Chapter XV: A New Song

The two gentlemen have gone back to their respective countries.

Now once again Philippe and Rose sit in the market place of Brussels.

Once again the little boy sells his mother's vegetables, while the pretty baby sings to the passers-by.

There is also another child. That other is Zelie, who now lives with them. There is no more sadness in her eyes now.

But Philippe has changed. He has at last had the adventures about which he has read and dreamed so much. And he is glad that they are over.

The Belgian people say that there is no place like home, and Philippe now agrees with them.

He has made up a new song. He has used the old Belgian saying, "East, west, home's best," for that song. Listen! Philippe and Rose and Zelie are singing it now:

"Winds blow,
Rivers flow,
Time flies and days go.
Storms sweep,
Shadows creep,
Stars shoot and fires leap.
Things sprout
All about,
Folks dash in and out.
Roads wind,
Leave behind
Us three, peace to find.
Philippe will
Sit still;
Never more seek a thrill.
Zelie knows,
So does Rose,
Philippe would rather doze
In a nook
With a book;
Some day be a cook.
All may go
To and fro,
Here, there, high and low,
But we rest
In our nest,
For east, west, home's best!"

PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY

Antwerp ănt'wẽrp

Bruges brōō'jĕz

Brabançonne brȧ-bän-sōn'

Brugère brü zhâr'

Charleroi shär-lĕ-roi'

Choux shōō

Choux fleur shōō flûr

Courtrai kōōr-trĕ'

Dinant dē-nän'

Emile ā-mēl'

Emile Epinard ā-mēl' ā-pē-när'

Ghent gĕnt

Grande Place grän pläs

Meuse mūz

Mons môns

Namur n[.a]-mür'

Ostend ŏst-ĕnd'

Pomme pōm

Petit choux de Bruxelles pĕ-tē' shōō de brük-sel'

Sambre sän'-br

Tournai tōōr-nĕ'

Trompke trŏmp'-ky

Yvelle ē-vĕl'

Transcriber's Notes:

The author wrote "Brabanconne" but as this causes the word to be pronounced wrongly, this was changed to "Brabançonne".

Philippe was printed once as "Philipp" (p. 89, "Philipp shook his head"), and this has been corrected to "Philippe".

The illustrations have been relocated to better match the flow of the text.

End of Project Gutenberg's Little Philippe of Belgium, by Madeline Brandeis