Of course the
American boy retaliated. But the boy from the Netherlands had not been
born and brought up in the muscle-building air of the Dutch dikes for
nothing, and after a few moments he found himself looking down on his
tormentor and into the eyes of a crowd of very respectful boys and
giggling girls, who readily made a passageway for his brother and
himself when they indicated a desire to leave the schoolyard and go
home.
Edward now felt that his Americanization had begun; but, always
believing that a thing begun must be carried to a finish, he took, or
gave--it depends upon the point of view--two or three more lessons in
this particular phase of Americanization before he convinced these
American schoolboys that it might be best for them to call a halt upon
further excursions in torment.
At the best, they were difficult days at school for a boy of seven who
could not speak English. Although the other children stopped teasing
Edward, they did not try to make the way easier for him. America is
essentially a land of fair play, but it is not fair play for American
boys and girls to take advantage of a foreign child's unfamiliarity
with the language or our customs to annoy that child or to place
difficulties in his way.
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