THE BURROWHOUSE ADVENTURE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 127, 1 June 1938, Page 22

THE BURROWHOUSE ADVENTURE

Snuppy and I had come to a little ■quare plot of twigs that stood out clearly against the white snowy ground. "This," said Snuppy "is the door of f,he burrowhouse. I know they look like this because I once heard a fellow describe one."

I must say he looked excited, and very curious, but then I felt like that myself. For all day we had been searching the woods for a burrowhouse, and now, at early evening, we had suddenly and unexpectedly come upon one. "Come on, Amelia, help a fellow to find the door bell now," entreated Snuppy in his high ' squeaky voice. He looked very funny now, with the frozen mist upon his whiskers,.and his paws planted firmly in those ridiculous black leather boots. He Would insist upon having black ones the last time, when he knew that we always wore red. However it was no use worrying now. He was peering and pawing all over the door, in an endeavour to find the door bell, and it took us a very long time to find it. It was really only a little round button, a shoe-button, I think, fastened at the extreme edge of the door. The next trouble was to ring the bell. It was very puzzling. Snuppy said that as it was a bell one must naturally push it, but we pushed so lon'g that Wcl' had to sit down and puff, >; but still ;it did no good. At last I got the brainwave. I cried, "It's a button, and therefore undo it!" In one minute it was undone, and then things began to happen. A ringing peel rang through the air, the door, on which we had been leaning, fell inwards, and we were swept in with a gust of wind. In another minute we .were .sitting on a little platform, rubbing our ' paws ahd noses, and looking at eafch other and laughing. We both looked so funny, < with snow and twigs all over our fur. Then we looked up and down and sideways, to see where we were. Up above was all dark and black, and around us were branchy walls and straight in front another door. "Come on, Snuppy," I said, and we were just about to open the door .when a very well-dressed creature appeared and led us into a long passage. This creature walked a few paces ahead of us, and we followed on very unsteady legs. We seemed to be falling over each other all the way. The one ahead did not turn round at all the scuffling we made, and somehow we both started ■ laughing and nudging each other every time we came to a turn in the passage. !' At last Snuppy burst out in a squeakier ■ l°l<» than ever: "I say, where are we Iflilkfc J ' or must have tone' * n ft deep and solemn Mom ot. tul*T™ er . e JjS.Q'ig to the sitting been i Noop, who had seemed ■trange , earlser * That to fulfil .™?jA or were not eomins never had

By Mary Greig 25 Purnell Street, Wanganui.

and had ventured into the burrowhouse just for the sole purpose of entering a burrow-house. When at last we came to a door, the whole of the situation was revealed to us. For the servant opened the door and said very respectfully: "When Lord and Lady Grabpaw are ready I shall be at your service." He closed the door, and Snuppy and I stood regarding each other with horrified countenances. Poor, foolish Snuppy, why did he ever get that idea about burrow-houses! We were mistaken for Lord and Lady Grabpaw, and as to what would happen we could only guess.

Snuppy did not seem to worry so much. He strolled over to one of the mirrors, clicking the heels of his black boots together. After a while we began to brush each other down, for we were covered with mud and sticks. We did this in a horrid silence, expecting every minute the servant would open the door and lead us in to Lord High Noop. Snuppy coughed nervously, and then said"Let us escape, Amelia. I remember the way down the passage, and I think I have seen enough of a burrowhouse to-day."

It is very seldom that Snuppy gets bright ideas, but I told him this one was really brilliant. At first when he said fit it seemed like positive salvation to me, but I might have known that Snuppy and his plans always go astray. No sooner had we grabbed each other by the paws and scuttled to the door, than we were encountered by the servant, who said: "This way, pleflse," piloting us into a low-roofed smoky room. His "Lord and Lady Grabpaw" was like a note of doom, and when we heard him shut the door we lost all reason, and began to dodge behind each other in vain attempt to escape meeting Lord High Noop, who would any minute come looming out of the haze of smoke. In the scuffle we had got further into the centre of the room, and now could make out Lord High Noop sitting by a little liorrid fire. His furry face peered out of the smoke, and he cried out in a barky voice: "dome now, you are late. Sit down here and get warm at once." After that he seemed to sink into the smoke again, and Snuppy and I sat nervously down on a Jog-seat near the fire. The silence lasted for a long time, during which I stared at Snuppy's boots, and Snuppy rocked backwards and forwards, shaken by desperate laughter. At last when I feared he should be silent no longer, I cried out meanjnglessly: "Where is poor, dear, darling Angela, and does she still wear those sweet, sweet, sweet, little, dear, precious gloves ?" I could see Snuppy jump with amazement, and indeed I was amazed myself, but luckily it had been a true shot. The long, furry face arose and came nearer, and the short-sighted eyes awoke to consciousness. With an extremely intelligent grunt, Lord High Noop barked loudly. "Eh? What was it? What did you say?"

Snuppy jumped to the fore. "We want to know all ahout your adventure, Lord Noop, if you would be so kind."

Snuppy had sakl something sensible, but it was irritating for him to score •i point. "Xo, we don't," I said, forgetting everything. "We just said that the Pine Woods are much longer than the Willow Dale is, don't yon think?"

It was terrible that even now we should keep on fighting. For Snnppy and I began to argue in voices that got louder and louder, until at last, when Snnppy actually screamed we both became silent, and terrified. But there was nothing to worry about, for Lord High Noop had again sunk into himself, and was staring unconsciously at the fire. The same thought sprang to our minds at the came time. Now we could escape! But even as we rose and began to make towards the door, Lord High No op had awakened again, and demanded in his loud voice, "You haven't told me yet how the family at Whiteburrow is? How are big George, and the middling children of Nebina?"

"Yes, that's right. They're exactly like that," panted Snuppy, as we still struggled out of the smoke, and at last we could see the door quite clearly. As we darted towards it, I cried out, "But little Neff is quite, quite nervous, and they daren't leave him for half a minute by himself. So that's why we must be going, Lord High Noop."

As we scrambled down the passage we could hear his heavy steps and his voice crying. "Why, nobody told me about little Xeff. I have another grandchild and my own children didn't tell me. Come back Lord and Lady Grabpaw! You vp got to tell me if he's got bis grandad's eves!"

We raced breathlessly up the sloped Parage, and soon we iiad come to the little platform again. This time we saw the steps we had missed when we entered, and climbing these quickly we jmshed up the door and crawled out. The last thing we saw was Lord High Noon racing breathlessly down the passage waving his arms wildly. .

Did we make a record run through the woods! The twigs and leafage flew underneath us, and after a mile and a half we reached our own safe house. There was just one rush as w e swept through the door and into our beds to sleep over the adventure.

The next morning, when I wanted Snuppy to come and gather nuts, he said no, and there were actually tears in his eye*?, for he was gazing sorrowfully at dozens of beautiful deep scratches all over the once-shiny surface of his ugly blsck boots.