I wish I were a hawker, spending my day in the road, crying, "Bangles, crystal bangles!" When at four in the afternoon I come back from the school, I can see through the gate of that house the gardener digging the ground. He does what he likes with his spade, he soils his clothes with dust, nobody takes him to task if he gets baked in the sun or gets wet. I wish I were a gardener digging away at the garden with nobody to stop me from digging. Just as it gets dark in the evening and my mother sends me to bed, I can see through my open window the watchman walking up and down. The lane is dark and lonely, and the street-lamp stands like a giant with one red eye in its head. The watchman swings his lantern and walks with his shadow at his side, and never once goes to bed in his life. I wish I were a watchman walking the streets all night, chasing the shadows with my lantern. SUPERIOR Mother, your baby is silly! She is so absurdly childish! She does not know the difference between the lights in the streets and the stars. When we play at eating with pebbles, she thinks they are real food, and tries to put them into her mouth. When I open a book before her and ask her to learn her a, b, c, she tears the leaves with her hands and roars for joy at nothing; this is your baby's way of doing her lesson. When I shake my head at her in anger and scold her and call her naughty, she laughs and thinks it great fun. Everybody knows that father is away, but if in play I call aloud "Father," she looks about her in excitement and thinks that father is near. When I hold my class with the donkeys that our washerman brings to carry away the clothes and I warn her that I am the schoolmaster, she will scream for no reason and call me dâdâ. [_elder brother_ ] Your baby wants to catch the moon. She is so funny; she calls Ganesh Gânush. [_Ganesh, a common name in India, also that of the god with the elephant's head._] Mother, your baby is silly, she is so absurdly childish! THE LITTLE BIG MAN I am small because I am a little child. I shall be big when I am as old as my father is. My teacher will come and say, "It is late, bring your slate and your books." I shall tell him, "Do you not know I am as big as father? And I must not have lessons any more." My master will wonder and say, "He can leave his books if he likes, for he is grown up." I shall dress myself and walk to the fair where the crowd is thick. My uncle will come rushing up to me and say, "You will get lost, my boy; let me carry you." I shall answer, "Can't you see, uncle, I am as big as father. I must go to the fair alone." Uncle will say, "Yes, he can go wherever he likes, for he is grown up." Mother will come from her bath when I am giving money to my nurse, for I shall know how to open the box with my key. Mother will say, "What are you about, naughty child?" I shall tell her, "Mother, don't you know, I am as big as father, and I must give silver to my nurse."