ALFRED ELEPHANT, JUNIOR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 2 (Supplement)

ALFRED ELEPHANT, JUNIOR

A Tale of Easter Eggs

I\oiv Arthur Ace decided He would get a box of dyes And colour all his Grandma*s eggs 7 o give her a surprise. And so he brought the colours home And hurried in (he house And lip-loed round the Ifitchen As quicl as any mouse. He san> her put some eggs to boil Upon the kitchen fire. And so he slopped beside the stove, A-feeling sly—and slyer! Then, when his Grandma's bacl( rras turned. He grinned a little grin, And snatched the lid from off a pol And tossed the colours in. He thought: "Just Wait until she finds Those eggs turned red and blue! Why, she'll be so astonished That she won't know what to do!" So Arthur sat and hummed a tune And watched his Grandma cot! And presently she lifted off The biggest pol—to look"Great mercy me!" she cried aloud, "Whatever can this mean? My nice potatoes have become Bright red and pink and green!" "Potatoes?" cried her grandson. And he gasped "For goodness sake! He'd put the Easter colours In the wrong pol—by mistake! And so he sadly told her Of his plan for Easier day. And then she said "Donl cry, my dear. We'll use them, anyway!" And so she mixed and stirred them And she put them in a dish. And made a rainbow salad Gay as anyone could wish. When all the visitors came in To dine with them that nighl. The ladies cried "My dear! Oh, what A lovely, lovely sight!" But Arthur s Grandma salP that ihey Were jealous as could be— And so she kindly gave each The salad recipe!

ft wa- I 111' 11.1 \ In line Kil-IlM". Alfred M!<■ lilwiIIt. jlllt.. \\a<~ ill :i dreadful liurr> btTanw lie wanted to liny his mother mii laister viitt and it wu» almost time fur tile simps In

Ho put on hio l>rand new yellow u».| mill li»f- pnrple trousers ami lii~ rod runt, lint lio couldn't liml lii-a lint, 110 looked e\oiywhoio—and. .it la**t, ho found H in the attic ooi o.red with dust.

It was time for the stores to close. I'y tho timo ho dusted it off and went down town the shops were all closed. He walked tip and down and tried all tile doors. Im t tliev wore looked

"Oli. doar! said Alfred Klephnnt. jun.. and li.- was much upset. I Inn hir. faoo Iniulit onod. for a lone ••ame a jui-li oart man with a load of fat little ducks. "How inin-li are they;" Alfred Klophant. jun. 1 don t e*'e> oare. ' <-aid tho push•art man. *.nlly. ••\\pushed them around all day and I tu i;i«*il ami tired of tlioni."

I hen Alfred Klephnnt. jun.. smiled a l>ijl smile. "Will sixpence be enough for that little one?"* he a«ked. "Yes. indeed!" said the man. hastily. "He's the worst of all!" And he popped it into a lia*r.

flic little duck was bu>\ nibbling a lonjf green vine and didn't like being interrupted. It gave Alfred Klephant, jun., a ni«el imt'iic.ndlv look. But Alfred Klephant. jun.. |>aid no attention. Tie just took the bag and r-tarted home. \\ hen he reached home lie saiil to his mother: "Just see the tine Faster present I've brought you!''

lie held up the bag—and then he 2inc a little cry of dismay. The little duck had scratched a hob* in it and run away. Hiere was nothing le.ft in it but the long jsreen vine. Oh. dear! said Alfred Elephant, juii., ami he began to cry.

"Never mind, -aid his mother, kind!v. \\c*ll just plant the vine in the garden. It- a vej-y nice one. and I couldn't ask for » prettier Ka*ter pre-cnt." So they went out in tlie garden and planted the vine, but thev didn't stay long. l>ceau*c it was a cold dav and rather windy. . V °°" l ' ,e vine grew verv long and little pod* popped out all over it. ... I,V * it ' * " P°* n "t vine!" said Mrs. Elephant. happily. "Oh goody!" <ried Alfred Elephant, jun.. bccausc. he loved peanuts. And pretty soon h e had l.usheJs and bushel* of them. Then all the other elephants came oxer •iiid thev liad a feast, and everybody thought it was the finest present in the town. And Alfred Elephant, jun.. and his mother were extremely happy.