BABY SPEAKS FOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 59, 11 March 1939, Page 18

BABY SPEAKS FOUR

LANGUAGES

The. accomplishment of speaking four languages at the age of two years, and ten .months, when many children" are still: struggling with elementary baby talk, belongs to John David Edelman, only son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Edelman, of Bali,'who appeared to be a most experienced and unperturbed traveller when.-he stepped from the Dutch plane at; Mascot Aerodrome recently, states :the; "Sydney Morning Herald." Johii, "who arrived with his mother to spend :.;six r months in Melbourne, was dressed l; in ■ah abbreviated suit of brown .arid 'white striped silk, and clutched a rubber1 monkey, a rag doll in pyjamas, and a model aeroplane, which seemed to have ceased to in-spire-any enthusiasm after a flight in the /"real thing." "He speaks to the hotel in Balinese, to other natives in Malay, which is comparatively easy to learn, to his father in his native Dutch, and to me, of course, in English, which is remarkably; fluent for his age," said Mrs. Edelman. "John was born in Melbourne, and travelled to Bali when he was 14 months old. He has also made a visit to Singapore, and now this flight down to Sydney, so he has travelled many thousands of miles in his short life. His health is splendid, considering the tropical climate of Bali, and he is. a great favourite, at the hotel, especially among the natives, who call him •Agong alite," which rmeans 'little rajah."!-,: -;■..■;. ':' y ■■?>:'. ' ■■■'- ■ ■