Carnations, carnations, those are flowers without an odor. Mother likes violets. Violets smell heavenly. It is going to be violets,” cried Chester.
The children could not agree. “All flowers are pretty, and Mother likes all flowers,” said Valerie, the oldest of the children, “but she likes Pansies best. Pansy means closest to the heart. Remember everyone, Mother always said, it is wrong to quarrel among ourselves. When we do, it means there is not enough love in the family.”
The day of mother's birthday, the children gave her a bouquet of flowers, which had roses, carnations, violets, and pansies. All were satisfied, and Valerie, in the name of everyone, recited this verse:
"Dear precious Mother, please take these flowers from us, who are most grateful that you are our mother!
Through them we want to tell you how much we love you.
We will not argue any longer, we will not have disagreements, and we will be obedient.”
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About the Book
The author's father unfortunately passed away when he and his brother were very young. Having a fatherless childhood in an environment where toughness was in vogue, part of his moral and social upbringing was influenced by the grade school book he bought and kept. It helped teach him how to think through daily occurrences that he encountered. Kindness to others, a repeated theme in the book, must have been a lesson he learned well, for his daughter's childhood memories include a “Tata” (Daddy) who, more often than not, invited other children, whose parents were unavailable to do so, along on family outings to the beach, cider mill, etc.
Ed Kwiatkowski decided to translate his Polish grade school book for children growing up too soon and not having a chance to be children, in the hope that it would give them a moral and social structure in our blasé society. This book would have them separate right from wrong. It would give them a stopping point in their lives to think about their behavior, as the author once did, to deal with questionable actions around them, while also being entertained.
About the Author
Edward Kwiatkowski, a father of 4 children, is a product of Detroit parochial and public schools. He is bilingual. Ed graduated from Central Michigan University in 1950 with a teaching degree in social studies. Subsequently, he taught in the Detroit school system for 23 years, where he observed the needs of elementary school children. Therefore, he decided to translate his beloved Polish grade school book, which he purchased so long ago and kept for all these years.