little boy that needed to be loved . . .” “Nobody loves me,” Ali burst into sobs again. “ So, I told Many Goats that you could live with me as long as he would let you, and that when he found out that you didn’t have an evil eye he could have you back. Many Goats said that he’d leave you with me for two years, and that if we hadn’t all gotten the evil eye curse from you in that time he’d ask the chief if you could come back to your village.” Ali could hardly believe what he’d heard. He' sat quietly for a few minutes, then he stammered, “ You mean, you mean, you mean you aren’t afraid of me? You are willing to let me live in your house? Why even my own mother won’t let me stay in her hut! She says I have an evil eye. And my father died . . . and no one wants me around . . .” “ Yes, Ali, I’m willing to let you stay with me. You’ll have a nice room with the other boys and I’ll give you good food to eat and I’ll teach you to read . . .” “ Now I know you’re lying to me. How could I learn to read? Don’t you know blind people can’t read?” Little Ali began to cry. “You just want to make soap out of me, after all.” “ No, that’s not so, remember what I told you about the picture on the package. All I want to do is to be your friend.” “ I won’t promise to stay forever,” he told the missionary. “ And I won’t keep you forever. I’ll take you back to your home just as soon as Many Goats agrees.” “ But what if you go blind?” Ali asked the missionary. “ I won’t go blind,” the missionary laughed. “ But they say I’ve got an evil eye,” Ali warned him. “You’ve not got an evil eye, you’re only a poor little blind boy and I want you to live with us and to learn about Jesus who loves little boys and girls.” “Who’s Jesus?” Ali asked. “ Look, let’s start back to the mis sion, it isn’t far,” the missionary took Ali’s hand and helped him to his feet. “ Careful, now don’t stumble.” Ali thought, “Well, I can run away in the morning . . .” “ I won’t stumble,” he said to the missionary, “ I can feel my way along the path.” “Well, now,” the missionary began as they walked back towards the mis sion, “ You asked me who Jesus is. Jesus is the Son of God and He loves little boys and girls . . . He came into the world to save them from their sins.” (Concluded on Next Page)
asked, a horrible suspicion had en tered his mind . . . “ and how did you know my name was Ali, and why did you stop to talk to me?” “Well, I’ll tell you,” the stranger answered, “ this afternoon M a n y Goats came to my house . . .” “ Then you’re the white man,” Ali jumped up and tried to run down the path. “Hold it, son,” the missionary gent ly pushed Ali back to the ground and sat down beside him. “Many Goats came up to my house and told me that he had a little blind boy named Ali and he wanted him to live at the
heard his stepfather and the towns men talking and how they’d decided to get rid of him so that no more evil would come to the town. “ And they didn’t even care if those mission aries did make soap out of me,” Ali sobbed. The stranger listened carefully and then said, “ Do you remember . . . before you went blind, the packages of dye that were sold in the market?” “ Oh, yes,” Ali answered, “my father always bought that dye and colored the cloths that he sold.” “What kind of picture was on the dye package?”
A BOY OR A GIRL? Some folks pray for a boy, some for a golden- haired. little girl to come. Some claim to think there is more joy wrapped up in the smile of a little boy; While others pretend that the soapy curls and plump pink cheeks of a little girl, Bring more of bliss to the old home place, than a small boy’s queer little freckled face. Now, which is better I couldn’t say, if the Lord should ask me to choose today. If He should put in a call for me and say, “Now what shall your order be, a boy or a girl? I have both in store, which of the two are you waiting for?” I’d say with one of my broadest grins, “Send either one if it can?} be twins.” I’ve heard it said to some people’s shame, that they cried with grief when a small boy came, For they wanted a girl. And some folks I know who wanted a boy, just took on so when a girl was sent. But it seems to me that mothers and fathers should happy be, to think that when the baby has hurriedly come, That the Lord should bless them with either one. A boy or a girl, there can be no choice, there’s something lovely in either voice. And all I ask of the Lord to do is to see that the mother comes safely through, And guard the baby and have it well, with perfect form and a healthy yell, And a pair of eyes and a shock of hair, either boy or girl, and its Dad won’t care.
“A picture of a bluebird.” “Well, did the package have a bird in it?” “ Of course not!” Ali almost laugh ed at the stupid question. “ The bird was only to show what color the dye was.” “Well, that’s the way with the packages of soap at the mission. The little boy has a white shirt on in the picture on the soap box. And that’s only to let people know that the soap will make shirts nice and white.” “ Say, how do you know about the boxes of soap at the mission?” Ali
mission. Of course, Many Goats didn’t say why he wanted to have you live with me, but I’m glad he wants you to stay with us. Now, don’t try to run away, listen to me.” “ But you’ll make soap out of me,” Ali protested. “ No, listen, although Many Goats didn’t tell me why he wanted to get rid of you, I knew. I knew how afraid your people are of the evil eye and of sickness. So I told Many Goats that it wasn’t your fault that you were blind, that you didn’t have an evil eye, and that you were only a poor
MARCH, 1960
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