“VIVE L’ENTENTE!”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3409, 13 August 1913, Page 8

“VIVE L’ENTENTE!”

AN. EPISODE OF TONGUES. The recent visit of the President of France, M. Poincare, to England, excited the utmost interest and feeling, and the “entente cordiale” was in the air, and in the minds and mouths of the whole public. Doubtless there were many humorous aspects to the occasion, and one of them is related by a Lndon paper. A cordial Frenchman and his wife stood by the road to see the French President pass; and next them stood an Englishman with his daughter, full of cordiality, to give a cheer for M. Poincare. And first the daughter spoke. She said: “Father, I think these people next us are French. Wouldn't it be rather nice to offer them some of these biscuits? I could offer them to her, of conrse —in -French. ’’ “Certainly, certainly, my dear; a good idea. Now that you know French ” The daughter, we conjecture, had paid a week-end visit to Paris. Therefore she “knew” French. And that was why she turned to the good French lady next her and said, in a pronunciation that defies reproduction or analysis: “Oh, madame, vou-lez-vous, je pense, vous savez, faim, biscuit ” The .good French lady accepted with the greatest charm. She turned to her husband and told him in French, of course, of the kind offer, adding: “I’m not really hungry, you know; but I had to accept at once, because it was so nice of her to do that. She is sweet, that little girl.” And, turning to the young English lady, she thanked her extremely for her kindness.

The English father was delighted. He said, “You’d better speak to her again.” Once more, the young English girl turned and said in a French that had no resemblance to any ever known beyond the Channel. “Aladame, je, j’aime, France, cordiale, Poincare.” And the French husband turned to his wife with: “What does she say?” in French, and she, in (French, replied: “I cannot understand a word. She is speaking a tongue I know not. I do not understand her English.” And the French husband added: “Ask her to speak French.” The good French Lady then made her only faux pas. She asked the young lady to speak French. And the young lady was so much surprised that she remarked, this time in English: “But, ..,adame, I was—that was French! Did you not know?”

There was a moment’s pause —a moment’s embarrassment. Then the French lady, with the sweetest ol smiles, requested: “Mademoiselle, if that was French you spoke then, would you now speak English? I understand English.” And thereafter the understanding was perfect. The English girl spoke English and was sufficiently understood, and was answered in French which she seemed to fellow pretty well well. But evidently she remained puzzled. And, as they went away, with many salutations and compliments, on both sides, the girl whispered to her father: “Such nice people! But wasn’t it odd that she didn’t understand French ?”