— 15 —
TRANSLATION
Who is going to play with me? ― strike the flint-steel ― the flint steel takes fire ― sell sweet melons ― the sweet melons are bitter ― sell bean cheese ― the bean cheese is spoiled ― boil eggs in tea ― in the shell of the egg, of the egg ― there is sitting the elder brother ― the elder brother goes out to buy provisions ― inside there sits the grand-mother ― the grand mother goes out to burn incense ― and burns her nose and her eyes.
IX
我一個大兒子
一個兒子
寶貝疙疸兒
開胸順氣丸
NOTES
These words are often repeated by the pekinese mothers to their babies 疙疸兒 ko1 ta1 'r means here a little thing of a round form just as it was a round metal button. 開胸順氣丸 k'ai1 hsiung1 shun4 ch'i4 uan2, is a medical pill advised by Chinese doctors to people who feel the breast oppressed and the respiration uneasy. The literal translation of its
