THESE are sad times indeed so it was rather a relief to be reminded of an anecdote I heard many years ago.
Whilst reading Susan Swarbrick’s Week (Opinion, The Herald, June 17) about children having poor knowledge of food sources, I thought, in a rather unconnected way, about a Sunday Evensong in the 1950s, when the Vicar took as his theme the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He spoke of a Sunday School teacher who told her small charges about Jesus dying and going to his Heavenly Father.
She then asked the children to draw a picture of Jesus from the story she had told. One small, and obviously well-informed, laddie drew an aeroplane in which there were two people.
When the children were asked to explain their drawings the wee chap said that his was of Jesus going to heaven.
“So who is the other person?” asked the teacher. Quick as flash came the reply: “That’s Pontius the pilot”.
Perhaps children were altogether smarter in those days? Or perhaps they are not as generally well-informed now?
They certainly have the ability to absorb whatever information comes their way, regardless of whether it is food or other topics; adults just need to supply it.
Sometimes children re-tell it in rather more colourful and memorable versions.
Thelma Edwards,
Old Comrades Hall,
Hume,
Kelso.
THE letter from Ian W Thomson in The Herald (June 20) brought to mind another, possibly apocryphal, story of an officer inspecting a new contingent of troops who had just moved into their barracks.
The officer enquired of one of the men how he was settling in by asking:”You comfy here?” To which the soldier replied: “No, sur, I come fae Glesca.”
Alan Fitzpatrick,
10 Solomon’s View,
Dunlop.
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