Kiwi Opens the Mail

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 292, 5 September 1931, Page 23

Kiwi Opens the Mail

*My pets are as follows,” writes a levin member, to say, forgot to sign bis name, “pony, lamb, bantam, calf and pup. My calf is to be entered for the Calf Club Competition, and although it takes a good deal of time to lodk after, I like it very much. I call It 'Roma? My pony, Queenie, Is very’ tricky when a stranger rides her, but with me she always behaves. She has bucked oft many a man, boy and girl. She is a half Shetland' black popy. My ' pup is named ‘Penny” because he is the colour of a penny, but he is worth a great deal more to me.” [I loved heqrijjg about all your pets. - •‘Penny” is a lovejy name for your "S' pup. Did you fOrget to enclose the last :■■■■ p?gp of your letter ?1 z “Fairy Nightlight” writes of a drive •j. across the Rlmutakas. “I noticed m<ny signs of spring,” she writes. : “111 tie white, woolly lambs were lying .c sheltered under trees, hugged very . . clpse to their mothers or taking advantage of the sun, and frisking about in the freshly washed green paddocks, npw and then waking the stillness of everything with a faint cry. The trees were looking very pretty after their winter bareness and the branches were covered With frail little leaves which attracted the birds, who have come back to start their spring cleaning or neat-building as mysteriously as they disappeared at the beginning of winter. Once I saw a blackbird flylrig with a ■ straw, about one foot and a half in length, dinglirig from Its beak. . tye passed river many bridges where flowed dear, crystal water, beneath which • could be seen tiny grey pebbles of all shapes and sizes.” [lt must have been a very enjoyable Journey “Fairy Nigbtligbt.” Did you travel in your butterfly coach or did you just wish yourself there? Write, •ga!n ( soon, won’t you?] ; leap Stiflson Writes:—“Our wattle h dying nbw, but it has been out for a long time. The violets'■ which grow down by the creek are still very plentiful, the daphne and freezias look perfectly lovely and the white heather's bell-like flowers crackle when you touch them; The nights are very'clear arid bright, so it Will soon be summertime." [Thank you for your carefully written letter, Jean. We have a "Poppy." but yOtt may be called “Miss Prim.” “Dick Duek” is . a charming poem. I ghiill print it soon.] "Peterkin” has been gathering vlole t£ ,apd daffodils. She writes“ln the bhsh the creepers are showing all their bounty and the green,trees sway their hpavy erests Jn the. spring breezes. The kind farmer takes little lambs who. have lost their mothers to his homestead, where his wife and the maids help tri teach them- to drink. My mother made our lambs covers to keep , them warm. They do.lriok quaint. I love reading about ‘Great Musicians.’ I have been learning music 1 for two years.” ' ■ ' ’ ■• . [Making coats for lambkins sounds like a fairytale I read long ago, “Peterkin.” Etriw warm and -cosy they must be on the hillside at night. Thank you for the pretty drawing of the aeroplane , in the sunset light] , “Some time ago,” writes “Alpine Rose,” “tWp pledstllts came to live for *, short while in a neighbour’s paddock. : It was very swampy land, arid the ' birds seemed to like it. The cherry trees are beginning to put on their beautiful white, dresses, and the flowering currant is a mass of pretty pink flowers. . The buds on the laurel trees are very big now, and the caterpillars in the cocoons that hang on the trees are stirring from their long winter sleep.” [What interesting visitors you have. Rosalie. Hinenioa must be a garden, of blossom and. there will soon be frail new butterflies to dry their wings in the sunshine.] “Little Wild Rose” writes: —‘“One afternoon very early in August, when dad was in the orchard he saw a bird fly out of the trees, (ind looking into , the tree from which t.he bird had . flown, he saw a nest With three eggs in It I Wasn’t she an early little builder? . I suppose I will soon hear the frogs croaking in the dam. Sometimes in the summer we creep over the fall, right round to the other side and sit on the . bank and listen to them. They . look very funny with their green legs and arms stretched out in the lovely warm water and* their cream throats puffing out all the time as they say: ‘croak, croak.’ ” [Your little nest builder was indeed early, “Little Wild Rose.” Perhaps she was trying to outwit clumsy eggcollectors. I hope she succeeded-' I

Dear Scribes. —The letters that have come to ftll to-day’s columns were sent from mountainside, far away'bushland homes and froin other cities, so there IS much to Interest you. Best wishes for sunny skies, these holidays.—KlWl. LETTERS FROM LEAGUE MEMBERS

Keith and Pearl Devory.—Thank you ever so much for your letters and Pearl’s little poem. Xou will be able to ride all over the countryside on your ponies these holidays, and what fun there is in store. You won’t forget me, will you?

Alma Crump. — I can imagine you riding ,to your school near the mountains, on your lovely little bay pony, “Wildfire.” The pen-name you mentioned belongs to another League member. Try again, Alma.

. “Rainbow Gold.” —What large families of lambs and piglets you have to look after, Dora. Congratulations on your examination success. Yes, lambs are queer, nobbly little things when they are very young, but they soon grow soft and curly, don’t they?

Grimalda.—You must have known that I had used nearly every riddle I had, Saida. Thank you for yours. Would" “Harlequin” suit your masked lamb?

“May Queen.”—Your letter with its news of spring arrived safely, “May Queen.” I hope you receive letters from pen-friends before long.

“Jocelyn.”—l’m so glad you thought so. many kind thoughts about our Winter Page. Your scarlet quill sounds really romantic, and you really should write upon beautiful old parchment. A good pen-friend is worth a great deal —don’t you agree?

“Gladness.”—Your letter was bright and meat as ever, even if you were in a “tearing” hurry. I am looking forward to our meeting.

“Dark -Rosaleen.” — He must have been a very clever man to make a concert all by himself, dear. Do you help mother look after your small baby?

“Autumn Leaves.”—'Many happy returns of that very happy birthday. There must be s6me very strange sights in your poor wrecked city now.

“Sinbad the Sailor.”—Ever so many thanks for those jokes, “Sinbad.” I shall print? some very soon. I’m glad the fancy dress dance was a jolly one. Were you "Sinbad” that night?

Letters, riddles, and puzzles were also received from John Olphert, Joy Fitchett, N. Hastie, and “Grimalda.”

uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]iiiiiin

iimiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigini QUITE EASY. The answer, as the puzzle tells, is ALSO.

WHAT OCEAN AM I? Atlantic.

am glad the day was fine enough for you to visit Madame Pompadour.]

“Although the forest has mostly been removed from the land that surrounds my home,” writes Harold Ford, who lives at Sherry River, many miles from Nelson, "there are still patches of bush remaining and some of the native birds still live here. We often see the bush pigeon. Its plumage is very beautiful. Tu|s frequent our garden and sometimes a bellbird will come also. Both are sweqt singers. We have tomtits, fantaijs and the dear little grey warblers, but the robin and the parrakeet are now rarely seen.” [You managed to tell me about a number of friends in your short letter, Harold. I have often heard the bellbird but have been lucky enough to see it only once. We’re all longing to hear more about Sherry River and its inhabitants.] BRIEF REPLIES “Whistling Rufus.”—Yes, I DO know how quickly bedtime comes. It just leaps and bounds toward one, .doesn’t it?—but on stockinged feet, so that we don’t suspect until that rascally clock telis'everyone it’s eight o’clock. Start the next letter a long time before bedtime, won’t you? “Country Bumpkin.”—What a gay sight your party table must have been, with its green-iced birthday cake. I like the description of those books. “Waggety-Wag” is an amusing name for a lamb pet, isn't it? Phyllis Marshall.—Best wishes for a happy holiday, Phyllis. “Pippity” arrived safely and your tulip story is in print. “Jocelyn” tells me that she has discovered an interesting pen-friend.