"VIVE L'ENTENTE!"

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15375, 9 August 1913, Page 5 (Supplement)

"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 London 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 as are French. Wouldn't it be rather nice to offer them some of these biscuits ? I; could offer them to her, of course— French." :,.,-,"'.

.; " Certainly,; certainly, my ' dear;,a good idea. Now that you knew 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 i good French lady next her and said, : in a ; pronunciation that defies reproduction ;or analysis:. "Oh, madame, voulez-vous, ;; je pense, vous saves, 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. X" She* is sweet, that little girl." And, turning: to the young English lady, she thanked her extremely for her kindness.'-.'.; >£"-.-■; :>.-. -..■ ; 'i .->.:''■■'.•.■'■■

: ; The English father : was delighted. , He said. : :~M You'd better speak to her again." "Once more, the young English girl turned ) and said in" a French that J had no resemblance to any ever known beyond the > Channel: " Madam*, ; je, j'aimc, France, cordiale, Poincare." ° :J, : ;And the French husband turned to bis ■wife's'with':;.''".What; does she i*ay?" in French, and she, in French, replied " I cannot understand a word. She• is speak- i ing , a tongue I know not. Ido not andorstand bar English." ;/

.And 'jibe Fnmch husband added: " Ask 'her to apeak French." > ■-■ The good .'French lady ' then. made ■< her only 4 faux pas. .',., She asked , the -young lady ?to speak French. v ; And: the young lady, was: so much surprised that she remarked/ this ;• time in ' English: "But, madame,. I , was—that was French : t Did you not know ?" ■

r'i There!" was a" moment's • pause—'moment's ' embarrassuiea'i. Then the French lady, with the; sweetest of smiles, requested: ; " Mademoiselle, if that was French you spoke i then, would you now speak English? I understand Engliiih." vAnd thereafter the understanding was perfect. ?;;; The English girl spoke English and was sufficiently understood, and was answered in French which she seemed to follow pretty well.

But evidently she remained puzzled. And, as they went - away, with many saiutations 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 V