ජන්ම දින - Birthdays.
[මෙම පාඩම පසුව සිංහලට පරිවර්තනය කර, පළ කරනු ඇත!]
{This Lesson would be translated into Sinhalese & published later!}
Mother.—No, my dear. What?
R.—Why, Mamma, about my cousin Belle’s birthday. Do you know what day it is?
M.—No, I don’t remember.
R.—O Mother dear ! Don’t you remember it’s the 20th of December, and her birthday is the day after tomorrow. But you never remember birthdays, Mamma.
M.—What do you mean, my dear? I remember your birthday perfectly well.
R.—But you never keep it, though.
M.—What do you mean by keeping your birthday?
R.—Oh, Mamma, you know very well. As Belle’s birthday is kept.
M.—How is her birthday kept?
R.—In the first place there is a good dinner.
M.—And can Belle eat more on her birthday than on any other day?
R.—No, I don’t mind much about the dinner. But Belle has a great many nice playthings.
M.—Why nice new playthings? Do you like them only because they are new?
R.—Not only. I do not like playthings only because they are new. Do you know, Mother, Belle has a great drawer full of old playthings, and she says they are good for nothing because they are old. But I think many of them are worth much more than the new ones. Now you shall be Judge, Mamma.
M.—No, Rosamond, thank you, not just now. I haven’t time to listen to you.
R.—Well, then, Mamma, the day after tomorrow.
And Mother, will you—not now, but when you’ve time— tell me why you never keep my birthday; why you never make any difference between that day and any other day ?
M.—And will you, Rosamond—not now, but when you have time to think about it—tell me why I should make any difference between that day or any other day ?
(Belle is a familiar form of Isabelle.)
