Kiwi Opens the Mail

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 221, 14 June 1930, Page 26

Kiwi Opens the Mail

“Venus” writes:—“You will notice I have sent two poems for the verse competition, “A Summer Evening” and “Autumn.” Autumn is not yet over here. The apple trees In our orchard are a mass of golden leaves, and the liquid amber tree is turning beautiful shades of deep red, crimson, and gold. The flowering cheery is also very beautiful, for all its leaves are crimson. The scarlet oak has ’lost all its leaves, and looks rather cold, and so does the wulnut and the chestnut.” [Both poems are very dainty, “Venus.” Your orchard sounds a beautiful picture. Leafless trees are very dreary—except willows, and they are slender and silvery.]

“How would you like to live- out in the country on a wet day, and not be able to go to town?” begins Ross Court. “Through the-window I can see a mob of sheep huddled together with their backs to the rain. My big brother has ridden from a back-country station with a' mob of cattle. He was in the saddle for five days. The road that we climbed yesterday winds round and round the hills till we come to the top. Wbodvllle looks like a tiny miniature ■ town with wee houses and long whiteribbon roads that disappear in the distance.” [Five days in the saddle is a very long time, yet in the days of the early settlers, farmers thought nothing of a . jourifey like that to bring home their sheep, arid cattle. They didn’t believe in 80-Peep’s-methods, did they? Your birthday stone is the cornelian, which brings content.]

“Seeing that this afternoon was wet, I started to.knit my little sister’s doll her winter woollies,” writes . “Plain Joiie” in a long letter. “I have not quite, finished making it a pink frock, and I brant to get it done before the wooLgives .out,.:.;..The. .ball. i.s..getting pretty small, and I have about nine inches still to go. Even though I do hurry it will take just as much wool, won’t it? [Thank you for telling us how to make the necklace “Plain Jane.” You have explained very clearly, and I’m spro the other lengug members will Ibve to know. Ido hope you have enough wool to finish the woollies.]

“Billie” writes ,Z I thought that those sketches in to-day’s “Junior Dominion” were very good for children of my age. 'My two brothers went for a holiday right up past Auckland. They came back last Wednesday. My eldest brother went up in an aeroplane, and the pilot did the “corksctew” coming down.”' - , . .'• [I enjoyed your letter Billie. It was very neat. I hope that those nastly chilblains have all gone again. Thank Jean for her poem.] '

“The frog story was very interesting,” snys "Hlnemoa.” in her letter. ‘■We ea:. often read their life histories in books, but never such facts about frogs iti foreign countries.- In tlie.Dannevirke Domain there are several Australian native birds in captivity. Two of them have gorgeously coloured purple ami red plumage. and my Australian unele says that in Queensland they are as common as sparrows are in New Zealand. There are also two love birds~which are always. putting' their bills together. In addition there are some brilliantly coloured birds <of about the same size ns sparrows, which Hutter gaily through the trees in their spacious cage, chattering all. the time. , Just now the flowers in the gardens are not very pleasing, and the next best place is the fernery. In a little log cabin, many small palms and targe ferrs are to be seen. In the summer the gardens are a gay maze of bright colour.”

[Are you at boarding school, “Hinenioti?” [’don’t mind waiting for your plioto ut nil. The’ domain must be a beautiful place, and does not need winter flowers to brighten it while there fire jewel .birds.]

“Bunry Bobtail” says she spent the king's Birthday at a picnic in the busli. and had a lovely time. She writes: —“1 apl going to try to draw a picture of an Egyptian girl dancing with a snake. My sister painted a picture like that..". We have two darling little kittei s. One is plain black and the other is bluck and white. . . . Every day I hear the men sawing the wood over at the works, and it is a funny noise,” . [Yes I do like your pen-name. ■ I too, think Joan's drawing was very well ddlie. ■ I hope you have overcome your shyt ess now “Bunny Bobtail.”]

' The sister of "Indian Princess,” has three kittens with three quaint names. They are, Bubba, Bobby and Tibby. She writes:—“The Masterton. aeroplane is always fiylng about here, and I am beginning to get tired of It, although I,would like to -go up- in it. A little black kitten lives at the aerodrome because it likes riding in the

PUZZLE CORN—- ♦ .« • PAIRED WORDS Below you will find clues to eight pairs of words. By inserting the letter R between the first and second letters of the first word the second word is formed: A head, Talk Idly. A vehicle, A shell-fish. Payment, Liberty. A Mist, An animal. A fish, A ditch. A battle. Fear. Win, A cereal. Precious, gloomy. ENIGMA What word is tnere which, if a syllable be added to it, becomes shorter? HOW LONG IS THE FISH? , Here is a problem to give your chum. ' A fish’s head is n'ne inches long, its tail is as long as its head and half its back, and its back is as long as its head and tall together. What is the length of the fish?- Sent by William Foot, Waipukura ’ RIDDLE-ME-REE. My first is in Dress, but not in Frock, My second is not in Watch, but in Clock. My third is in Mandolin, but not in Banjo. • ’ My fourth is in Pineapple, but not in Mango. ’ My Fifth is in Naughty, but never in Good. * a My sixth is in Standing, but not found in Stood. My /eventh’s ■ '■ '• '■ tnd also in Carrot

Dear Scribes,—Thank you for the letters I love to read, and also puzzles and jokes. There were so many good scribes this week that several answers have been held over. If your letter is not here to-day it probably will be next time.—KlWl. LETTERS FROM LEAGUE MEMBERS

aeroplane. One morning it got into the plane and Captain Park didn’t know and he took the kitten for a ride.”

[How exciting for puss! I wonder if she planned it all. Its a good thing she didn’t spring out of the plane or every one of her nine lives would have been lost at once, wouldn’t they? William’s address is Bank of New Zealand, Waipukurau, Hawke’s Bay, and he is nine years old.] BRIEF REPLIES Joyce Wylie.—A hearty welcome from all of us, Joyce. It was interesting to hear all about Kuku. lam sure 'those Maori schoolmates of yours are very sweet singers. I expect you have visited your father’s factory when the huge belts are running and the machines humming. Can you make butter too?

“Gold Dawn.”—Of course II understand how examinations and holidays steal away letter-writing time, still I was glad to see those two pages. So you have a new bicycle, and are taking great care of it. My flrstSriew bicycle arrived on a very wet day. Of course I had to ride it at once, and It was not surprising that I fell off in the mud. I hope you don’t do that. '

“Heather Brown.” —We are glad to have you in the League, Heather, and to receive a “first letter.” Would you like_your school nickname for a nom-de-piume? I think I like basketball more than hockey. '. What fun it must

be -to compete with the other school houses. I hope Nelson conies off well in the final. : “Forget-Me-Not?’—l have never had a picnic in two different towns on the same day as you did. It is s Interesting to explore the small bush * paths and to find where they end, as long as one doesn’t lose oneself In the finding. Your Indian pen friend will be able to send very interesting letters. Best wishes to “Wildfire.” June Olsen.—The pen-name you wanted has been taken June. Is there any other you would like? You are lucky to have mountains to look at every day. The mists and sunlight play such tricks with them that they look different every few moments. Picnics in the bush seem very distant now, but it will not be long before spring is here again. Edith Jamieson.—Thank you for your nice little letter Edith. I suppose you hurried to get the paper tonight. Did Skip go with you ? I’m afraid the pen-name you asked for belongs to somebody else. What else would you like to be called?

“Jocelyn.”—Your letter was very interesting, “Joslyn,” and the poems are prettily worded. I too, am very fond of the Pollyanna books. You will not be grown-up in three months, will you? We do hope not. '

“Cherry Blossom.” — The League members seem very. fond, of “Cherry” names, don’t they?’ There is nothing so beautiful as a cherry tree in full blossom. You are getting on splendidly at school. , It must have been verycold for swimming in the holidays.

Letters and puzzles were also received from: —Joan McKenzie, “Cherry Pie,” Pamela Ashbolt, “Fairy Blossom,” Hilda Kitching, “Tom-Tit-Tot,” “Brown Bunny,” “Kookaburra,” Beryl Treen, Phyl Hughes, Marion Nelson, Agnes Mathler, “The Revenger,” “Jaquellne Daisy.”

Aly eighth’s in Sparrow' and also in Parrot. It’s every Saturday I come, And then you find me full of fun. —Original, by Betty Ralne, Te Kuitl, LADDERGRAPH Change the word TWINE into CLING in four steps, altering only one letter at a time. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLES MISSING , WORbS When she AWOKE the SUN was already high; it is TRUE she could not see it very well through the thick branches of the LOFTY forest trees, but the sunbeams cast a golden shimmer around beyond the forest. There was a fresh, delicious scent of grass and herbs in the AIR, and the birds were almost READY to perch UPON her shoulders. She could HEAR the splashing of WATER, for there were many springs around, which all FLOWED into a pond with a lovely SANDY bottom. ENIGMA Al-pha-bet. WORD SQUARE MADE AMIS DIAL EELS FIND THE STRANGER 1— System. 2— Hammer. 3— Sequel. 4— Picture.