BILLY PLAYS TRUANT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 285, 2 December 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

BILLY PLAYS TRUANT.

(Hy Sain li. lUx, Ledbury Hill, Walton, ago 10.)

Billy's raucous snores broke tlic morning stillness, and just as iio was about to slay the fire-belching dragon and save the captive princess, the alarm clock shattered liis dreams. Casting a look of hatred upon the offender, he slid out of bed and started to dress. Monday morning! Another week of school! He gloomily thought of the tadpole pond, and the birds' nests which he had intended visiting the day before, but his mother had gone out, leaving him to mind Jackie. After moistening hie facc with the flannel, he proceeded to give it a brisk rub with the towel. Billy hated soap and water. • As ho entered the kitchen his mother looked up. I "Billy," she exclaimed sharply, "go back and wash your face; still grubby!" It was 110 use arguing. With a groan he wont back to tlic bathroom and gave liis face another mild dampening. lie groaned again when lie remembered that lie had forgotten to do his homework. Old Strapp would surely give him the cane. A cloud of trouble seemed to have fallen upon him, for he had left life school books out on the lawn, and they were sodden to the last page. And then a wonderful idea struck him; he would just pretend to go to school, and go bird-nesting instead. It would be easy enough to tell old Strapp that lie had been ill. The cloud of trouble lifted and vanished; lie was jubilant. Very cautiously lie peered over the gate. Nobody was in sight. In a flash ho was creeping up the lane, stopping every few seconds to cast furtive glances over his shoulder, to make sure that he was not being watched. Already he was beginning to regret his hasty action. Strange fears and vague fancies assailed liim. What would happen when he did not return for dinner? Inquiries would be made, and when they found him missing from school they'd send out search parties to look for him. Several minutes later he was safely in the woods, but even though the trees gave him a feeling of security, he was trembling from head to heel. A blackbird, alarmed by his presence, rose from her nest. Billy jumped with fright, but in a moment he was scrambling up the tree. His hand was just about to delve into the nest, to despoil it of its contents, when a sharp, angry, voice cried, "Come down out of that tree this instant, you little rascal!" Billy sat paralysed with fear, his hand falling limply to his side. It was Mr. Strapp. There was an agonising moment of silence. Then, very slowly, Billy descended and faced liis teacher, a guilty flush on his face. * * » » The clock struck ten, and Billy, his fingers stiff and aching, wrote "I must not play tlic truant" for the sixtieth time.