‘Tikki Tikki Tembo’ a good tale for the kids

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“Tikki Tikki Tembo.”

October 11, 2008

Answers-To-Go

By Susan Smith The San Marcos Record Sat Oct 11, 2008, 09:53 AM CDT

Each week hundreds of people call or visit the San Marcos Public Library to find information. "Answers•To•Go" highlights recently received questions.

Please visit the library at 625 East Hopkins, call 393-8200 for information over the phone, or e-mail us through our web-page at www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/library.htm.

Q. I hope you can help me find a book I enjoyed as a child. I want to read it to my nephews. It had two boys who fell in a well and an old man used a ladder to help them get out.

A. We do have a good keyword search option for our online book catalog, but I didn’t get anywhere with my search of boys or brothers and well.

We talked a bit more and this gentleman remembered that there was a verse in the book that included the words “tikki tembo.” That triggered my memory of Arlene Mosel’s book, “Tikki Tikki Tembo.”

This classic Asian story tells of a boy who nearly drowns in a well because his brother cannot pronounce his very, very long name fast enough to bring an old man to the rescue.

So what is this very long name? Here’s the beginning of Mosel’s tale: “Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, it was the custom of all the fathers and mothers in China to give their first and honored sons great long names. But second sons were given hardly any name at all.

“In a small mountain village there lived a mother who had two little sons. Her second son she called Chang, which meant ‘little or nothing.’ But her first and honored son, she called Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, which meant ‘the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world.’”

The library has three hardback copies of this delightful book, an audio recording with book, and a Spanish language version.

Q. I’m inviting a female minister to a conference. We’d like to extend the invitation to her husband as well. What is the proper way to address the envelope?

A. “Forms of Address: A Guide for Business & Social Use” answers your question. Editor Andrea Holberg writes, “Complications involving female office holders often arise with regard to social correspondence.

“When inviting a couple because of the woman’s official title, it is important to acknowledge her position. Thus, when a woman holds an official title and her husband does not, use “The Honorable Sara Marie Jones and Mr. Jones,’ or whatever format is appropriate to her title.

“When both husband and wife hold official titles and both should be acknowledged, the proper form becomes, ‘The Honorable Sara Marie Jones and The Honorable David L. Jones’ if they are invited in relation to her position.

“If the invitation results more from his status, use ‘The Honorable David L. Jones and The Honorable Sara Marie Jones.’

“You should also verify names: many women do not use their husbands’ last names and some use different names in business than socially.”

Let’s return to your situation. If this is a Protestant minister, you would address your envelope: The Reverend Jane Doe and Mr. Doe.

In introductions, you would refer to your guest as The Reverend Jane Doe of XXX Church. In conversation you would address her as Mrs. or Ms. Doe or Pastor Doe.

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