FISHING

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22305, 20 January 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

FISHING

“Dear me, whatever, will I do with you,” cried little Mrs BrownAcorn to her mischievous son Tommy. She angrily dragged his mud-spattered green jacket over his head, giving him a tiny push as she did so. This sent him flying head over heels into the river that ran past their leafy door. Young Tommy hastily , scrambled, out, whimpering. He was not in the least frightened, as he swam quite as well as any of the little silver trout that darted about. He knew that if he cried for a while, his mother’s anger would cease. Then she would give him a slice of her famous blackberry tart. That very morning he had gathered . five acorn buckets full. He peeped through his tiny fingers at his mother’s face. “Oh ma, you nearly drowned me, boo-hoo, boo-hoo, ne yelled. Mrs Brown-Acorn clutched hold of him and gave/ him a hearty kiss, “Ma didn’t mean to push her Tommy boy into the river, she said., “Now promise to be a good boy i and I’ll give you a slice of blackberry tart.” . _ “Right Ma. I promise,” Tommy replied, skipping along at her side to the kitchen door. He spied the tart in the middle of the kitchen table. It was sitting on a blue plate, and had a golden crus v “ round it. Mrs Brown-Acorn opened a drawer in ihe kitchen dresser, took out a silver knife and jcut Tommy a large slice. on, thank you, Ma,” he cried, grabbing it hastily and clutching it in his hand. His greatest friend. Jacky Green-Frog, happened to be passing. He simply adored blackberry tart, but alas, seldom got any. “Hullo Tommy, what about comtojf fishing,” he said. "Righto,” answered Tommy, launching his blackberry tart as he trotted along. “Your tart makes my mouth water, I wouldn’t mind a bite, Jacky Green-Frog said as he watched Tommy gobbling it up “Oh, certainly, take a bit, his friend replied, offering him the tart. ... Jacky took three enormous bites and the tart disappeared. His little green cheeks simply bulged

(By Ivy Gibbs)

He smacked his wide lips. That was good—l wish my mother made tarts like that.” Tommy was sorry for his friend, because everybody in Faraway knew how frightfully lazy his mother was. She spent most of her time sunbathing with Mrs Toad-in-the-Hole, who lived five doors away. Just before Jacky’s father got home, she would hop over to the pork butchers and buy some ham or cold corned beef. Then she would hop back home, lay the cloth quickly and be ready jusabout a minute before Jac £yf father got home from work. She always forgot to put the tomato sauce on the table, and this annoyed her husband. As soon as he sat down he would give one look about the table. “No tomato sauce, as usual, Mrs Green-Frog, he would solemnly croak. Jacky boy hop over to the dreSSer and get me the sauce please;” they almost lived on cold ham and corned heef, poor dears. Sometimes they had fish as a great treat. Tommy and Jacky loved fishing, and always managed to catch some. They had a favour ite spot. It was tucked away a.t the foot of Jacky’s road. It wa f al ®9 a favourite spot of the fat speckled trout. I wish could have seen these two fishermen returning home after a couple of hours fishing simply laden. Each had _ a rush basket strapped across his back. Fortunately Jacky’s mother loved fish. So, whenever he brought n home she would tie . a P in - k f a round her to prevent the fat from splashing her frock. Then she would make a golden batter.roll the little fat trout in it. drop them into the boiling fat, and fry them a delicate golden brown She was never lazy on fish nights. Unfortunately a very sad thinghappened and neither she nor Mr GreenFrog could bear the .sight of a tr it a Friday afternoon just about a week before Christmas. The two little friends set out early for an afternoon’s fishing. . They wandered along the beautiful country road leading to the river. They felt as happy as sandboys. When they got to the spot, they baited their fishing hooks and threw them

far across the stream. Tommy Acorn was standing on the bank holding his rod when he suddenly felt a terrific pull at the other end. Before you could say tippety-top he was dragged'into the middle of the stream. His friend Jacky GreenFrog suddenly saw him disappearing down the throat of a huge trout. The last he saw of him was his tiny green shoes before they finally went down the fish’s throat. It was too late to do anything, even if he had dived into the stream. The shod: made him feel most horribly sick. He‘lay down under a tree until he felt a bit better. He simply dreaded telling Mrs BrownAcorn, but he knew it had to be done. “The sooner the better.” he said to himself. He got up and hopped along until he came to poor Tommy Acorn’s little green gate. Mrs Acorn was washing her pink apron in a basin at the back door. He called out and she came running to see who was calling. Jacky blinked his wggly eyes once or twice, gave a little cough, and then blurted out. . “Mrs Brown-Acorn, Tommy has been* swallowed by a big fish. ? ‘What!” screamed poor Mrs Acorn, “Where, when?” She knocked over the basin and dashed to the front gate. "Come and show me where it happened.” Poor Jacky Green-Frog hopped back along the road with Tommy’s mother beside him. When they came to the stream he pointed out the exact spot. Alas! There was not a sign of Tommy Acorn or the big trout that had swallowed him. Mrs Brown-Acorn sat on the bank and sobbed in a sweet little leafy voice. Jacky hopped quietly away; he could not bear to hear her crying. I’m sorry to sgy that Tommy was never seen again, and it took his parents three summers to forget him.

CINCHONA

The cinchona is an evergreen tree common in the warmer regions of the American continent, growing at a high altitude and famous for its bark, which gives us the valuable drug, quinine. It was introduced into India in ‘IB6O, and its product has an important position in pharmacy.