Playing host and hostess [short story]

Title

Creator

Canova, B. Hill

Language

English

Year

1937

Subject

Short stories, Philippine (English)

Philippine fiction (English)

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

Pablo is a timid little boy, his mother, Mrs. Santos, was so worried for him, and got into a plan to help him to gain courage to speak up and talk to people. And it is through the game ‘Host and Hostess.’

Fulltext

182 THE YOUNG CITIZEN July, J !J.17 CHARACTER EDUCATION SECTION Playing Host and Hostess By B. HILL CANOVA ' 'p ABLO," called Mrs. Santos. to her little boy, "I am gomg down the street to leave this material with the dressmaker. I'll be back in a very short time. You play in the garden and do not wander into thl~ street while I am away." "Yes," answered Pablo. As Mrs. Santos was leaving the dres5maker's house, Mrs. Cruz passed along the street. "Good morning, Mrs. Santos, I have just been to your house," said Mrs. Cruz. "And Pablo told you I was here, I suppose." "No," he didn't tell me," replied Mrs. Cruz. "I asked him where you were but couldn't get a word out of him. H c is rather shy, isn't he?" Mrs. Santos skipped over the question and answered, "I am sorry I was out. I am going right back home now, won't you come with me?" "Thank you, no," said Mrs. Cruz. "I meant to stop only a minute to tell you about the club meeting tomorrow afternoon at two. I just happened to pass this way and am glad I saw you." The two women talked for a few minutes and each went her way. As soon a~ Mrs. Santos was alone she asked herself, "Why did Pablo not answer Mrs. Cruz's questions? The boy is too timid. He must overcome it, and I must help him. Every day I must help him." When the mother reached home Pablo · was· sitting on the steps. "Did any one call while I was out?" she asked the little boy. "Yes, Mrs. Cruz came." "What did you tell her?" questioned the mother. "I didn't tell her anything," answered Pablo and looked uncomfortable. Mrs. Santos knew that to scold he1· Httle son was not the thing to do. She went in the house without saying anything. All day as she went about hel' work she thought of ways to help Pabl;) tc gain courage to speak up and talk tu people. It worried her. "In many ways he is so clever, but when some one speaks to him he tucks his head and does not reply," she told herself. "I must help him.'' That evening they had suppe1· earlie1· than usual. When everyone had finished eating, Mrs. Santos said, "Children, let's clear away the dishes and play some games together. It is early." July, 1937" THE YOUNG CITIZEN 183 "Good!" shouted Anselma. "Fine," agreed Emilio. "Are you going to play with us?" asked Pablo. "Yes, I want to play," replied the mother. The three children hurl"ied about to clean up the dishes. They loved to have mother play with them. "What shall we play?" asked Anselma. "Let mother name the game," suggested Pablo. "She can think of such nice things to play." "Very well," agreed the mother, "let's play Host and Hostess." "How is it played?" asked all three children at once. "It's lots of fun," began the mother, ''you play as if you were someone else other than yourself." "Whom shall I be?" asked Anselma. "Well," said the mother, "suppose you and Emilio play as if you were Mr. and Mrs. Ramos. Pablo, let us pretend that we are Mr. and Mrs. Lucas." "This is going to be fun," suggested Anselma. "What do we do?" "The fil'st thing, you choose a plac~ for your house and pretend that you live there." "Come Emilio," said Anselma, "we will play as if this end of the porch is om· home." "Pablo, shall you and I live here on the other end of the porch? Play as if it is our home." . The two "play-like-families" went to their "play-like-homes." "You see:" explained the mother, "the man and wife who receive visitors are called the host and hostess. Now that ·we are two families living in two homes, we will make "play-like-visits" to each othe1·. Remember, Anselma and Emilio, you are Mr. and Mrs. Ramos and Pablo and I are Mi·. and Mrs. Lucas. \Ve must talk and act just as we think those two families would." "May Emilio and I be the host and hostess first?" asked Anselma. "Yes, you may, but what are you going to do when Pablo and I come knocking on your door. Remember, we are Mr. and Mrs. Lucas." "We will say, 'Good afternoon, come in, how are you, take a seat'," explained Anselma. "That is right, and don't forget to take our umbrella," reminded her mother, "Then you and Emilio must keep (Please t 11 ru to 7ia.ge J .98) 198 PLAYING HOST AND (Continued f1·01n page .183) an interesting conversation going. When we leave you must ask us to come again. and we must thank you for a pleasant afternoon." Everything was ready. All the players understood how to play the game. Pablo and his mother pretended to dress to go out to make a visit. The play-like-Mr. and Mrs. Lucas knocked on the play-like-door of the play-like-home of the play-like-Mr. and Mrs. R'.amos. "Good afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Lucas," said Mrs. Ramos (Anselma). "Come in," ·added Mr. Ramos (Emilio) . "Good afternoon." replied Mr. and Mrs. Lucas , (Pablo and his mother). ·'Will you sit down?" asked Mrs. Ramos. "Thank you." replied Mr. and Mrs. Lucas as they sat down. "Let me put up your um brella," offered Mr. Ramos. "Thank you." said Mr. Lucas. The game was going very well. The hard part now was to keep the conversation going. Mr. Ramos and Mr. Lucas talked about the campaign against noise. Mrs. Ramos and Mrs. Lucas discussed their flower gardens. After a while Mr. Lucas said. "it is time for us to go. We have had a very pleasant afternoon. ··indeed, Mrs. Lucas. we have," added '''Ve are glad vou. r;1 lle<f " said Mrs. Ramos. THE YOUNG CITIZEN THE YOUNG CITIZEN . (Continued f1·om pQ.ge 196) and drop into a saucepan of water with lime. Leave for some hours. Rinse. Boil a little· water and pour over the rinsed santol. Squeeze out the juice. Soak in rice water for 24 hours. Squeeze th~ juice being careful not to break the flesh. If the water is not sour anymore, prepare the syrup in the same way as for Sweet Condo!. SWEET BREADFRUIT (Rimas) breadfruit Yi kilo sugar 5 cups water Pare and slice the. breadfruit. ,Soak in limewater overnight. Boil some water and drop in the breadfruit. Press out the juice gently. Prepare the syrup as for Sweet Condo!, put in the breadfruit until it is tender. . "Yes, come· again," urged Mr. Ramos. "Thank you," said Mr. and Mrs. Lucas, "and we hope you will come to see us." "Thank you," said Mr. and Mrs. Lucas. "and we hope you will come to see us." They played again and let Pablo and his mother be the host and hostess while Anselma and Emilio were their visitors. Pablo was not timid to talk to his mother and brother and sister when they were playing together. Host-and-hostess was their favorite game for several weeks. Sometimes the father played with them. too. They had happy times with July, 1937 WIND AND RAIN (Continued f1·om page 188) they can suck it up with their roots: and animals, including man. can satisfy their thirst from the well~ and springs and rivers. The water ·that has seeped through the earth in this way is better to drink than the rain water as it falls from the sky. The earth acts like a filter. and, as the rain water slowly passes through the sand and gravel. all the impurities that have been washed from the air are filtered out. Not all the rain that falls stays in th~ soil for plants and animal to use. Much of it is evaporated right back into air when the sun comes out hot. In moist climates much of the water drains off into the rivers which carry it to the sea. Here it may once more evaporate into the air, and start the round again, to fall later as rain. these play-like-visits with each other. A few weeks later. the mothH was down town. She met one of her neighbors. ·'Good morning. Mrs. S a n t o s . I stopped in your house on my way to town." "I am sorry I was out." said J\.lrs. Santos. "I spoke to Pablo. and like a little man he said. Tm sorry mother is out. She went to town and will be out most of the morning. Will you lea\•e a message a!ld will you call again?' " Mrs. Santos smiled and sh~ and the neighbor continued their shopping tour together.

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