"COLONEL" NIGGY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 81, 5 April 1940, Page 5

"COLONEL" NIGGY.

A CHARITY TEAM. NEARING THE £5000 MARK. LONDON, March 14. Sergeant Nippy, monkey-jockey of Rex, champion Alsatian charity beggar, who was petted by the Queen on a tour of Lambeth, is a "colonel" now. Nippy's tailor, Mr. Dave Wax, of Upper Street, Islington, N., will get an order to make a new khaki uniform, with a crown and two stars on it, and a peaked cap with red band. His "promotion" follows the conversation the King and Queen had with his owner, Mr. Sydney Smith, an exserviceman, of Branksome Road, Brixtoii, S.W., when they met in the Brixton Road. When Mr. Smith said that Hex and Nippy (in sergeant's uniform) between them had raised £4112 for charity, the King said that Nippy ought to be at least a colonel. Mr. Smith some years ago . was stricken with, muscular rheumatism and threatened with paralysis. Hospital treatment' cured him, and, in gratitude, he at once set out to raise £5000. He goes out with Sex and Nippy every day, and sometimes collects as much as £10 in a couple of hours. Mrs. Smith is Nippy's valet. She dresses him and regularly sends his uniform to the cleaners. Nippy's admirers have sent enough clothes to fill a wardrobe. At home Sex and Nippy have as companion a black cat called Pie Shop. They get on well together—except when Pie Shop springs on the Alsatian's back to try to emulate Nippy as a jockey. The night Mr. Smith first took Nippy home he also took Mrs. Smith a fur coat. Now Mrs. Smith says she wouldn't part with the monkey for all the fur «qate in London.