kid brothers are handy

We have a new sabji wallah coming to our complex. He sets up shop thrice a week for 3 hours in the mornings. There is quite good patronage for his wares. They are fresh and I am told reasonably priced.

It is also a good time to exchange colony gossip while we wait for our turn. Today I greeted a friend who had just come back from her mother's place after her second delivery. I enquired after her, promising to come and see the baby the next day. Her first child was frisking about and I asked her if she is comfortable having a new sibling. The mother told me she is okay with it most of the times. But she takes a particular liking for the young fellow, whenver the mother calls out to her to do her school work. She immediately tells mom, 'brother is very cute no, can I play with him for sometime?"

Are all kids this smart? Obviously she perceives the mother to be spending lots of time with the infant and she also has found a sure fire 'attention diverting technique'.

She should have tried the trick once too often and the mother has become wiser.

But my amazement at the wits of a 4 year old kid remains.