THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 95, 1 December 1939, Page 3

THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

Aboard for the Goodwill Cruise THE WHALER _ (jj- WHALE ISLAND |

Sound the pipes Bos'n. All hands on deck. Special parade before we make the next port! You see ma ''hearties,, we're bound for Shanghai, and as you all know, that is the big Chinese city., which was bombarded by the Japanese nearly two years ago, and is now in their possession. £ Well, we left Hongkong after one of the most interesting visits of the cruise. I saw that many of you made j?ood friends with the people there I expect that you will be writing to them as we go round the world. Now lads and lassies, what I really wanted to tell you was that we are sailing now in what is known as the 'War Zone!' You see,, its quite ' dangerous, and although we are just peaceful people on a world's pleas- ( lire cruise, when countries fight, . they don't trust anybody, and at any moment we might be stopped bj r a Japanese man-o-war. They will want to know all about us and Avliere we're going. Funny isn't it. Well at any rate I'm not taking any risks so serve out the tin hats and the r lifebelts to every one of the crew, first mate. Line em all up lad. Now let's see—enough to go round. Yes I think there is. How bronzed you all look. The sea is certainly agreeing with you. Right,, now you know what to do if a Jap battleship hails us. Just go on with your work as if nothing was happening. Leave the officers and the boarding party to me, and I'll explain all about the voyage. I know a bit of Jap, and if you don't annoy them they are fine little people. Hullo, what's that on the starboard horizon. Sure enough its smoke from a ship. And, by the scalp of Neptune its a battleship. Let's get my glass on to it. Don't crowd the rail like that. Jumping Jellyfish, it's a Jap. alright. Now get along everybody and let me speak to chaps who come aboard. Stand £y till Axeek

OUR STORY

THE LITTLE GREEN GATE

Peter and his little chum Paul were out for a walk with Scamp, Paul's dog. They had\ climbed up a steep hill and were now walking along the top where little bushes of gorse and broom were all tangled with branches. There were rabbit-holes under the bushes, and Scamp Avas enjoying himself, sniffing at each one and try ing to get down them. "Let's go home through the Avoods," Paul said. "It's ever so jolly." "Yes," Peter agreed. "We can play hide-and seek Avith Scamp!" So they Avent down a slope towards the trees. Scamp ran so fast that he fell head-over-heels and rolled doA\ r n the rest. "Isn't he funny," cried Peter. "I wish I had a dog of my very oAvn,'* he added Avith a sig;h. "Never mind," said Paul. "You can aiAA r ays play Avitli Scamp and me." *"I don't think Ave haA*e been this way before," he added. "Do you remember this gate, Peter?" "No," Paul exclaimed. "I hope we don't get lost.""If Ave folloAv the Avide path avc shall be all right," said Paul. They opened the little green gate set off through the Avoods. What Tun they had, hiding away from Scamp behind the trees. "I say," Peter said presently. "T belieA*e AA*e are lost!" "Scamp!" Paul called, and his doggie came dashing out of some bushes and barked. "Here I am, did you Availt me?" in his best doggie language. "Home, Scamp! Find the Avay!" said his little master. Scamp put his nose in the air and sniffed, then' ho turned round and trotted doAvn a narroAV path. The tAvo chums folloAved him, and soon came to the gate leading into the road. "Well done, Scamp!" Peter cried. "I do Avish I had a clever little dog like you!" "There's mv house!" exclaimed Paul. "I'll race you to the gate!" They started running but. Scamu there long before they Avere halfway. "On.' 'ScamD'" Paul lang* jsn'i: fair. You have four legs and we've only two!"

"Wuff!" barked Scamp. Pete-r laughed and waved goodrbyc His mother was getting rather worried about liim,. for it was long past tea-time, but just then the door opened and in he walked. "Why, Peter!" she said. "You are late! Where have you been?" "Up on the hills, mummy," he answered. "We went through a little green gate in the woods and got lost, but Scamp found the way home!" "What a clever dog!" his mother said. "There is a story about that little green gate, Peter. Ask daddy to tell it to you." So Peter's dad told him the story. How an old man was walking through the woods one day, and took the wrong path. Finding he was lost,, he told the birds, and they led him through the green gate. He was so pleased that he went through the gate every day to feed them. In the summer he gave them bread and cake crumbs, and in the winter he brought pieces of fat and scraps of meat as well. Now, if anj r one goes through that gate to feed the birds, and wishes very hard, the wish will come true. "Do you really believe it, Daddy?" Peter asked. His father looked down at him: pcrnans he knew of what Peter was thinking. "I. think it is only an old village tale, but sometimes there is a little truth in them. Why not take the birds some food one day, and wish very hard as you go through the gate. "Oh, I will!" Peter cried excitedly. "I'll go to-morrow!" The next morning Peter got up very early and took a bag of crumbs up the hill and through the little green gctte. "I wish I had a dog of my very OAvn!" he whispered, shutting his eyes. But when he opened them again, there wasn't a dog, only the squirrels and rabbits peeping at him from behind the trees. Poor Peter was very disappointed, but he fed the birds, and they sang and whistled their thanks to him. "I'll ask Daddy to buy me a dog," he thought, as he walked home. But when the opened the door, Peter thought he was dreaming, for there was the sweetest, tiniest puppy he had ever seen.

THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION STORIES ON PETS Now this week I am inyiting yon all to compete in a story competition. These must be short and about your pets. If you haven't anj' pets, probably some of your friends have and can Avrite about them. The three best will be awarded free picture tickets, but all will be published. Just see what you can do about it; and think of the thrill of seeing a story of your very own in the paper! RAIN SHIPS The sky is a grey sea, Boiling like yeast. The rain ships are coming In fleets from the cast. With hollowing sail And shadowy prow, And whiter than spindrift The mist at the bow. With the wind at the wheel, In topsail and shroud, Each tall ship goes dipping, Each tall ship of cloud. Her hold full of treasure Of flagon and phial. And crj'stal and sapphire And emerald vial. Of magic*quintessence— The fine altchemy Of air and clear sunshine, And murmuring sea. Heavy and laden With treasure, in truth. The ichor of. life From the fountain of youth That Ponce do Leop. fwi* in valr. •uie'.i fall '.-.hi!) i-i'K's dipping •With cargo of rain.

LAST WEEK'S COMPETITION

Well shipmates I have had more sarcasm Hung at my poor undeserving head over this competition, that I have had in all my life before. Yes, yes, yes, 1 admit that the printer man made a mistake, and I suppose I will have to take it. Listen to some of my letters. Dear P.T.W. You just about caught me with this week's puzzle but I managed to solve it. DONKEY is the word which you are (sometimes) when you make a mistake. Shipmate engineer Don Howat. (Straight talk my lad, but here's one for you. Don't spell puzzle 'puzzel' its not nautical. Tere's another. Dear P.T.W. If not was spelt with a 'k' I should think the answer was DONKEY. Midshipman Charlie j Armer. (I give in lad. There's no kick left. You're right and I'll go 011 down to deep sea realms a real sailor's knot if I hear much more) . Dear P.T.W. Is there a mis-prini in the fourth line of the riddle -racree. If so I get DOlVlvki . Ivlidshipmaid Jocelyn Wilson. Oh, oh, and there are miles more like them. Well pull yourself together Peter old man! I have decided to give the free tickets to alie above, for neatness. Congratulations and you can collect your awards from the BEACON Office. Others who were correct were Gerald Gart- : shore, Jean Howat. Diana Wilson, Pamela Gartshore, Sylvia Sims. A GOOD PASTIME THE liOOP GAME A game full of excitement is the "hoop game." A basement or a garden is the most appropriate place for it. A hoop of a barrel is hung from the ceiling; and dangling from it are strings of various lengths, with a peanut tied on the end of each, j One player at a time must be blindfolded and given a pair of blunt scissors. Then turned around three times. He must then go to the hoop and cut off as many peanuts as possible in a given time leaving the starting point, which is about four or five yards from the iioop. A great deal of excitement is cans ed by watching the contestant clipping the scissors in space. Keep a supply of peanuts on strings so as to replenish any which are cut from the hoop. A prize is given to the player who cuts of! the most peanuts. AN HONEST SHIPMATE I have had a letter from an honest little shipmate saying that she has been in the habit of writing her I younger sister's competitions. She says she will stop doing it if I do not like it, but that she only did it because the smaller girl was not much good at printing. Well lassie, thanks for your letter, but I would rather that youi sister did her own. Tell her to put her age at the foot of her lie Iter and I will always give that consideration. All sorts of luck, and do your best in all things,. Doesn't matter if its not as good as the other chap's. P.T.W. RIDDLE POT

What is the best kind of shooting in printer?—To have coals shot in the cellar. Whole. I am a part of anything; behead me, and I am a whole*— Particle, article. Why is a sentence like an obstinate mule?— Because it usually comes to a full stop. When is a newspaper like a delicate child? —When it appears weekly (weakly). Why is a peacock like a figure 9? —Because it is nothing (0) without its tail. What is the difference between a car and a school?—-The car breaks clown and the school breaks up, TONGUE TWISTERS Robert Rowley rolled a round roll round. A. round roll Robert Rowley rolled round. rolled Iho round roll Robert Rowley, rolled round.