PICTURE PROVERBS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

PICTURE PROVERBS.

• "Now, then, take your choice," said Waggy at last, when they came to a little cave with bones on either side of it. He himself selected a big bone and settled down to enjoy himself. Jeremy Jinks did.the same. "Well, I must truly say, Waggy, that this beats any place I have ever visited." Waggy grinned. "I thought you'd soon get over your disappointment at not going to the seaside if you came with me," he eaid. - "Seaside," said Jeremy Jinks. "Don't speak to me of it. Why! I wouldn't go with Sally and Peter and join those conceited pups who strut about on the sands for anything." "Very wisely spoken, I'm sure, eaid TYa* Y ° r y« *" "Oh, dear, I really think I'll have to take a little snooze before we catch the train home," said Jeremy Jinks, "I feel quite tired out." "Not at all a bad idea. My own jaws ache," said Waggy. "Well, just look at that. Jeremy Jinks won't eat that lovely bone I've put beside him," said Sally's voice close at hand Jeremy Jinks sat up with a start. He looked round for Waggy and all the other dogs. He blinked once or twice.

"Why, doesn't he look funny!" laughed Peter. "I expect he's been dreaming." Jeremy Jinks lay down again. The sun was shining very warmly, and he was feeling quite contented. Dream or no dream, he'd shut his eyes once again and see if once more he could visit the Land of the Juicy Bones. » '_ RUSTY. This is the story of Eusty. Just a small, lean, black pussy cat — that was Rusty. Eusty had made her home in the precincts of a big hospital for sick little boys. and girls, and kere, daily, she led a somewhat alarming existence, her senses quickened by quite terrifying sights and sounds and scents. A certain sunny morning found Eusty stretched at full length on a long, wide verandah, upon which was a row of cots, in each cot a little red-jacketed sufferer,

'Tuth, puth, puthie," lisped a small voice softly.

Encouraged by the eagerly outstretched hands, Eusty crept a little nearer.

"Oh, the puthie!" shrilled the little girl, and made a very shaky, unsuccessful attempt to stand up.

"Good, good, Betty girlie, try and stand again, dear." Strange voices startled Eusty to a safe distance. Uniformed figures surrounding the now quivering Betty, encouraging, coaxing, pleading with her, ''Just try to take even one step alone, dear! If you'd only try to walk by yourself, dear, you'd be running about home in no time." But even this promise failed to overcome Betty's great dread of being alone —unsupported—of falling and of pain.

After this Eusty went to visit Betty daily. The two would sit basking in the sunlight for hours unless disturbed. Every day, too, came the same brisk, kindly people, who troubled Betty and did painful things with the splint. People who besought her to use her feet just ever so little —but no—Betty would not walk alone.

fame a wet and dismal morning; Rusty failed to find Betty in her usual place, rashly wandered" ilrrough the nearest door, found herself in a room of shining, gleaming white and silver, a room of queer, sickening smells.

A voice spoke from the distance. "Oh, that cat in here now! we'll have-to ask the E.S.P.C.A. to remove it." Eusty vanished. _

Just as Rusty" had uncurled herself from her favourite position many hours later, two hands gripped her tightly. Eusty objected, she fought, she bit, she scratched, she swore, finally she won free. Blindly she fled, with at least six assorted attendants pursuing, down corridors, up stairs, down stairs, througn the length of two wards of madly excited kiddies she fled, only to be caught and firmly held at last.

• "Oh! Oh! Oh! my puthie, my puthie!" came piercing shrieks, the crash of an overfallen chair, the clamp, clamp of an iron splint, and a sudden rush of figures toward Betty—Betty who had run fully a dozen yatds to rescue dear puthie.

Out of the ensuing confusion two things were clear to Betty, one that oh, joy! she could! she could walk all by iieVself. The other that Rusty was hers —her verv own.

Eusty still remains just Eusty.