THE PUKEKO WHO COULDN’T SING

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21908, 8 October 1936, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE PUKEKO WHO COULDN’T SING

(By I. O. Laing)

Petty Pukeko lived in New Zealand. He lived on .an island in a lake.. He had blue and black feathers, a red beak and long red legs. He could go swimming whenever be liked, and if he was tired cf swimming he could go flying. Set in spite of this Perry was unIfcmy because he couldn’t sing. Sometimes he would go and hide among the bushes and try to whistle Ijjgb clear notes like Riro, the Wibler, but the notes seemed to lit mixed in his beak and he made kepaaky noise like a slate pencil 8 made him. very sad. Tfhy can’t I sing?” he thought. TSackbirds sing, and thrushes, and «wa little Riro, but I can’t. It hat lair.”

Be stood on the edge of the lake Wdfrowned at the sunlight; “It is <lfe® to be another hot day,” he pnnbled. “Aren’t we ever going "Jove rain?” Then he stepped ®wa into the water and the mud Wffld over his toes. It felt very and comforting. JLwely" said Perry, half shut*6 his eyes. “Love—ugh, what’s ■Rr

was Flip, the brother of fWaand Fish. He had come past and rubbed his scales •gwat Perry’s leg, making him JU “oogerish” to the tip of his y leathers. “Rude fellow,” cried “He might at least have said sorry.” heard, but he didn’t care. He his tail and swam on. there is anyone with worse jgMtts than Flip or Ferdinand I * never meet him, that’s all,” *™®ed Perry. “Oh, bother, here Mrs Grey-Duck with her How quickly those duckgrown. They are not a " Pretty now and they are get-

ting so large that when they are all in the lake at the same time there is hardly room to swim.’ Turning his back on them he crossed quickly to the bank and scrambled up. He was in such a hurry he did not notice his cousm until he bumped into him. “Oh, I say!” gasped Wilberforce. “Silly!” snapped Perry. “Why can t you look where you are going? His cousin was so surprised that he could not say anything. He just stood staring with his beak open while Perry gave a twitch of his tail and stalked away. He felt very angry and miserable. All that morning he stayed away from the lake and when a cloud covered the sun and a few drops of rain fell, he shivered and crept under a tree. . „ . “I wish it wouldn t rain, he thought. “I don’t feel like it today. I want plenty of sunshine. Suddenly he heard a child’s voice crying. “Oh, look, mother, there is a real blue bird, a bird of happiness. I am glad I saw it. I don’t mind having to go home early on account of the rail. I don’t mind having to give up the picnic. I know I shall be happy all day now.” Perry peered out from under the tree and saw a little girl pointing her finger at him. First he looked to see if there was anyone behind him, but.there wasn’t, so he knew she really meant him. “Whatever makes her think I am happy,” he wondered. “She was right about my haying blue feathers though, and I qerteuUy.seem to have make hhh happy,” he ■ thought Oh, what a blue bird,is meant todo, to made other folk happy. Ttenhe remembered how rude he bad been to his cousin make him happy,” he thought. Oh,

dear, I wonder -i it will make my feathers come out or turn brown or something.”

He was so worried he ran straight to the nearest pool to look. His feathers were not brown. They were still a beautiful blue. He was so glad he began to dance, lifting his long legs high in the air. He did not notice Prudence Pukeko, who was watching him with surprise. “Perry,” she cried at last, “What ever are you doing? It does look funny.” . . “I’m dancing. I have just found out I am a blue bird of happiness. I made one little girl so happy she didn’t mind when she couldn’t go to a picnic!” “Hmff,” sniffed Prudence. “You didn’t make Wilberforce happy.” “1 know, but I am going to. He will be so pleased to know he is a happiness bird. You are one, too,” said Perry and he began to jump from one foot to the other shouting: “Prudence and Wilberforce, too, You’re both of you birds of blue Though the day may grow wetter, The flowers will feel better, For they need the rain, they do.

“Why said Prudence, “you are singing. At least, it sounds almost like it.” , , , . , “Really? Whenever I have tried before my voice has been all squeaks or grunts.” “It is better than Mrs Grey-Duck’s voice anyway.” “Yes, but she never tries to sing. She doesn’t want to.” “Well I do,” said Prudence, ‘and if I can’t sing like Riro, maybe I can do it your way. I am going to try now.” Pointing her beak at the sky she shut both eyes and thought hard. Perry watched, anxiout.y. He did hope she would be able to do it. Suddenly her eyes opened again. "Listen," she cried: —

“When sunset comes I watch the sky And wonder. Will to-morrow be A sunny day, and if so, why? It might be very still and grey, Or Nor’-west winds might roughly

blow. Yet though at night I watch the sky And try to guess, I never know.” “That is better than mine,” cried Perry. “Oh, isn’t it fun. I am so happy. I am never going to be rude to anyone again.” Then he looked down and saw Ferdinand Fish who had swum close to the edge of the pool to see what they were doing. Ferdinand looked straight at him and made a lace. Before he thought, Perry made one back. “Oh,” said Prudence.

“I mean,” said Perry, “I am never going to be rude if I can remember in time.”

Flying the Tasman

In November, 1919, Captain Roy King, a distinguished airman with a splendid war record, said that he was confident that flights from Australia to New Zealand were practicable then. He said he would undertake the flight himself within a year if the New Zealand Government would offer a big enough prize. He thought the flight could be done in 12 hours. It is interesting to note that no attempt was made to fly the Tasman until January, 1928—-more than nine years later—when Hood and Moncrieff took off from Australia and were not heard of again. In September of 1928 Kingsford-Smith and his companions made their successful flight in the Southern Cross. Their time was about 14 hours, and it was not until January, 1931, that Guy Menzies flew from Australia to New Zealand in about 12 hours.