Child's Way/Volume 9/Issue 1/Text

Child's Way Volume 9, Issue 1

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[Page i]Child’s Way

January - February 1977 [Page ii]CHILD'S WAY is a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

CHILD'S WAY is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September, and November in Baltimore, Maryland.

Subscriptions: U.S.A. $5.00 a year, 2 years for $9.50. Foreign: $6.50 a year, 2 years for $12.00 (U.S. Funds) Single copies: $1.00 (U.S. Funds)

Subscriber and business correspondence should be addressed to: CHILD'S WAY/ Bahá’í Subscriber Service 112 Linden Avenue Wilmette, Illinois 60091

Manuscripts and other editorial correspondence should be addressed to: CHILD'S WAY/ Radpour 8108 Streamwood Dr., Baltimore, Md. 21208

Manuscripts should be typewritten and double spaced throughout. Children's contributions of art are preferably line drawings of black and white. Children's contributions are welcome, however, in any form. Return postage should be included if manuscript is to be returned.

Copyright 1977 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

CHILD'S WAY EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Philip Cantor, Mildred McClellan, Mary K. Radpour, Stephanie Troxel EDITOR: Mary K. Radpour

Dear Boys and Girls,

Did you ever think about what a sacrifice is?

A sacrifice is something very special. It's almost like magic, because when we sacrifice something, we always get back something which is much better than what we gave away.

Sacrifice is different than losing something. If you lose a thing, then you don't have it any more, and you miss it a lot!

Sacrifice is even different than giving something away. which we don't treasure much. Because if you just give something away, you are still the same inside.

Sacrifice is when we are different inside and we are giving part of ourselves away. Then the gift which comes back to us is extra-special!

Have you ever made a sacrifice and then discovered what a wonder- ful reward you got? Write and tell us about it. We really want to know!

Love, Jone Factor [Page 1]

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Hear from your friends around the world? See page 2.

Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Read page 6.

The Goo outwits Ka Ka Doo! See page 10.

Can you make a good mistake? Read page 20 and see!

Have you seen a Gry-Fly at the zoo? See page 24.

Find the big ‎persons's persons'‎ art! See page 26.

Cover Photo, Stephie Troxel Inside Cover, Editorial Table of Contents, 1 Letters from our Friends 2 "Ayyám-i-Há" by Cathy Drinkwater & M.K. Radpour 6 Fund Box, by S. Troxel 8 "The World’s Children" - a song by Jo ‎Tehjford Telford‎ and Lorraine Milne, of UNICEF 9 "Ka Ka Doodle" - a story by Duane Troxel, illustrated by Rita Leydon, printed by permission 10 Puzzle Page, with a puzzle by Ollymae White 16 "Zig Zag Boy and Girl" 17 "Friends By My Window" a poem by Gregg Shaw 18 "Winter" a poem by Sarah O’Neil 19 "Navváb’s Mistake" a special activity for Ayyám-i-Há. Concept, title and photos by S. Troxel; text, M.K. Radpour 20 "Gry-Flies" a read-aloud poem by Sarah O’Neil 24 Cinquain, a learn and do activity from the S. Idaho Bahá’í Bulletin 25 Mini-Gallery, a puzzle to color, by Cori & Stephie Troxel 26 "Hyperactivity & Diet" a parent’s page book review by Beth Bowen 27 Back Cover-

Illustrations: "Ayyam-i-Ha" by Cathy Drinkwater "Fund Box," "Winter," "Gry-Flies," and parent’s page, S. Troxel "Zig Zag Boy & Girl" by Ginny Mair "Friends By My Window," by Patty Johnson Color Separations - M.K. Radpour [Page 2]

Letters From Our Friends

Dear Boys and Girls,

You are writing so many letters now to Child's Way that our postman has begun to tease us about why we have so many friends! Therefore, we are devoting four whole pages in this issue to your letters. Keep writing; we love it!

Your Editor

Carmel and Tahirih Schroeder, of New Mexico, have shared their letters to the Master with us:

Dear ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,

It is nice of you to tell people about God. I live in Gallup, N.M. and I am 7.

Carmel

Dear ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,

I do not understand the Faith completely. Will you help me to understand?

Yours truly,

Tahirih

Dear Tahirih,

No one understands the Faith completely, and we all try to understand all the time. I'm sure ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will help you if you remember him in your prayers.

Love, your Editor

Here is a poem by Alexander Blake, who is from Massachusetts:

There's no question about where God is.

Because God is.

Where is God?

God is everywhere.

God is up in the sky.

God is on the ground.

God is in your house.

God is in you.

That is what is most important.

God is your friend.

You love God and God loves you.

Some day a long time from now everybody will be a Bahá’í and will be friends.

Dear Child's Way,

Child's Way helps us in teaching the local people here on Ponape. Everyone, including adults, asks for stories and it is such a good way to learn. The very best are the stories of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá or the Holy Family. Lately I have been having my nine-year old learn a story to tell at community celebrations and it is starting to be thought of as the Bahá’í children should prepare themselves!

We all enjoy the new look of Child's Way.

Kay Maloney

(Mrs. Maloney is the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the North West Pacific, and she lives on an island called Ponape)

How do you like this lovely Indian girl drawn by Billy Head, who is 6 years old? Billy loves to draw all kinds of things, and he can imitate on paper many things he sees. We like it! [Page 3]Meg Algots, of Scio, Oregon, is 9 years old. She sent us this picture of herself:

She also sent us a drawing and a poem, which we share with you:

"Water" Water, water everywhere Water, water in my hair Water, water on the ground Water, all around Water, water here and there Water, Water is everywhere.

We were also so pleased to get the following news from a Bahá’í friend who had no Bahá’í classes in her town:

Dear Child’s Way, Ya Bahá’u’l Abhá! Thank you so much for printing my letter in the Child’s Way, July-August 1976 edition! I showed it to my parents and they were very concerned.

Since our previous Sunday school had been forgotten for approximately 2 years, my parents mentioned the topic of re-joining Sunday school at a Bahá’í feast. Many parents agreed on the idea (counting my parents, 7 parents, to be exact). Immediate plans were made, and by a month they have constructed a Sunday school that I hope will last a long time! Everything is all planned and very organized. We are all very proud of the progress that the children have made in the interest of the Bahá’í faith.

I thought I should tell you this so you know how much I appreciate your assistance in starting our Sunday school (actually it’s on Saturday).

I hope that this progressing ‎of of of‎ the faith will continue to grow and grow in every part of this world!

I would like to thank you once again for the publishing of my letter and how thankful I am to you!

May God bless you all!

With Bahá’í love, Lori Vahid

Dear Lori,

Your letter pleased us so much we were sure that it would please our readers too! It shows that Bahá’í children can speak up about the goals of the Five Year Plan, which include having children’s classes, and bring about great victories! Wouldn’t it be exciting if every Bahá’í child went to his parents or his Assembly and said, "I want a teacher, so I will learn more about the Faith." How many Bahá’í classes we would have then!

Congratulations to you and your community for its victory!

Love, your Editor

(CONSTANTINOPLE) ASHDOKCIKKOPLE OQUCRKPH(SHIRAZ) (BAGHDAD)RBAAZKK ASHAADDARIZBMN BADIZMTNXROACT JIMFTANTCARHIZ IRBADASHTMEJLC SHIANCP(TABRIZ)R (ADRIANOPLE)ZXLE SHAROMT(CARMEL)A (TAHIRIH)BCERZKK

Answer to the puzzle on page 16.

[Page 4]

Letters From Our Friends

Yvonne Kraus, who is 10 years old, has shared with us her understanding of the following Hidden Word:

"10 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."

What does this mean? If we do not show our love and consideration to God, then He won't grant any of our wishes. But if we love and fear Him, then He will help us in almost any way He can. You see, we have to change our attitudes toward our way of doing things. We have to consider the fact that God is greater than everybody on this earth and all the worlds around us. We should all know that He can do greater things than every person on earth put together because God made us and everybody and everything around us. Of course, we know that no person could do that. So that is why it is important that we pray to Him at least three times a day and thank Him for everything He has done.

Tirzah Wilson sent us this picture of company at her house. Tirzah is 3 years old.

And her sister Janie, who is 6, sent us 2 princesses,

And here are some drawings from our little friends:

This is Lisa Cole's friend.

And Marzi Radpour's boy on a bicycle. (Lisa & Marzi are 6 years old)

Dearest Bahá’í friends,

My name is Maria and I am 10 years old and in the 5th grade. Two of my brothers are Indian and Irish and I am Irish and Scottish. I have a bad temper, but I try to control it and act like a Bahá’í should. I like being a Bahá’í and I like learning about Bahá’u’lláh.. I like going to Bahá’í classes and conventions and other things...

I have a poem here for you:

A Bahá’í is nice, A Bahá’í is wonderful, A Bahá’í, is honest, A Bahá’í is truthful!

Your Bahá’í friend, Maria Jackson [Page 5]Our friends write us from everywhere in the world (almost -- though we haven't had any letter from China or Alaska yet!) This story was sent to us by a friend in Bangui, in the Central African Republic, whose name is Joshua Lincoln. Joshua is 6 years old.

"There was 1 daddy who was rich and 1 daddy who was poor. And the little boy of the rich daddy kept bragging that his daddy was rich, but the other boy's daddy didn't have enough money and was poor. And after that, the daddy who was rich kept spending all his money buying food and paying his workers and he got poor. And the daddy of the little boy who was poor was getting more money. Also the daddy who was poor at the beginning was a nice Bahá’í and the daddy who was rich at the beginning was nasty. After that, the daddy who was poor before but had all the money at the end, shared it with the daddy who was poor at the end. And I think the daddy who was rich in the beginning taught his little boy not to brag so much and the daddy learned not to spend his money so fast, and he became a Bahá’í too. And then they were all friends and they lived happily ever after."

Laili Radpour, who is 10, wrote this poem for school to show what an abstract noun is. Can you guess what an abstract noun is after reading her poem?

FEAR

Small hairy spiders And little pink worms, A bad report card, At the end of the term.

A big haunted house, With witches and ghosts, Getting my ears pierced, And losing the posts.

Dear Child's Way,

I like reading Child's Way. It's very interesting. I am 8 years old. I read your Child's Way very carefully. I try to make friends at school. Child's Way is the best magazine I've ever read. I love all the Messengers, even Bahá’u’lláh and the Bab. Can you put my letter in the next issue? I saw all the other letters. Please try.

Love, Vanessa Lopez

P.S. The best book here is Child's Way. Yay! Yay! Child's Way! My sister even said she liked Child's Way.

Dear Friends,

At Bahá’í School we learn how to be nice to people. For Bahá’u’lláh's Birthday, we put costumes on and I was Haji Hazan. Haji Hazan lived a long time ago and he was telling the people about the coming of Bahá’u’lláh.

We baked cookies for Bahá’u’lláh's Birthday; my Mom liked the cookies.

Love, Tanya Cordova, age 6 Whittier, California

Cyrus Tanya They baked the cookies for Bahá’u’lláh's Birthday. S [Page 6]

Happy Ayyám-i-Há!

Hi! Happy Ayyám-i-Há!

Hi! Happy what?

Happy Ayyám-i-Há! It’s the Bahá’í holiday, Intercalary Days!

What are the Intercalary Days?

The Intercalary Days are a special 4 or 5 day Bahá’í holiday between the 18th and 19th months of the Bahá’í calendar.

Well, when are they?

They are Feb. 26th, 27th 28th, and March 1st. And every 4 years, Feb. 29th, too!

Bahá’ís sure are lucky! Five days of holiday all in a row! What do you do to celebrate?

these are days of festivities and parties!

WOW! Parties! with cake and ice cream and fizzy punch?

Sure!

And fancy clothes, and decorations, and singing and dancing, and games to play?

Why not?!

What else? [Page 7]There’s also “hospitality.”

Hospitality? Is that being in the hospital?

No! That’s inviting people to come to a party at your house!

Oh, I see...

How nice!

Hey, great!

And charity — like sharing with poor people — and visiting the sick! And giving presents!

So, isn’t it a Happy Ayyám-i-Há?

It sure is! Happy Ayyám-i-Há!

Can I come to the party?

cld [Page 8]

FUND BOX: WHERE DOES ALL THE MONEY GO?

Clink! Another penny dropped into the bank. But this was a special bank. At every Feast, Kelly took her pennies and proudly presented them to the treasurer. She knew that only Bahá’í’s could give money to the Faith. She was very proud that she could be one of those people. She knew that the money went for special things, but she wasn't quite sure where. So at the Feast she asked the treasurer where the money went. The treasurer told her this story:

"When I was younger, I visited the Holy Land. Ten pilgrims went with our guide to different spots around Haifa and Akka. We all felt very much at home. We stopped at a field at the end of Mount Carmel. It had a fence around it and it was covered with a carpet of yellow flowers.

"This is where a House of Worship will be built some time in the future," we were told by our guide.

We felt the urge to worship even without the House, so we stood and said some prayers. I was the last one to leave and I was asked to lock the gate.

As I took the key from the lock, a small voice said, "Is this your land?"

There was a little girl standing there looking at me. I looked again at the land. It was mine. I had contributed money to the Fund and, along with all the other Bahá’í’s in the world, I owned it.

"Yes, it is mine," was my simple, but proud answer.

Can you say the same? Maybe your pennies will help to build the new House of Worship in Samoa, or a National Center in Mali, or the Seat of the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel. Wouldn't that make you proud to say, "Yes, it is mine." [Page 9]

THE WORLD’S CHILDREN

Some children are brown like newly baked bread, Some children are yellow and others are red, Some children are white, there are black children too, Their colors are dif-f'rent but they're children like you.

Verse 2 Some children eat rice and some prefer figs, Some children like ice-cream and some roasted pigs, Some children like fish and some like Irish stew, Their foods may be dif-f'rent but they're children like you.

Verse 3 Some say “yes.” Others say “ja.” Some say “O-kay” and some say “da-da.” Some say “oui” and others say “si.” Their words may be dif-f'rent but they're children like me.

Verse 4. (Music as for Verse 1.) Some children have houses of stone or of bricks. Some live in snow igloos or huts made of sticks. Some live in a cave and some live in a tree. Their homes may be different but they’re children like me.	Verse 6. (Music as for Verse 3.) Some are called Johann, some are called John. Some are called Hansel, and some are called Juan. Some are called Yonkel, but what's in a name? Our names may be different but we are the same.
Verse 5. (Music as for Verse 2.) Some children wear furs and some wear rebozos. Some children wear sweaters and some wear kimonos. Some children go naked — their mothers don't fuss. The clothes may be different but they’re children like us.	Verse 7. (Music as for Verse 1.) There are children up north, in the east, in the west, In the south, and we cannot say which place is best. Some live where it's freezing, some live where it's hot. The countries are different but the children are not.

WORDS: Jo ‎Tehjford Telford‎ for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) MUSIC: Lorraine Milne (Music Branch). [Page 10]

In the land of Kakoo

In the land of Kakoo lived a rooster named Doodle, who would push out his chest and say "KA-KA-KA-DOODLE!"

Every morning at dawn, he'd get up with a yawn and crow: "KA-KA-DO, DOODLE DO, DO-YE-UDLE."

Now this overstuffed bird had an overstuffed head. He believed so devoutly in his dawn-crowing-outley that he thought "Without me, no sun can come outley!"

"Without me to crow, the sun would stay down, wouldn't shine on the children, wouldn't light up the town."

"The plants would all die and the children would cry -- and the clouds would get lost and go-- BUMP in the sky. [Page 11]One day to Kakoo came a truth-testing Goo, who had heard of the boast of the rooster named Doodle.

Said the Goo to himself, "I'll show Doodle it's not his crowing that raises the sun from its cot. I'll show him by keeping the sun in its bed. I'll show him his crowing is just noise in his head."

Just before dawn, Goo set to work quick, gluing the sun with his sun- gluing trick. First he trucked in nine-jillion, four-billion-and-one exotic rare jellybeans to cover the sun.

He poured over this eight-thousand- and-two cases of super-fast-quick- drying glue.

Then he grinned, and he hid in the bushes to wait for that cocky old Doodle to swallow his bait, to watch Doodle crow and crow all day long in vain for a sun that would not heed his song. [Page 12]The time came for Doodle to pull off his act. Up he climbed on the fence and cut loose with a "KACK!" Cut loose with a "KA KA KA-DO DO-YE- YOUDLE!"

Now the heat from the sun made the jellybeans run and they oozed and they squoozed....... Oh, the colors were fun!

And the sun it did rise, and it painted the skies, with a rainbow of sun-baked Goo-jelly-surprise!

Now the Goo was so mad at that arrogant cock, he decided at sunset to work 'round the clock to build a great net to hold back the sun, so it couldn't come up when the rooster was done,....crowing and bragging and having his fun. [Page 13]All night long the Goo slaved, driving stakes, hauling cable, crossing yellow silk sashes with green ropes of sable. Laying catgut and horsehair, fishline and lace, weaving and winding all over the place; building a snare to hold back the sun ... to keep it from rising ... to spoil Doodle’s fun.

Again Doodle mounted up high on his perch, smiled to himself smugly, raised his beak with a smurch.

Then he threw out his wings and leaned back towards the sky, and cut loose with a blast that made the moon cry!

All this time the sun strained at the ropes and the cable, the horsehair and catgut, the green lines of sable, till it burst through its bonds and popped up in the blue, just as bird Doodle said his last “KA-KA-DO.”

At this the Goo burst from his place in the leaves, purple with rage, he rolled up his sleeves .... Up he marched to bird Doodle and said to his face, “So you’re the wonderful rooster who brings light to this place! Let me throw you a party, Mr. Ka Ka Ka Doodle! A party! A party! A party! A lulu! A party for me and a party for youdle!” [Page 14]Then he brought in the cakes and the cookies and ices. Sugar and frosting and rare eastern spices --- cabbage creme pudding and broccoli tarts, eggplant ice cream with artichoke hearts,

lollipops, popsicles, ruby red kisses, marshmallow, jawbreakers, dill pickle fizzes ....

And that Doodle, he ate and he ate and he ate; till he doubled his size and he tripled his weight!

His belly it stretched --- it got bigger and fatter, till he couldn’t stand up without help from Koo Katter. But worse than not strutting or stalking about --- Doodle was sick, couldn’t crow, couldn’t shout. He groaned, "Without me, no sun can come out!"

The time was just six and the dawn it was due, and a smile could be seen on the face of the Goo. [Page 15]Do Doodle was hoisted by rope to his place. Kelly-green was the color of do-doodle’s face.

He stuck out his tongue to try filling his lungs; as he sucked in the air to give voice to his shout, Do-Doodle saw stars! Do-Doodle passed out!

Up the sun popped, and the stars they went out, and the creatures of Kakoo began running about, telling the story of Ka Ka Ka-Doo and how he was tricked by a truth-testing Goo.

Now the moral is this: Never tell someone You should get credit for something you didn’t do.

©RFL [Page 16]

Puzzle Page

Here's another puzzler for you, sent by Ollymae White. You need to find these names of cities and places made famous through Bahá’í history:

C O N S T A N T I N O P L E Á S H D O K C I K K O P L E O Q U C R K P H S H I R Á Z B A G H D A D R B A A Z K K A S H A A D D Á R Í Z B M N B A D I Z M T N X R O A C T J I M F T A N T C A R H Í Z I R B A D A S H T M E J L C S H I A N C P T A B R Í Z R A D R I A N O P L E Z X L E S H A R O M T C A R M E L A T Á H I R I H B C E R Z K K

Adrianople Baghdád Haifa Badasht Akká Bahjí Tabríz Mt. Carmel Shíráz Constantinople Tihrán

The names in this puzzle will go this way → and this way ↓ .

Also, in this puzzle, is the name of the lady martyr of the Bábis. She was a follower of the Báb and one of the Letters of the Living. She was a great Bábi teacher. You know her name, don’t you? You can find it on the bottom line of the puzzle. The answer to the puzzle can be found on page 3.

DID YOU KNOW?

....that a cat comes down a tree tail first, but a squirrel comes down head first?

....that a giraffe has no voice at all?

....that a humming bird can fly backwards?

....that a mother whale is called a cow and her baby a calf?

.... that the African elephant has two little fingers on the end of his trunk, but the Indian elephant has only one? [Page 17]

The Zigzag Boy and Girl

I know a little zigzag boy, Who goes this way and that. He never knows just where he puts His coat, or shoes, or hat.

I know a ‎littlk little‎ zigzag girl Who flutters here and there; She never knows just where to find Her brush to fix her hair.

If you are not a zigzag child, You’ll have no cause to say That you forgot, for you will know Where things are put away.

17 [Page 18]

FRIENDS FROM MY WINDOW

My friend, Brown, A telephone pole, Is forty feet tall Though he stands in a hole.

My friend, Red, A chimney brick, Smokes all day long And never gets sick.

My friend, Grey, A fat-cheeked squirrel, Will stop to talk, But never quarrel.

My friend, Black, A neighbor’s door, Hardly opens, Anymore.

My friend, Blue, A twinkling star, How he wonders What we are. [Page 19]

WINTER

by Sarah O’Neill

Crispy cold is the best part of winter.

Not the frosted blades of grass or the crystal icicles or even the winter moon.

Not even the crackling of the snow under my feet or watching heavy hexagons falling to the turf.

No, I like the cold the best. Numbing my cheeks and nose, Making my face all rosy.

Cold is the best thing about winter. That, and being warm. [Page 20]

NAVVÁB’S MISTAKE

Have you ever wondered why sometimes life seems so hard? Just when we want it to be all sunshine and lollipops, it turns out to be rainclouds and cod liver oil! And we feel that we are the only person ever to have suffered so! And then we remember that we are not alone:

One time, when Bahá’u’lláh was ill and being forced to travel to Baghdád in the cold of the winter, his wife Navváb was worried and tried to think of how she could make something good for Him to eat. One day she was able to get some flour. That night, she made a sweet cake for Him. But because it was dark, she thought that the salt was sugar, and her cake tasted terrible. It was so sad for her!

This story is a very unhappy one. But maybe, if we are very clever, we can find a hidden joy in it. We can remember that Bahá’u’lláh’s suffering, and his family’s too, was a sign of His love for God, and a sign of His love for us, too, for if He hadn’t loved us, He wouldn’t have done so many wonderful things for us. He even told us of it Himself:

“O Son of Man! For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitude under My decree and patience under My trials.”

How would you like to make a sign of your love for Bahá’u’lláh? The best sign of all is your smile --- even when things are a little bit difficult! Another sign you can make for Ayyám-i-Há. This sign is for everyone to see -- a decoration you can hang in your house for this fun ‎Bahá'i Bahá’í‎ holiday!

And how do we make this wonderful decoration? We learn from Navváb, and we make:

NAVVÁB’S MISTAKE!

First we mix together:

1 CUP OF FLOUR

½ CUP OF SALT

AND ABOUT 1/3 CUP OF WATER

Just watch our friend Cori and see how she works!

Don’t forget to roll up your sleeves.

Now have a wonderful time and SQUISH to your heart’s desire!

Pretty soon your dough will begin to stick together. [Page 21]Roll the dough into a big ball.

Next, put it on a sheet of waxed paper.

Take a small ball and flatten it with your hand until it is as big as you want your decoration to be.

Now you can think of what kind of shape you want it to have.

Do you have a cookie cutter, or the lid of a jar (for circles)?

Place it on top of the flat piece of dough.

Or, you can roll the dough into a long, skinny "snake" and then make a pretzel shape.

Or you can use a dull knife and cut whatever shape you wish.

Now push down on your cookie cutter very hard, to be sure the dough is cut all the way through.

Then, very carefully lift the dough so that it doesn’t stretch, and place it on a cookie sheet. [Page 22]Now it's on the cookie sheet.

Use the end of a pencil or magic marker to make a hole in the shape. When you are finished, you can put a string through this hole to hang up your decoration.

You can also put little pieces of dough on top of the big piece to decorate it. See the eye on Cori's bird?

After all of your pieces are ready to bake, tell your mama that they need to go in a 225 degree (F.) oven with the door closed. If your pieces are very thin, they will need to bake about 15 minutes on each side. If they are very thick, they will need to bake about 1 hour on each side.

Now there is more fun for you!

You may paint your pretty pieces in many different colors. You can use poster paints, or magic markers, or even fingernail polish.

You can even color the dough itself, if you add food coloring to the water you put into the salt and the flour. [Page 23]Look at all our "Navvab’s Mistakes! Aren’t they lovely?

There are many kinds of stars, and a happy face, and a gingerbread man, a horse, and a pretty bird!

We’re sure you can think of many more shapes yourself ‎yourself {{{2}}}‎. Cori did!

If you want your decorations to last for a long time, you can paint them with two coats of clear nail polish.

And now we have two SIGNS!

One is the happy smile to show that we love Bahá’u’lláh and all God’s Messengers.

The other is a sign to show our friends how we can celebrate Ayyám-i-Há! [Page 24]

THE GRY-FLIES

(a Dr. ‎Suss-ian Seussian‎ poem, by Sarah O’Neill)

Isn’t it sweet how the Gry-Flies go "Tweet!"? and isn’t it cute how high they toot?

As they toot and tweet, they fly They fly and fly in the clear blue sky. Why do they cry? Or fly in the sky? Don’t ask me why! (I’d rather die than cry and fly).

Their bills are gold. Their tails are green The keenest green I’ve ever seen! But boy, are gry-flies ever mean.

Against the sky the gry-flies go and as they go they seem to grow; they grow and grow and grow and grow! (for as you know that is the thing that gry-flies do) I can’t. Can you?

Once there were gry-flies in the zoo But President Nixon gave them to Premier Van Lo Ty Wan Nu Thieu. I’m through with gry-flies now -- adieu! [Page 25]

HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO BECOME A POET!

LEARN TO MAKE CINQUAIN.

CINQUAIN (pronounced Sin Kwin) is a very special form of poetry that is very beautiful in its simplicity and also very helpful in learning to express your thoughts and feelings in the form of a poem.

Here are the directions in writing CINQUAIN Poetry:

LINE 1: One word (Title)

LINE 2: Two words (Describe Title)

LINE 3: Three words (An Action)

LINE 4: Four words (A Feeling)

LINE 5: One word (Refer to Title)

Here are some examples:

RAIN

Cool Pure

Splashing Washing Giving

Refreshed Thankful Nourished Loved

Bounty

FRIENDS

Old Young

Sharing Learning Laughing

Happy Peaceful Needed Loved

Treasures

Now it is YOUR TURN:

Keep practicing -- if you want to write other types of poetry, CINQUAIN can be used as your outline. CINQUAIN can also be used as a group game; each person writes down a word and passes the poem to the next person. A nonsense poem can be written by folding the paper back so as to hide the words already written before passing the paper to the next person.

contributed from the South Idaho Bahá’í Bulletin [Page 26]

MINI-GALLERY

Let’s see what a clever guesser you are!

Can you tell which of the drawings in our mini-gallery of art were drawn by a 4-year old person (Cori Troxel) and which were drawn by a big person?

Can you send us your mini-gallery?

Hint: only 4 drawings were by a big person. See below:

ANSWER: Big person’s drawings are: 1) the mouse in the upper-left corner; 2) the little boy in the center of the 4th row; 3) the castle in the 5th row, left; and 4) the cloud and flower in the lower left corner! [Page 27]

HYPERACTIVITY AND DIET

A book review by Elizabeth Bowen

Dr. Ben Feingold, an eminent pediatrician and allergist, has written a very thought-provoking book on the possible relationship between hyperactive behavior and food additives, particularly artificial colors and flavors.

Dr. Feingold states that an estimated ten to fifteen percent of all children in the United States -- as many as five or six million suffer from "hyperkinesis-learning disability." Although symptoms vary greatly from child to child, the basic pattern often includes some or all of the following characteristics: The child is in constant motion, is markedly fidgety, restless, uneasy, excitable, impulsive, and often aggressive. He has a short attention span, is unable to concentrate, is easily distracted, has little patience, and has a very low tolerance for failure or frustration. He is often uncoordinated and clumsy in both large and small muscle movements, and he frequently has sleeping problems. Boys are involved more often than girls, and there is usually only one child with the problem in a family. The hyperactive child is generally of normal or high intelligence, yet fails at school due to "learning disabilities." Adults may also suffer similar symptoms. What does all this have to do with food additives?

As an allergist, Dr. Feingold knew that in some cases hives had been caused by food additives. One day he prescribed a diet free of artificial colors and flavors for a woman with a severe case of hives. He and her psychiatrist were startled to find out that not only had her hives been cured, but her psychological problems had disappeared as well! Dr. Feingold then began to conduct extensive research into the relation between behavioral disorders and artificial colors and flavors.

Dr. Feingold prescribed the elimination of artificial additives from the diets of hundreds of children who manifested many of the behavioral symptoms cited above. When all of the offending chemicals were removed, the majority of the children tested showed remarkable improvement. They were calmer, able to pay attention better, more able to sit still, more peaceful, and generally far more in control of themselves. However, if the offending food was re-introduced, the problem behavior immediately returned. Thus, Dr. Feingold established a tentative cause and effect relationship between food additives and hyperactive behavior. This relationship has since been confirmed in over a thousand cases.

The cause of the problem, Dr. Feingold asserts, is that "there is no natural body defense against the synthetic additives." Whereas 10-20% of the population have genetic variations which cause them to demonstrate marked adverse reactions to food additives, it is not known to what degree the rest of the population is affected. For example, are there subtle or incremental effects upon the other [Page 28]80-90% which escape obvious notice?

If Dr. Feingold's basic thesis is true -- and a growing body of evidence strongly suggests that it is -- it has massive implications for the food industry. The food industry operates on the assumption that small amounts of additives are harmless to everyone. Dr. Feingold's research raises serious questions about the immediate danger the additives present to a significant portion of the population (10-20%). He is also deeply concerned about the possible detrimental long-tern effects on all mankind of food additives and the many pollutants that permeate the air and water. Much of his concern stems from the fact that mankind is, for the most part, ignorant of the effects of synthetic chemical compounds on the human body. He reports that over 30,000 synthetic chemicals are in use today, of which less than 7% have been reliably tested as to whether they are a cause of cancer. Of these 30,000 chemicals which never existed in nature, over 3,800 appear in our foods. Not one of these additives has been subjected to the rigorous tests required for pharmaceutical drugs. Dr. Feingold also reports that over a billion pounds of food additives are produced annually in the United States and that the average American consumes about five pounds of them each year. He comments:

A million or more years have gone into the development of the superb and intricate machinery of the human body. From my point of view, it is a little too much to ask these mechanisms to accept such radical environmental changes in a period of a little over a hundred years. Penalties have already been exacted and will continue to be exacted.

While Dr. Feingold's findings are promising, he is careful to stress that diet is not a panacea and that the nutritional approach cannot be seen in isolation from the total context of the child's life at home and at school. One must assess all the physical, psychological, and social factors in trying to understand a specific child's behavior problem. Nevertheless, the nutritional approach is certainly a primary one to investigate. Dr. Feingold is convinced that if indeed the artificial colors and flavors are the specific cause of the problem, then their elimination will be the logical solution.

Dr. Feingold is also alarmed by the widespread use of prescription drugs to control children with behavior problems. He believes that the vast majority of the two million American children on behavior modifying drugs could be better served by changes in their diets and in their home and school environments. Dr. Feingold promotes a comprehensive analysis of the child's medical condition and his family and school life as the best means of determining the underlying causes of the disorder. Because drugs merely mask the symptoms and do not cure, he feels they should only be used in extreme cases and even then only as a last resort. (There are some very specific conditions such as epilepsy where drugs may be necessary.) [Page 29]Dr. Feingold's work has been enthusiastically received by parents all across the country. Over 45 parents' groups have formed within the past two years. These groups provide buddy systems and moral support to families trying the diet that Dr. Feingold suggests, help publicize the diet, collect case histories, and pursue research about hyperactivity and diet. They also write to pharmaceutical and food processing companies to inquire about the ingredients of products and lobby for new laws.

The parents' efforts are also being felt in Washington. Two bills before Congress, HR42 and HR322, concern the proper labelling of foods. Other legal action is being taken to require food manufacturers to test additives more thoroughly and to label products accurately, completely, and clearly. Dr. Feingold proposes that foods without artificial substances should bear a conspicuous symbol. This would be of enormous assistance to many mothers who now have to read the contents of every label to be certain that they buy only those foods which contain no additives. (For more information about these organizations and the one in your area, write:

Feingold Association of the United States 759 National Press Building Washington, D.C. 20045

Why Your Child Is Hyperactive is available in many public libraries and will be coming out in paperback within a year. While a few chapters are technical, it reads easily, unfolding the steps Dr. Feingold went through in making his discovery. The book presents many case histories and contains Dr. Feingold's diet along with a number of additive-free recipes for foods children enjoy.

Elizabeth L. Bowen is a research associate at the Center for the Study of Human Potential at the University of Massachusetts. She coordinates a home-based parent education and preschool enrichment program as part of the implementation of the ANISA model in Suffield, Connecticut. Her doctoral work concerns the bio-medical correlates of learning with particular emphasis on nutrition.

Why Your Child Is Hyperactive, by Ben F. Feingold, is published by Random House, Inc., 201 East Fiftieth Street, New York, N.Y. 10022, and is priced at $7.95. [Page 30]I caught him on a trip through Child’s Way.

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