Part 22 (1/2)
”Yes, I know the Parks,” said Boris, ”but that isn't quite what I mean!”
The woman smiled again. ”There _is_ a wide green country when you get out of the island,” she said. ”You'll find it some day I'm sure,” and then the woman hurried away. Boris was very, very tired. So he took the subway home. When he came in his mother called out, ”Did you find the wide green country, Boris?”
”No,” said Boris, ”I couldn't, you see. Because what do you think New York is?”
”What do I think New York is, Boris? Why, it's the biggest city in the world!”
”That's not what I mean. What do you think it _is_? What is it built on I mean?”
”What is it built on? On good sound rock I suppose!”
Boris laughed and laughed. ”No, no,” he said. ”I mean it's an island.
Every way you walk, if you walk long enough, you come to water. Now isn't that the funniest thing?” And Boris's mother thought it was funny too.
”So many people and all to live on an island!” she kept saying to herself. ”I should think it would make them a lot of work!”
And Boris who remembered the bridges and the ferry boats and the ”tubes”
thought so too!
Boris, he went out to walk To find the country wide And he walked west and west he walked But he found the Hudson wide!
And so he turned himself about And walked the other way And he walked east and east he walked And there East River lay!
But Boris he went out again To find the country wide And he went north and north he went To Harlem River's side.
Again he turned himself about And went the other way And he went south and south he went And there the harbor lay!
Then Boris scratched his head and thought: ”Whatever way I go There's always water at the end Whatever way I go!
New York must be an island An island it must be So many people all shut in By rivers and by sea!
They've bridges and they've ferry boats Across the top to go; They've subways and they've Hudson tubes To burrow down below To get things in, to get things out How busy they must be!
In that enormous big New York On rivers and on sea!”
SPEED
This story is a definite attempt to make the child aware of a new relations.h.i.+p in his familiar environment.
The verse is for the older children. The story has lent itself well to dramatization.
SPEED
Once there was a big beautiful white ox. His back was broad, his horns were long and his eyes were large and gentle. He went slowly sauntering down the road one suns.h.i.+ny summer day. As he walked along he swung from side to side carefully putting down his small feet. And this is what he thought:
”I am pleased with myself--so large, so broad, so strong am I. Is there anyone else who can pull so heavy a load? Is there anyone else who can plow so straight a furrow? What would the world do without me?”
Just then he heard something tearing along the road behind him.
”Clopperty, clopperty, clopperty, clopperty.” In a moment up dashed a big, black horse.