FOR THE CHILDREN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 19, 23 January 1926, Page 26

FOR THE CHILDREN.

THE BIRDS OF THE BUSH.

(By lAJCY SCOTT, Rangiahua, Hokianga.) In New Zealand, high up in a punga tree, in the thick bush, lived a solitary morepork. He was soft and fluffy, with very googly eyes and sharp clawa. There were heaps of other birds in the bush, and their talking and singing could be heard nearly all day, except when it became too hot, and then they rested securely among the soft greenness of the leaves till evening; 'but Fluffy, as he was called, 'had no friends at all. The little birds were frightened of him, and, indeed, of all his kind, for one blow from his sharp beak would have killed them. One night, when all the birds were asleep, Fluffy sallied forth to search for prey. Flying downwards, he silently swooped from the shelter of the bush and flew out into the open. After flying a little way he rested on a low branch of a totara tree. It was a beautiful night; a crescent moon hung low in the sky and just fainty ehed its light on the ground beneath the tree. Preesntly, gazing keenly downwards, Fluffy's sharp eyes saw a tiny thing slip out from the grass and pause quietly. Then there was a swift swoop down, a little squeak, and Fluffy was once more perched on the branch, a little mouse in his beak. Then quickly he swallowed it and was onre more on the alert for fresh pray. After catching -two more mice he flew back to the punga tree. Fluffy felt very lonely and had a great longing for a companion. A week later he had found one—just a biinch of soft feathers, and large eyes like himself, and soon they built a nest, and Mrs. Morepork laid two dear little eggs. Fluffy was an ideal husband and kept her well supplied with food. When the two baby moreporks appeared, Mrs. Morepork was able to take occasional exercise/ The nest was nicely made, and sheltered from the gaze of man. One night Fluffy went forth up into a tall matai tree, where he sat and exchanged polite conversation with a neighbour of his own sex on a nearby tree. Meanwhile, down below the nest, in 'the hollow trunk of a fallen tree, lived a weasel, and he now came gliding out from it. a skinny brown animal, with cruel little eyes, which glinted evilly. Glancing round, he stealthily went up the tree towards the nest, and that was what Mrs. Morepork saw when she looked round. The weasel hesitated; it was no joke to tackle a full-grown owl, as he had found to his cost. Hie head had been badly bruised by sundry hard pecks he had received. Then his eyes glared, for two little heads popped up beside their mother and two pairs of solemn eyes started at him in the halflight. With a squawk Mrs. Morepork flew at him, and with a scream of fury he drew back. The battle lasted for a few minutes, both fighting hard for the victory. At last, with a snarl, he turned and vanished into the but one of the babies was dead, for in the fight he had been stepped upon, and now lay huddled up in the nest, quite dead. The moon had set and the bush was enveloped in darkness when Fluffy arrived home. His wife met him and pened. Whereupon Fluffy sharpened his hened. Whereupon Fluffy sharpened his already sharp claws, rubbed beaks with his wife, and sallied out in search of vengeance. He knew wherea-bouts the weasel had his lair and accordingly mads for it, perched himself on a low branch just above it, and prepared to watch for his enemy's return. Then the undergrowth, quivered, a long, lithe body crept out, and down flew Fluffy. There was one sharp cry, and the weasel rolled over dead, with the outraged morepork on top of him Not till he had satisfied himself that the hated enemy was really dead did Fluffy leave him and fly back to his anxious wife, who congratulated him on his prompt and plucky action, while he preened himself and swelled inwardly with pride over his achievements. Then, with a sigh," Fluffy settled down contentedly, and' just as morning dawned lie tucked his head under his soft wing and with his wife and one remaining child cuddled beside him, composed himself to sleep ivvht the comforting knowledge that his enemy, the would never trouble them again

In another part of the bush a hot argument was going on between two rather quarrelsome fantaila. The cause of it all was a nest which belonged to one of the birds. Coming back from a hunt for breakfast, Mrs. Fantail had foirnd the nest was occupied by a cheeky-looking little fantail, who seemed disposed to settle down' quite confidently, 'but this Mrs. Fantail. couldn't stand, so they started to argue, she protesting shrilly, the other chatteringly insolently. Then, I regret to say, both lost their tempers, and feathers began to Hy. The intruder was vanquished, and, equeaking indignantly, flew away, while Mrs. Fantail, twittering happily again to herself, flew about, flirting her pretty tail, her beady eyes twinkling. By and bye she flew out of the bush and in through the window of - a tiny house on the outskirts of the bush and into a room where a sick little girl of five lay pale and listless in bed. Her eyes brightened when she saw the. tame little bird, wno perched on the rail of the bed, twittered happily, and ruffled out her feathers. Presently Mrs. Fantail espied a fly on the wall and flew over and caught it. The little girl stretched out her hands to it, but the little bird flew on to the dressing-table, admired herself in tn mirror, with her head on one side, and then, -with a final look at her tiny person, and a last twitter, 6he flew twice round tbe -room in giddy circles, swooped over the child's fair head, and vanished through the open -window and bacK among the trees; but her presence had iheered the sick girl, and ..for several days after Mrs. Fantail kindly visited tlir little - room, always leaving, as it seemed, a ray of bright sunshine behind her when she had gone. THE PAGEANT. Dressing-up is all very well, if you do it on your own account, with the proper sort of clothes, and- pretend to be a soldier,"or a housemaid, or something sensible of that kind; but to be dressed up in ridiculous garments, and made to walk ebout with a lot of other people, also looking like guys, is just silly nonsense and not in the least bit funny. That is what Toby and Tots think, and they ought.to know, for they were obliged "to. wear absurd clothes on the day oi the Pageant last summer, and had to walk in a procession in the park just when they wanted to , make mudpies down by tbe pond. They had to put up with it, though, for some time, because they could not get away; but just before sunset, when no one was looking, they managed to escape through a -gap in the hedge and ran away. They ran towards the pond, of course, just stopping at the garden to pick Up Matilda Ann and Woolly Willie, who had not been allowed to go to tbe Pageant because they were old and shabby. They had almost reached the pond when they saw the geese marching up from it in a row, one after another, on their way home to bed. Toby and Tots knew the geese very well, and the geese knew them as a rule, and were quite friendly. But to-day matters were different. As soon "as the old gander saw Toby's funny hat and collar, and Tot's strange bonnet and long frock down to her toes, he stopped, and stretched his neck, and hissed angrily; and the geese, hurrying up, stopped and stretched their necks, and hissed aagrily too. It was really rather frightening, and no wonder Tots and 'Matilda Ann creniched against the wall, while Toby said timidly, "It's only us. "Us-si-s!" hissed the gander; "who's-s-s Us-s-s?" It was not the least use for Toby to explain. The geese simply would not believe that any friends of theirs could be dressed in such a foolish fashion, and they firmly refused to allow the children to pass them and go to the pond. So there was nothing for Toby and Tots to do but to return sadly home. As soon as they got there they pulltd off their Pageant dresses, and put on their oldest end most sensible garments; then, rolling the fine clothes in two tight bundles, they took them into the garden and buried them in a deep hole. No one to this day has discovered where the lost dresses are so it is not likely that Toby and Tots will have to go to another Pageant.