Brilliant Star/Volume 17/Issue 2/Text

←Previous

Brilliant Star Volume 17, Issue 2

Next→

Return to PDF view Proofread once

[Page i]Brilliant Star

may-june 1985 [Page ii]Brilliant Star number 2 may-june 1985 Núr Light volume 17 ‘Azamat Grandeur

Dear Children,

Have you ever sworn a special pact with a friend? Have you given your promise and sealed it with something special? Giving your word is a serious thing, isn't it? When you make a promise, you work extra hard to do what you said, and when someone makes a promise to you, you trust that he will stick to it.

Did you know that God makes promises too? This issue of Brilliant Star will tell you about some of the promises which God has made to you. Maybe you will decide that you want to make some promises to God in response. If you do, you will have a covenant with God, or a mutual agreement. Covenants with God make us stronger in our souls, and tied tighter and tighter with a tender cord to God's love for us.

What promises have you made, and kept?

Love your Editor Rahmat Mercy 142

About the Cover

"Pilar Tijen Ausfahl"; acrylic on canvas, 26 x 36 inches, by Fritz Mann of Pilar (a spanish name) Colorado Springs, Colorado. Tijen (a Persian name) Ausfahl (a Germanic name) was born in Ankara, Turkey, in 1967. She now lives in Pueblo, Colorado, with her family.

Fritz Mann says "Artists must realize that we've been advancing toward one universal, world civilization for over 100 years now. It's in the making and the signs are everywhere. Artists can either exploit the vast opportunities open before them in becoming fore-runners to the coming Global Renaissance, or remain caught up in a rapidly declining and obsolete old world order. When the Sun of today's proverbial 'One World' shines, it's only wise to reflect its lights for all to see—and in this way the artist's canvas becomes a beacon of light in the enclosing darkness."

© 1977 Fritz Mann. Used with permission.

Publication Information

Brilliant Star is a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. It is published six times each year, in January, March, May, July, September and November. Copyright 1985 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved.

Address manuscripts and other editorial contributions to Brilliant Star/Radpour, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Rd., Hixson, Tn. 37343. Manuscripts should be typewritten and double-spaced throughout. Brilliant Star does not offer monetary compensation to its contributors. Return postage should be included if manuscript is to be returned. Single copy $2.50; 6 issues (one year) $12.00; 12 issues (two years) $23.00; foreign, surface mail, one year $15.00, two years $28.00; foreign. air mail, one year $25.00, two years $47.50. An index for the preceding year's issues is available for $2.00.

For subscriptions, change of address and adjustments write to Brilliant Star Subscriber Service, Suburban Office Park, 5010 Austin Rd., Hixson, Tn. 37343. All other correspondence should be addressed to Brilliant Star/Richards, 4 Village Dr., Yardville, N.J. 08620. Printed in the U.S.A.

Brilliant Star is intended for children of all ages and strives to:

• develop the child's awareness of the oneness of humanity
• increase the child's conscious awareness of his spiritual nature and the need for its development
• provide practical approaches to viewing life's difficulties
• develop the child's reasoning power and stimulate his love for the order of the universe
• provide a standard by which the child may learn to relate to others with love and justice
• assist parents and teachers in developing all of the child's hidden talents and virtues

Editorial Board

Mary K. Radpour, Managing Director Mary K. Radpour, Editor-in-Chief Deborah Bley, Assistant Editor Mimi McClellan, Music Editor Rita Leydon, Art Director Rita Leydon, Production Janet Richards, Secretary Keith Boehme, Consultant [Page 1]

what’s inside

Letters From Our Friends	2
Cross My Heart... a look at promises by Mary K. Radpour	6
The Lightkeeper’s Daughter a story by Patsy Vaughan	8
The King’s Doctors a story by William Diehl	12
The Story of Zaynab a picture story by Jennifer & Tori Schwanberg-Wright	14
Traveling Medicine Shows a story by Patsy Vaughan	16
The Mystery of God a poem by Pam Alston	19
Tale of a Golden Mouse a story by Kay Haugaard	20
‘Abdu’l-Bahá a song by John W. Behrens	26
Word Ziggurats a crazy word building activity	30
Book Nook	32
Parents’ Page	33

1 [Page 2]

Letters from our friends

We have received so many letters and drawings from our friends that we want to share with you, so in this issue four pages will be devoted to this.

We have a couple of children who would like penpals:

Paula and Stephanie Tyler of Neah Bay, Washington, are FAITHFUL readers of Brilliant Star! They sent a picture of their family, and they each would like some penpals. Paula is 10, and likes to read and ride her bike. Stephanie is 8, and also likes bike-riding. You can write to them at: Paula and Stephanie Tyler P.O. Box 341 Neah Bay, WA 98347

Lua Clark, 10 years old 1188 W. Sunset Decatur, IL 62522

Lua likes horses and horseback riding. Her hobbies are gymnastics and sewing. Here she is with her sister Julie, and her brother John.

Ila Devuyst, 5 years old Zandvleuge 26 9900 EEKLO Belgium, EUROPE

Ila and her mom write that she has been pioneering in Belgium for 2 years. She and her sister Tahirih are the only Bahá’í kids in their town, so it gets a little lonely sometimes. She says please write and she’ll tell you about their Bahá’í children’s newspaper!

Jimmy Law is a pioneer to the Netherlands (Holland). He and his brother Charlie, who is 5, have lived there for 4 years. They go to Bahá’í Winter School in Zeeland, and in their children’s classes, there are 7 children. Here is a picture Jimmy drew: [Page 3]Member of our National Spiritual Assembly (and loyal Brilliant Star reader!) Soo Fouts, wrote to tell us about a special girl in her community. Mitra Nadji, who is 12, lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida, and has the important job of assistant to the community librarian. Ms. Fouts says she does an excellent job! Here is Mitra with her grandmother:

Arash Y., age 7, and Cyrus Toosky, age 7½, both from Irvine, California, sent these two crayon creations:

John Walbridge, IV, is 6 years old, and lives in Escanaba, Michigan. He wrote a story about Brian the raccoon:

Brian is a raccoon. He's proud of being a raccoon because he can stay up late at night. He eats fish late in the night. He loves to play hide-and-seek and marbles and ring-around-the-rosy with Bill Owl.

Bill Owl dreamed about a rainbow, and he knew that rainbows were real. He told Brian Raccoon about it. Brian Raccoon wanted to climb one because he thought he would find gold at the top. Bill Owl told him that rainbows appeared only in the day after it rains.

One day he heard the rain, and he decided to get up and find the rainbow. When it stopped raining, he went outside and tried to climb the rainbow, but each time he just fell through because he didn't know it was made out of little drops of water and sunshine. Then he started to cry.

Bill Owl told him that he had to use a ladder with a stand on the bottom and then he'll find the gold. He found the gold and shared it with Bill Owl.

We recently heard from the children's classes of Frederick, Maryland, who sent some of their papers from their classes, telling us their thoughts and feelings about being Bahá’ís:

Sina Moaninie, who is 11, writes: "Bahá’ís celebrate different holidays than other people... Bahá’ís also wear different symbols. I really enjoy being a Bahá’í."

Nicky Cummins, age 7, tells us: "We go to Feast and talk about God, too."

Gregory West, age 8, says: "You would find Bahá’ís all over the world."

His sister Liva, who is 11, wrote that "... the Bahá’í new year is March 21, not January 1. It is called Naw-Rúz."

Jay Cummins, age 10, shared his thoughts: "Being a Bahá’í means you are not prejudiced and you pray daily. Bahá’ís do not make fun of people."

Amy Michelle Friedman, who lives in Dunedin, New Zealand, is 9 years old and loves to write jokes! Her grandmother liked the jokes so much, she sent them to us. Here are a few of Amy's jokes:

What instrument did the dog play before lunch? A trombone.

What is a sleepy criminal in for? Arrest!

What food do you find on the road? Traffic jam.

We'll share some more of Amy's jokes with you later! [Page 4]Have you ever seen a nicer clown than this one by Eric Ebert? Eric lives in Marion, Indiana.

Please put this picture in the Brilliant Star. Love, Chase Block, Old Hickory, Tn.

Daniel Filstrup, who is 8, recently received a good citizenship award. His principal called him “courteous and responsible”! He lives in St. Joseph, Michigan, and also sent along a poem:

You know, when it snows

the wind sings

and when the wind sings,

the snow flakes start

to dance.

You know, I don’t know

what happens next.

Stephanie Hall of Pendleton, Oregon, sent us this beautiful star:

I AM A

Brilliant star

Lighting The

‎worldone world one‎ heart

at a time

“Super Bahá’í Pacman”, by Forris Hazen, age 7

This pot of gold is the handiwork of Tara Laurenzi, age 9, from Smithtown, N.Y.

Homa Caldwell, age 5, from White Plains, Mi., drew this picture of a mother who has two balloons from the circus, two rainbows and a butterfly above her head. [Page 5]Genevieve Larimer, who is 4½, sent this drawing of “flowers in a beautiful garden where everyone is very happy!” The fence around the garden is on the other side of the page!

Rosita Niknafs, 13, from Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada, shares her drawing of a friend meditating by the creek.

Dear Brilliant Star,

I like you to feel as happy as my picture. My Bahá’í class teacher’s name is Mrs. Behin White. She is from India. She teaches us about Bahá’u’lláh which means “Glory of God”. My hobbies are collecting feathers and stickers.

Love, Meena Ramchandani, age 5 Encino, California

“I like you”, by Nida Paulson, age 10

Aria Radpour is five, and lives in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. She drew us this fearsome shark! [Page 6]

CONTRACT

Cross my heart... Illustrated by Louise Taylor heart... by Mary K. Radpour

Take a look at these pictures. All of them show people doing something in common. Can you guess what it is?

I’m sure you have now figured it out! They are all making promises, aren’t they? You have made promises, haven’t you? Have you ever promised to be friends forever? Have you ever decided to become a blood brother or sister, like the Native American Indians did? Keeping your word is very important because being a trustworthy person is what we all want to be.

So much of what we will do in our lives requires trustworthiness! When we get married, we promise our mate that we will be faithful and not love someone else. When we borrow money to buy a house, we promise that we will pay it all back. Some types of jobs require us to make promises: doctors must observe the Hippocratic oath, which is a kind of promise to be excellent and kind; accountants promise to use certain kinds of accounting practices; policemen promise to uphold the law.

There are also some kinds of promises which we don’t make out loud. We find out [Page 7]about them when we break the rules. For instance, when we go into the library, we must speak softly so as not to bother the people who are reading. If we are noisy, someone comes to tell us to be quiet. When we go to school, we make a silent promise to be a good student and pay attention. If we don’t, the teacher may punish us, or at least tell us what the rules are. When we play baseball, there are rules too. If we picked up the ball, put it in our pocket and left the playing field to go to buy a hot dog, someone would say "Hey, you! Come back!" Do you know what the Greatest Promise of all is? It is the promise made by God to man and it is called the Covenant, which means ’agreement. In this Promise God said that He would always send His Teachers to mankind when they needed a spiritual education. Sometimes men forget about this Promise and become discouraged. But there are usually some people who remember the Promise and know that God would never break His word.

One such person was Mullá Husayn. The story of his meeting with the Blessed Báb is filled with promises. First, you will recall, Mullá Husayn went to Shíráz with his relatives. He left them, but promised to meet them for evening prayers at the mosque. He then met the Báb and was invited to be His guest in His home. So he took tea with the Báb and enjoyed His marvelous hospitality. When the time came for evening prayers, he said he must leave in order to keep his promise to his friends. But the Báb knew that there are small promises and big Promises. He asked Mullá Husayn if he had not told his friends that he would be there if God willed it, and thereby reminded Mullá Husayn of another kind of promise—the promise we all make with our soul to listen to our own heart’s promptings.

Even though he didn’t know Who the Báb was, Mullá Husayn knew that the Báb was right, because his heart was so attracted to the Báb. So he obeyed this more important inner promise, and he stayed with the Báb.

Months before he went to Shíráz, Mullá Husayn had made a bargain with God, though he did not know much about God’s side of the bargain. He had asked his teacher, Siyyid Kázim, to write for him about the chapter called Joseph in the Qu’ran. Siyyid Kázim had refused, saying that the Promised One would write it, without even being asked.

When Mullá Husayn told the Báb about why he had come to Shíráz to find the Promised Qá’im, the Báb responded by saying that all the signs he had been looking for were evident to Him. Mullá Husayn was shocked. He was looking for the Promised One, but he didn’t seem to really expect to find Him. Instead of accepting what the Báb said, he gave Him an essay that he had written, explaining that the Promised One was a great man who would certainly be able to answer the questions in it.

Just then, Mullá Husayn broke his promise to God and to himself. For part of him knew that what the Báb said was true—his heart knew, but his mind wanted more proof. So he tested the Báb by giving him the essay. The Báb explained everything in it and more. And then He warned Mullá Husayn that humans should not test God, just before announcing that He would now reveal an explanation of the chapter called Joseph. So out of his kindness and mercy, He assisted Mullá Husayn in understanding the nature of God’s Great Promise, and at the same time, He fulfilled the prophecy of Siyyid Kázim, reassuring Mullá Husayn that his heart was telling him the truth.

This story of Mullá Husayn and the Báb is a wonderful one, one which you may want to read over and over. It is about great promises and little ones, and teaches us that the more we grow, the better we will know the difference. It is important for us to be trustworthy with our friends and family, but we must most of all be trustworthy with God, Whose Promises are always kept, and Who asks that we love Him and obey Him most of all. [Page 8]Illustrated by Keith Kresge

the Lightkeeper’s Daughter

by Patsy Vaughan © 1985 Patsy Vaughan

Abigail Burgess stared through the lighthouse window into the darkness covering the coast of Maine. Hail hammered the glass, then tumbled into the angry sea below. “Another morning without a hint of sunshine,” she mumbled wearily. “Will this storm ever end?” Turning [Page 9]back to the lamps, she began trimming the wicks to keep the beacon glowing its brightest. She could almost hear her father’s praise as her hands worked quickly and masterly, just the way he had taught her. Growing up in lighthouses along the eastern coast, most of which were miles out to sea, Abigail’s life had been private and lonely. But not without fond memories. As a small child, she would leave her bed at night and go to the lighthouse to find her father. There, he would pick her up and let her dust away the soot that collected on the lenses. She listened to his stories of ships ramming the rocky coast because the beacon was not lighting their path. And she cried openly at the many lives that were lost in those wrecks. It was those tragedies that was fresh on Abigail’s mind now. For in her Father’s absence, she was serving as lightkeeper. And there were hundreds of lives depending on her to keep the beacon burning.

Rubbing her tired, red eyes, Abigail looked out over the seething, choppy sea. She could still remember the day, two weeks before, when her father was forced to leave the lighthouse.

"Bad weather is coming," he told her that morning, "and our food and oil supplies are very low. I hate to leave you with your mother ill and the children to watch, but I have no choice. I must sail to the island and get enough supplies to last through the storm. I should be back by late afternoon."

The cold, biting wind on that January morning in 1857 whipped Abigail’s face as she watched her father’s sloop disappear from sight. Above her, across the darkening sky, seabirds flew swiftly inland. The wind picked up strength and the sea that completely surrounded Matinicus Rock churned and spumed like boiling milk. When rain started to fall, Abigail ran to the lighthouse and in minutes, the beacon was illuminating the raging whitecaps. There she stayed until late afternoon, when hunger and concern for her family demanded she return to the cottage.

"Where is Father?" cried Sarah.

"Father is safe on the island," Abigail answered. She walked to the sofa where her mother lay sleeping. She smoothed the ailing woman’s forehead and watched her drowsy eyes open. "Mother, the storm is here and it is bad indeed. Father was not able to return home. Do you understand?"

Mrs. Burgess nodded. "We will be fine until he does," she said weakly. And she drifted back to sleep.

Abigail’s heart grew heavy. Her mother would need much attention to regain her strength, and the children would need looking after. Somehow, she must divide her time between the cottage and the lighthouse!

The storm continued for another week and with no end in sight, Abigail was worried. The food they had eaten sparingly was almost gone. Only a sack of cornmeal remained. And the whale oil was dwindling fast. She was forced to ration it by burning only three of the six lamps. "I pray the beacon is strong enough to guide the ships safely into the bay," she told her mother. "As for food, we must now live on one skillet of cornbread a day." [Page 10]"I fear for the hens," Mrs. Burgess remarked. "As long as they are alive, we will have their eggs. And we cannot starve." So taking her mother's advice, the hens were removed from their coop and taken to the security of the cottage.

The lighthouse swayed in the grasp of the mighty wind, returning Abigail's mind sharply to the present. Wrapping her cloak tightly around her, she went to check on her family. Outside, the thick fog blinded her from three feet away. Treading stealthily across the slippery Rock, she stopped quickly when her face was slapped with sheets of stinging salt spray. The ground trembled at her feet as foaming breakers rushed over her leather seaboots. Over the roar of the sea and wind, she could hear gigantic waves crashing over the Rock. Fear rising in her throat, she hurried to the cottage.

"Abbie, look!" Sarah was pointing to the window that had been broken by the violent hail and spray. Abigail paid it no mind, but ran directly to her mother's side. "Mother, the sea is at high tide. The waves breaking over the Rock are enormous. I fear the only safe place now is the lighthouse."

As Abigail was speaking, the cottage began to quiver. "Move away from the window!" she yelled to the children, but her voice was drowned by a tremendous crash. Pieces of wood flew from the ceiling while hissing waves gushed through the shattered roof. Terrified, Abigail leaped across the room. Covering the children with her own body, she waited for the shower of wood and water to cease. Then she ran back to the sofa.

"Mother, are you all right?"

Mrs. Burgess removed the pillow from over her face. "Yes," she whispered.

"Mother, the cottage will never stand. We must go now!"

With her family safely inside the lighthouse, Abigail quickly fled again. "I must save the hens!" she cried. Her heart beating wildly, she fought through the barriers of fog to the cottage. Her eyes quickly darted to every corner of the living room, but there was no sign of the hens. Then, the thundering vibration came again and a flood of sea plunged through the roof. The force of the flow knocked her to her knees, then pushed her backward, where her head struck the hard wooden floor. Stunned, Abigail was powerless to escape. The spray stung her eyes and her throat burned from gulping mouthfuls of salt. She felt her body moving, floating like driftwood until she came to rest against the wall. Burying her face in her hands, she was able to catch her breath. When the rollers fell back and only flakes of spume snowed from the roof, she scrambled to her feet. The room was wrecked, the furniture torn into pieces. But the most horrifying sight [Page 11]was one of the hens floating lifeless on the standing water. "Oh God, please don't let them all be dead!" Grabbing the sack of cornmeal, Abigail ran into the bedroom. And there, sitting atop the tall dresser, were the other three hens, clucking in desperation. Crying with relief, Abigail stuffed them inside a basket, loaded her arms with pillows and blankets and sprinted back to the lighthouse. She released the hens in the basement, then slowly climbed the stairs. Panting, she fell to the floor and slept.

Days passed, and the storm was still spreading its fury. More than once, twenty foot waves assaulted the lighthouse, and more than once did Abigail wonder if the tower would remain standing. Trying to hide her fear, she led the children in songs and games. Mrs. Burgess was feeling somewhat better now, and occasionally joined in.

It was the fifth day after leaving the cottage when Abigail saw the first glimmer of hope. She looked out the window and noticed a faint glow peeking through the sooty clouds. The fog had begun to clear and now only rain fell in a hard drizzle. The storm was passing and soon her father could return home. Abigail's mouth watered just thinking about all the delicious food he would bring with him. She was just about to awaken her mother with the wonderful news when she suddenly thought of something. Against the greatest odds, her duties as lightkeeper had been carried out to the fullest. The beacon had been weak, but not once did it fail to burn. And that was something Abigail would remember for the rest of her life. ■ [Page 12]

the Kings Doctors

Illustrated by Rita Leydon by William Diehl An elaboration on a story by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Once upon a time, there was a He was well loved by all his people.

One day, the king fell very ill. He was put to bed by his ministers. The people of the kingdom were very sad for the king was very sick, indeed.

And so the ministers and people searched for a doctor to heal the king. When they found a good doctor, they brought him to the king.

When the doctor arrived at the king's bedside, the king opened his eyes, ever so slowly. He looked at the doctor. "Is he a good doctor?" asked the king.

"Oh, yes!" everyone exclaimed.

"Show the king how good you are," they said to the doctor.

So, the doctor jumped up and flew around the room three times. He came to rest at the foot of the king's bed.

"See!" exclaimed the ministers. "He is a very good doctor indeed!"

The king moaned. "Bring me a different doctor," he said.

And so the ministers and people searched for a doctor to heal the king. When they found a good doctor, they brought him to the king.

When the doctor arrived at the king's bedside, the king opened his [Page 13]

Leydon

eyes, ever so slowly. He looked at the doctor. "Is he a good doctor?" asked the king.

"Oh, yes!" everyone exclaimed. "Show the king how good you are," they said to the doctor.

So, the doctor leapt out the king's window, dove into the royal pond, and swam around it three times. He leapt back in the window and came to rest at the foot of the king's bed.

"See!" exclaimed the ministers. "He is a very good doctor, indeed!"

The king moaned. "Bring me a different doctor," he said.

And so the ministers and people searched for a doctor to heal the king. When they found a good doctor, they brought her to the king.

When the doctor arrived at the king's bedside, the king opened his eyes, ever so slowly. He looked at the doctor. "Is she a good doctor?" asked the king.

"Oh, yes!" everyone exclaimed. "Show the king how good you are," they said to the doctor.

So, the doctor stood at the foot of the bed and held her breath until her face turned green and her hair turned beet red. She collapsed at the foot of the king's bed.

"See!" the ministers exclaimed. "She is a very good doctor, indeed!"

The king moaned. "Bring me a different doctor," he said.

As the ministers were leaving, the king suddenly sat up in his bed.

"Wait," said the king. "Do not bring me a different doctor. Bring me someone who has the right medicine."

And so the ministers and people searched for someone with the right medicine to heal the king. When they found him, they brought him to the king.

The king took the medicine. And he was healed. [Page 14]

The Story of Zaynab

Retold from The Dawnbreakers by Jennifer Schwanberg-Wright. Illustrated by Tori Schwanberg-Wright, age 5.

Dedicated to Grandma Wright and Jessica.

The early Bábís were struggling valiantly to defend themselves against the fanatic Muslims in a fort the Bábís had built near the town of Zanján in Persia. They were very hungry and encountered great difficulties yet they were able to continue because of their love for the Báb. One woman, whose name was Zaynab, was very moved by the determined and selfless defenders of the fort. [Page 15]Zaynab cut off her hair, put on men’s clothes, picked up a sword and musket and joined the men. No one knew that a woman was amongst them. Everyone, friend and foe, were amazed at her courage. Hujjat, the leader and heroic Bábí, recognized who she was. Because of her great courage, he gave her the name of Rustam-‘Alí and assured her of his prayers. At that, Zaynab plunged back into the ranks of Bábís and for five months continued to withstand with unrivalled heroism the forces of the enemy.

As the end of her life approached, her enemies discovered her secret and, despite their knowledge that she was a woman, continued to dread her influence and to tremble at her approach. Zaynab finally died at the hands of the enemy. But as a result, twenty women became Bábís because of the great courage and devotion this woman proclaimed to all through her deeds of shining heroism. ■ [Page 16]

Traveling Medicine Shows

by Patsy Vaughan

A wagon rolls into the small western town and stops in the center of Main Street. In a matter of minutes, the wagon is converted into a stage and a band begins an alluring melody. Magicians and jugglers appear in brightly colored costumes and perform their tricks in the street. Hearing the commotion, the townspeople come in droves and gather around the wagon. When the crowd grows large enough and every eye is drawn to the wagon, the music stops. A man takes center stage.

Illustrated by Suzette Ruys [Page 17]"Step right up!" he yells. "Do you ever feel run down? Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you suffer from loss of appetite?" Heads nod in answer and a grim look of doom appears on the pitchman's face. "These symptoms are those of a disease that has taken the lives of many in England. And now it has spread across the waters to our land." Panic seizes the crowd. "But do not fear, my friends. I have in my hand a tonic that will cure that dreaded disease. It is pleasant tasting and it is also a remedy for lung disease, cancer and eye failure. It is truly a miracle cure!" On and on the pitchman rambles, claiming his tonic is the only answer to a long and healthy life. By the end of the day, hundreds of bottles of the tonic would have been sold. And the townspeople's hard-earned money would have been foolishly thrown away.

Traveling Medicine Shows

Traveling Medicine Shows were a common sight in our country from 1870 until around 1930. They rightfully should have been called Traveling Quack Shows. The so-called medicine that could cure everything from a sore throat to baldness was not medicine at all. It was a mixture of ingredients bought in local drugstores and mixed up in hotel bathtubs or a dirty washtub hauled out from underneath the wagon. The main ingredient used in mixing the medicines was usually alcohol or a pain-killing drug, such as opium. Not only were the medicines ineffective, they could be dangerous. Many farmers who relied on the medicines for the quick, temporary relief of their ailments often became alcoholics or drug addicts. Furthermore, the false belief in the medicines kept the farmer from summoning a doctor when there was sickness in his family. Often, the sickness was serious and the consequences were fatal.

Travelling Medicine Shows varied greatly in size. There was "Doc" Ray who traveled through the West alone, peddling his suitcase of medicines at each farmhouse along the road. Then there were the shows that traveled on a much grander scale, employing as many as forty. People would come from miles away to enjoy the magicians, tightrope walkers, sword swallowers, fortune tellers, fire eaters and sometimes a live snake exhibit. The spectacle was most enjoyed by small town residents who were starved for professional entertainment and looked forward to it from year to year. It was the ignorance of these small town people that attracted the Medicine Man. Taking full advantage of their fear of death, the pitchman related every ache and pain to a fatal disease. "But there is still hope, my friends, right here in this little bottle," he would tell them.

Around 1900, the largest and most successful Medicine Show was the Kickapoo Indian Medicine Show. The American Indian had become a symbol of strength and many white Americans believed the Indians to be healthier than they. Indians were believed to possess natural healing powers and to know secrets about plants, herbs and tree bark that cured disease and mended wounds. The Kickapoo Company cashed in on these mysteries of healing by [Page 18]hiring hundreds of Indians to sell a remedy made of alcohol and herbs. The Indians described the remedy as having saved their people's lives for centuries, and now they were offering their curative to the white man.

In 1906, a big step was taken to protect the public from the Medicine Man's quackery. This was the year the Federal Food and Drug Act was passed, making it unlawful for medicines to be falsely advertised. The labels had to accurately describe the ingredients the medicines contained. Although this Act did not stop the Medicine Men, it was the beginning of their slow decline. With the aid of newspapers and magazines, the public became more informed of the outlandish claims the Medicine Men gave their products. As the American public became more sophisticated, the Medicine Men were forced to travel to smaller and smaller towns in search of the right customer.

Then around 1930, the day finally came when the Medicine Man could find no customer at all.

Dr. Smith's CURE ALL

[Page 19]

The Mystery of God

by Pam Alston

Who is this man with sparkling eyes seems so humble, yet so wise? He moves with ease and ancient grace, Faint smile of Mystery on His face. With fluid robe and turban white He is, indeed, a wondrous sight! A friend to the poor, He serves Mankind With stainless heart and noble mind. He is, for us, a Golden Key- A perfect, fine, Exemplary.

One day will all the people know that love will help our spirit grow? They'll turn their heads for they will see The love of God in you and me. Who is this man?? (They'll gently nod) It's ‘Abdu’l-Bahá... The Mystery of God! [Page 20]

Tale of a Golden Mouse

by Kay Haugaard 1985 Kay Hougaard Illustrated by Gary Heise

The dwarfs that lived deep in the dark recesses of the earth near the red, smoking heart of the world were hungry. Whenever they appeared above the surface of the earth and approached the home of some farmer to barter for food they were driven away with pitchforks or spades. Their strange appearance terrified the people of the land who felt they were trying to do harm.

As the dwarfs grew hungrier and hungrier they were reduced to snatching small quantities of grain from the farmers' barns, jugs of milk or cream, or a few turnips or apples from root cellars. But it was not enough and the dwarfs were in peril of starvation. Even though [Page 21]there were many precious metals and jewels glowing in the ground which the dwarfs, with their great skill, forged and shaped into things of marvelous beauty and magical qualities, they could not eat them.

It was these very dwarfs who had made the marvelous head of hair for Thor's wife Sif to replace the hair stolen by Loki. When placed upon her head it began to grow and was even more bright and beautiful than her own hair. They had also made Thor's marvelous hammer (though through their carelessness the handle was shorter than it should be) which produced thunder when he threw it. For Baldur, they fashioned a magic boat which would fold up small enough for one man to carry and yet would expand large enough to carry forty men across the sea. These wonders and many others of such excellence as to dazzle the gods they could make, yet they could not fashion food to feed themselves.

So the dwarfs selected the cleverest among their number to send as a messenger to Odin, the great father of the gods, to ask help.

When Tuk, the dwarf chosen to be the messenger, finally crossed the rainbow bridge on his long journey from the land below, he came to the guard at the gate. He then asked admittance to Asgard, the heavenly city among the clouds which was the home of the gods.

The guard looked at the ragged, crooked creature in the strange, smoky clothes and sneered. By no means would he allow Tuk to pass through to see the mighty father of the gods, even to tell him of the problems of the whole dwarf population.

The guard promised to carry word of the dwarfs' plight to Odin. He told Tuk that if Odin wished to see him that word would be sent to his underground home.

The dwarf messenger was saddened and discouraged after he had climbed so far up from the depths. The light from Asgard's gleaming buildings hurt his eyes, which were more used to darkness. His crooked legs ached from their unaccustomed exertion. He was far better suited for the fine work he did at his forge. So weak was he from hunger and his journey that he sat down on the rainbow bridge to get his breath before he started on the long way back. Then, speaking to the guard, he said, "Could you spare a bite to eat to give me strength to return?"

"I have nothing to give. This is a guard post, not a provision depot!" the guard answered gruffly.

Then, as the dwarf looked toward the nearest building, he was surprised to see a large cat wearing a handsome golden collar and carrying a mouse in its mouth. On looking more closely he saw a few scattered grains by the gate which had come from the building. When Tuk asked the guard about the grains and the cat, he said the cat was Odin's favorite pet, which no one dared [Page 22]harm and which passed in and out of Odin’s presence at will. The grains, he said, were from Odin’s granary where the cat had been hunting, and he gestured to the tall, white building by the gate.

The dwarf felt very discouraged and scraped up a few handfuls of the grain. If he were only as favored as the cat! With a sigh, Tuk started his long trip back.

Some of the grains he popped into his mouth. They weren’t much, but when he returned to his home under the earth he cooked some and found they made a delicious porridge. He saved some to plant in hopes they would grow. They sprouted but soon died in the dwarfs’ dark home which no sunshine ever reached.

Meanwhile all the dwarfs waited impatiently for a response from Odin. But after waiting and waiting and hearing no words they began to despair. They all moaned with misery and Tuk fell into deep thought, reflecting on all he had seen near Odin’s granary high above their abode.

As Tuk thought, his ingenious brain fairly crackled with creative energy and he set out to work at once.

He took the purest gold from the dark crevices in the rock, melted it and purified it and hammered it to the thinness of a mayfly’s wing. Then he shaped it and formed it and sent out requests for rare metals and jewels. Then, calling in all the specialists among the dwarfs, he combined their efforts and produced a most fantastic golden, mechanical mouse.

The mouse had ruby eyes that caught the light of the forge and seemed to shoot forth sparks. The mouse had golden hair—each of such amazing fineness that they were soft to the touch. Standing out from its body, they made a shimmering outline, like a tiny sun. The delicate paws, [Page 23]which Tuk had himself made, were fashioned of the finest gold wire, jointed and made to move like a real animal's. They were amazing to behold even to those who were used to the wonders of the dwarfs' master craftsmanship. His assistants gathered around to gaze in admiration.

The mouse moved about in a startlingly realistic manner, hardly detectable from the actions of a real mouse. All this Tuk had intended as part of his plan.

Now Tuk prepared himself for another trip up the rainbow bridge to Asgard. This time he took with him a beautifully ornamented bowl made of beaten gold. It was handsomely wrought and set with jewels. This he would use to present to Odin as a feeding dish for his cat.

The trip was no shorter the second time and when Tuk arrived, he had the mouse carefully concealed in a leather pouch which hung at his waist. He was met at the gate by the same guard whose disposition had not improved since last time. As the dwarf spoke to the guard and asked again to be admitted, he noticed happily the same small hole in the granary. He begged the guard to let him come in to plead help for his people. Then he held out the bowl and said he wished to present it to the great god himself. But the guard reached out his hand to take the golden bowl, saying that he would present it to Odin and if Odin wished to see its maker he would send for him.

"But you said last time that he would send for me if he wished to see me and no messenger ever came to call me into his presence."

"Apparently he did not wish to see you," the guard replied quickly. "But I wish to present him with this fine gift myself."

"I will take it, I have told you!" [Page 24]"Oh, no, I must do it myself!" Tuk held the bowl out for the guard to see. He noticed how his eyes glittered greedily as they caught the glow of the gold. In a flash the guard reached out his hand to grasp the bowl, wrenching it from the dwarf’s hand.

Now this was just what Tuk wanted. While the guard’s greedy gaze was drinking in every detail of the bowl, he reached in his leather pouch and put the mouse down at the hole to the granary and it quickly slipped in. Then the dwarf pretended to be very unhappy at the guard’s snatching the bowl. Complaining loudly, he started on his way home to wait for Odin to send a messenger for him.

The golden mouse lost no time in going to work and had soon gnawed several holes in the floor of the granary. This allowed the grain to fall down onto the earth below. As the dwarf neared the bottom of the long, rainbow bridge he was pleased to see a thin golden shower descending from above, gently wafted by the breeze and fanning over the land. By the time he reached the base of the bridge at the entrance of the opening to the dwarfs’ home, the grain had formed a pointed golden heap. He filled his leather pouch with it and hurried down to tell the other dwarfs who quickly hurried up to gather the precious grain—far more precious than gold. It contained the spark of life and could maintain life as no metal or jewel could do. The dwarfs were joyful for the first time in years.

They made a great feast of porridge and stuffed themselves until their skins were as taut as sausages and they lay around groaning with happiness.

Now Tuk knew that this would not be the end, for he had planned it that way. And sure enough, as he had planned, the mechanical mouse did not stop gnawing. It did not become tired as a real mouse would, but kept gnawing more and more holes until the loss from the granary became noticeable. The keeper of the granary reported this to Odin, who ordered his favorite cat put out to catch the mouse doing the mischief.

The cat quickly caught the golden mouse. Then following cat custom, he brought [Page 25]it to his master, Odin, laying it at his feet before the throne. It was a royal offering indeed with its ruby eyes sending out sparks of reflected light and its golden whiskers glittering. As the cat laid the mouse down for approval it began to scamper off. The cat caught it again quickly, holding it tightly in its teeth while the tail lashed around and around from the side of the cat’s mouth.

You can imagine Odin’s amazement upon seeing the marvelous mouse. After he called the cat to him and succeeded in withdrawing it carefully from its mouth, he was enchanted as a child with a toy when he saw the mouse which scampered quickly up his arm. Mighty Odin laughed out loud with hearty delight and roared for his attendant. "There’s only one place this mouse could have come from—those clever dwarfs down in their smoky, underground home." Immediately Odin dispatched a messenger to go down the rainbow bridge and fetch the leader of the dwarfs.

As planner of the whole feat, Tuk was sent again and taken directly into Odin’s presence. There he told his whole story, including the actions of the guard and the gift of the golden bowl. Odin was greatly angered to hear of this. He had heard nothing of the first or second petition from the dwarfs, nor had he heard anything about the golden bowl. He scowled like a cloudy sky ready to storm, ordered the guard be stripped of his position and possessions and sent far away from Asgard forever.

When the possessions of the guard were seized, the cat’s fine, golden dish was found, as well as many other things which the guard had confiscated from petitioners to Odin’s mercy. The guard was given one simple garment and a leather pouch of bread, and was banished.

Odin then ordered that once a month a messenger with a cart be sent to the dwarfs abode to fetch Tuk and a load of their crafts up to Asgard. Tuk would then report to Odin on the welfare of his people before he traded the artistic creations among the gods for food of great variety and abundance.

Tuk was filled with happiness as he heard Odin’s words followed by a solemn proclamation that, "A people with the skill to produce works of art such as this must be lifted up. Their skill should flourish to be a delight to me and all my subjects."

And so it was from that time forth. ■ [Page 26]

‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ

Words and Music by John W. Behrens

[SLOWLY] C F When I was a child my parents spoke of a Man, they called Him "the

F A Ser-vant of God" For He loved ev'ry one, as He taught all man-kind, ‘[Page 27]Abdu’l-Bahá was His name.

"Are you hap-py?" He would al-ways ask the friends. His eyes would shine and His smile would cheer as He taught the word of God: "Are you hap-py?" He would al-ways ask the friends. His [Page 28]eyes would shine and His smile would cheer, as He taught the word of God. There's a Gar- den in the holy land where He'd pray for all man- kind. came from near and from a- far just to hear ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Rich and poor were all a- like in His presence they'd re-joice. Peo-ple when He'd meet the friends of God all would burst in- [Page 29]C to a song. Al- láh - ’u’ - ab - ous.

F Dm há, Al- láh ’u² ab- há means God is all glo-ri-

0 Dm C Al-láh- ’u’ ab-há. Al- láh- ’u’ ab- há means God is all glo- ri-ous.

F C c ten, Fm RITARD Dm G He showed us all how to live the life, ‘Abdu’l-Ba-há, the Ser- vant of God.

PP. [Page 30]

WORD ZIGGURATS

based on an idea submitted by Dorothy Treadwell

• a ziggurat is a temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, in

the form of a terraced pyramid with each story smaller than the one below it. (Webster's New World Dictionary)

Sometimes it can be more fun to go about something simple in a complicated way. This activity is like that. It is good for together times, like when it might be raining outside and you just finished your picnic lunch on the living room carpet.

Think of a message that you want to complicate. You build the words of your message using these ziggurat shapes, start at the top with a single letter, move down each clue and use the letter or letters from above, but add a new one. The letters can, but don't have to be in the same order each time. The bottom line is the word you are looking for. When you have found all the bottom-line-words, string them together, and there is your simple message!

Here are a couple of examples to get you started:

Word Ziggurat without scrambled letters: 1. first letter of alphabet 2. near 3. a pet 4. wagon pulled by horses

A ΑΤ CAT CART

Word Ziggurat with scrambled letters: 1. first letter of alphabet 2. near 3. a drink 4. a kind of door

A AT TEA GATE

Now try your hand at the following clues to discover our message. Then you are on your own to create messages for your friends. The answers are upside down in tiny type.

Answers

ᎻᏌᎪ SIᎻᏞ ᎻᏍᏙᏗ ᎢᎪᏙᏞ ačvssaᎳ ᎧᏄᏞ to e ᎧᎸᎠᏗ ᎧᏁᎠᏗ ᎧᏁᎠᏗ ᎧᏁn an å Ꭲ &# [Page 31]

first word

1. letter after D 2. first two vowels (__, __,i,o,u) 3. short for avenue 4. rant and _____ 5. to become unwoven 6. go on a trip

second word

1. first letter of alphabet 2. laughing sound 3. a kind of dance (___-cha) 4. every 5. instruct

third word

1. me 2. they are, he ____ 3. not hers 4. not that

fourth word

1. letter after D 2. said in a pause, like "uh" 3. you hear with it 4. 365 days [Page 32]

Book Nook

a review by Jean McKenna

The Dragons of Rizvania by Carol Handy, illustrated by Louise Taylor, published by George Ronald, Oxford.

Once upon a time there was a magical book set not in the past or in the present, but in the future in a fanciful land of greenery and peace. As you might guess, however, there is a problem in Rizvania, and the problem is dragons.

Dragons? But those scaly beasts lived only long ago, you say. Ah, but these are not ordinary dragons, as young Prince Kan discovers on his quest. It is Kan’s task to search out the monsters and destroy them. His job is not an easy one, and the prince learns that these dragons (Anger, Doubt, and Shame, to name a few), are not to be slain, but rather to be mastered. The other dragons, too, have much to teach Kan about becoming stronger and wiser through difficult tests.

Carol Handy, the author of the book, develops memorable characters that will touch your heart and make you smile. She also describes the settings so vividly that it is very easy to picture yourself there, perhaps riding behind Kan on his horse Qupede.

This is a book to read, enjoy, and remember as a rare treasure. [Page 33]

Opening Doors of Understanding for our Children

by Mary K. Radpour

You are on the way home in the car, with little Mary safely and you are thinking about the next stops for gas and groceries and the letters you must write for the next Assembly meeting, when Mary pipes up: "Mommy, does Jamal have a cold because he swallowed a bug?" Immediately the world and its demands disappear and you become transformed into an Educator. Trying to explain the difference between a spider and a cold virus to a 3 year old stretches your capacities and becomes one of the exciting moments in your day, one you'll share later with Mary's Daddy, her grandparents, and whichever friends are as excited as you are by the miracle unfolding of a child's intelligence.

Sometimes the role of teacher is one we're catapulted into by a child's misperceptions: "Daddy, I know bees make honey; I just don't understand how they get it into the jars!" But if we are not seen by our children as interested in their puzzles, perhaps because of our pre-occupation with the weather report, or balancing our checkbook, or the evening paper, such moments cannot emerge. Then being a teacher requires our initiative as well as our creative evaluation of a child's needs for learning.

There are two new books available which may assist us in finding new challenges for children. Games for Reading: Playful Ways to Help Your Child Read by Peggy Kaye is an educator's aid to parents' understanding of the mysterious process of learning to read. Kaye points to a host of problems experienced by young readers: 1) confusing words which look alike, such as "where" and "there;" 2) a failure of visual memory, wherein the words at the beginning of the sentence are forgotten by the time the child arrives at the end; and 3) problems with writing, wherein little Hilary just can't seem to remember the special relationships between the letters, so that she writes TAO for "cat" and doe for "dog" For every problem Kaye has a prescription. For the child who can't seem to sit still long enough to drill and memorize new words, she prescribes a trip to the supermarket with a list of words to find on the cans and boxes: orange, chocolate, peanut, economy, giant, extra, king-sized! For the mixer-up of confusingly similar words, a new game with flip cards is recommended, on which look-alike words such as "tires" are written on one side and "tries" on the other. There are rewards for success for the child, for the problem is narrowed down for him enough to make it manageable. The beauty of Kaye's book is that it educates parents, too. We are saved from the over-generalization of "Johnny can't read," and led to the more accurate conclusion that Johnny needs a fun way to add new words to his vocabulary. Even parents can learn in a contest to see who can list the most words which stand for bad smells: spoiled milk, bad breath, cat litter, garbage, vomit, cigarette smoke-the list goes on and on!

Another valuable tool for parents can be found in Exploring Nature with Your Child by Dorothy Shuttlesworth. Extensive use of color photos and useful charts depicting everything from the paths of migration of American barn swallows to the varied footprints of common wild mammals can be an exciting jumping-off point for discussions with children about the world of nature. Not every parent is a naturalist with an infinite store of information about the world outside the kitchen door. Shuttlesworth takes this into account, and offers answers to these questions and more: "How does a snake move?", "Can cats see in the dark?", "Is it true that a bee dies after it stings you?", "Could animals live if there were no plants?", and "Can a whale swallow a human being?" The book is organized around subjects of natural interest: birds, mammals, sea and shore animals, fish, snakes, zoo animals, pets, spiders and insects, and plants, trees and flowers. Each section suggests activities of interest, such as an expedition with a net in shallow water, or watching the family dog engaging in doggy activities, such as turning around and around before lying down.

All children experience curiosity about the world outdoors, and this curiosity becomes a door to understanding themselves. We humans are, after all, part of the world of nature. As we understand an animal's instinct to protect its young, or its homing impulse, we learn something also about our own instincts. We then can have respect for the animal in ourselves and in the world, as well as come to an understanding of how we are uniquely human. Bahá’u’lláh teaches that every created thing is a sign of the attributes of God. How excellent it is that the world is so full of opportunities for parents to be teachers and for children to learn!

Games for Reading: Playful Ways to Help Your Child Read, by Peggy Kaye, Pantheon Books, 1984, New York, NY.

Exploring Nature with Your Child, by Dorothy Shuttlesworth, Plenary Publications International, Inc., 300 E. 40th St., New York, NY. 10016, 1977.

Both titles are available in paperback. [Page 34]

Hidden Word

• SON OF BEING! Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.

Bahá’u’lláh

This calligraphic rendition of a Hidden Word is a gift to us from eleven year old Jonathan Kamál Cessna. Jonathan lives in Richmond, Virginia. Thank you, Jonathan.

Brilliant Star Suburban Office Park 5010 Austin Rd. Hixson, Tn. 37343

Return and-forwarding postage guaranteed Non-profit org. U.S. postage PAID Hixson, Tn. Permit 24