FOR THE GIRLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 141, 16 June 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

FOR THE GIRLS.

WENDY PAYS A VISIT a AND LEARNS WHY THE PEKINGESE B CHEEKY. My Dear Girls,— I had a letter from a friend this morning, y what I read: "Do come and see my adorable Pekingese, but don't bring Nana, she might eat him." I love all dogs, big and little, and of all toy dogg surely the Peke is the most amusing, so 1 hurried off to see this new wonder. "Isn't it perfectly wonderful!" my friend, holding up a delicious tawny ball of softness, with a crumpled up face like a brown pansy. Nana cod| have taken him at a gulp and not noticVd it. "He is a beauty," I said, admiring his funny pushed in face and bright, bulging eyes. I ventured to stroke the silky head with two fingers and was rewarded by a series of angry little growls, with three and a-half pounds of fury behind them. 1 could not help laughing at the ridiculous pucker between his nose and forehead, the pair of baleful black eyes like shoe-buttons that poiilisaly glowered at me. "Now, Mr. Wu, don't be rude," said his mistresr "Why do you call him that?" I said. "It had to be a Chinese name and I couldn't anything better at the moment; of course, you know the history of the Pekingese?" "No I don't," I said without enthusiasm. My friend beamed. "I'll read it to you," she pouncing on a book which lay on the table. "I hope it's not dry," I protested feebly. "Dry!" cried my friend- "Dry! You'll simply howl lotf more." "In China they declare the Pekingese was once a who drank a potion so he might prove acceptable hi the eyes of a Marmoset monkey with which he fell in lon, Be that as it may, the Peke has had a Royal upbringings and the late Dowager Empress Of China herself sapetm* tended the Palace Pelce's meals. Here is a rpri !■— i Shark's fins and the breast of quail, on this it may be fad. And for drink give it tea brewed from the spring bads of a shrub that groweth in Hankow, and milk of the iTitrlnpm that pasture in the Imperial parks. Thus shall it yi ram te its dignity and self-respect. In sickness let it be anointed with the clarified fat of the leg of the sacred leopard, nj give it to drink a throstle's egg-shell full of juice of the custard apple." "Gracious!" I exclaimed, "no wonder the Peka k uppish!" "It was not till 1860 that a European first set eyes oa a Palace dog, but when the French and English «"-Wd the Palace of Peking five of these dogs were left behind. They were brought to England. One called 'Lootie* (a name) was given to Queen Victoria, who became very fond of the small thing, which could lie full length in a forage cap." I thanked my friend, and took my leave, upon my homeward way that though the cheeky K»«*Peke was of Royal origin, our good old Nana, the New- * foundland, had a OJ\A. far more noble and a \jt useful history behind her. Don't you all agree with me?