THE ADVENTURES OF TUTU

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22305, 20 January 1938, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE ADVENTURES OF TUTU

(By J. J. Stroud)

Tutu was always having adventures, and some of .them were, so hair-raising even Tutu’s hair grew so bristly his barber had to use the hedge shears to cut i.t. The time Tutu visited Cannibal Land, during the Christmas holidays, was hectic enough for even Tutu. , . You may imagine him stepping ashore off the s.s. Tamatea, which had been blown by an adverse wind right off the beaten track. You can see him climbing a tall coebnut tree in search of his breakfast; tigers to right of him, tigers to left of him, and trees full of chattering monkeys all round him. And, just as Tutu secured a big bold an’ army of jet

black savages, with tom-toms beating and spears gleaming m the tropical sun, burst through the jungle and surrounded the tree containing Tutu and the big bold coconut. The chief, a giant savage with three large feathers and a chopper in his hair, and a. hungry look in his eyes, glared up at Tutu aim, patting his last meal in a way Tutu didn’t like a bit, lifted up his voice and vodelled “Oooloolooloo! Which means in cannibal language. Come down, sonny, and be chopped, boiled, and eaten.” The monkeys, set up a fearful jabbering, and the tigers roared until the trees shook. Tutu s hair stood up so bristly that I much doubt if even hedge shears would have cut it. . ... . ~ , .. You will agree with me that it certainly looked like a sticky end for Tutu. But .was it? No! If there was one thing Tutu could do it was use his brains and think

quickly, and, with visions of that hefty cannibal removing the last of him from his wishbone, a little rapid thinking was certainly needed. Getting , a little impatient, and ?rs creasing the massage of his last meal, the cannibal chief let out another blood-curdling “OoolooloOt loo” that set the distant hills echoing, and Tutu’s brain thinking at a fearful speed. Now. Tutu belonged to the Moa Gliding Club, and had a whole lot of prizes for gliding, so, just as the cannibal chief released a third and extremely all cylinders “Oooloolooloo,” Tutu solved the “No dinner for you” problem.

Breaking off two big palm leaves Tutu, using them as wings, glided gracefully on an air current over the tops of the trees to land skilfully on the deck of the Tamatea which quickly put out to sea. “000100100100, yourself!” shouted Tutu. “Good-bye, cannibal,”