A Day at the Beach

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 182, 29 April 1933, Page 19

A Day at the Beach

Adventure with a Punch and Judy Show

“IL uiiisl be awfully jolly having a riile in those speed boats,” said Harry, gazing enviously al the iieojile win, were just embarking. “There they go—oh, 100k —did you see the way it swerved just: when it seemed about: to crash into the flier?” Daisy nodded. “But it’s a shilling cac.li, and 1 don’t like to ask Uncle again so soon—not after what; lie said yesterday about contenting ourselves with the simple pleasures of the sands.” Bertie had a bright idea. “Look, there’s that Punch and Judy, and the old inau has gone to his dinner. If Daisy and I get inside and work Hie gadgets and you slip on that clown's costume and mask and go round with Hie hat, don't you think we might earn enough for the three of us to go on the speed boats?” Harry whistled. ‘’Think we could manage it?” “Of course. It’s easy as winking. ' You simply put your lingers iuside the dresses and make Punch and the rest waggle their arms about and say a few silly things in a squeaky voice. People laugh at anything when on holiday. What do you say, Daisy?” “I’m game,” said Daisy promptly. They dived under the curtain. It was a tight squeeze, but at last Harry had on the clown’s costume and mask, whilst Bertie and Daisy had examined till the little figures and chosen which each should take. “Now then, Harry. Out you go and bang that drum. There’s a little hole in the curtain which we can peep through to see how things are going, and we’ll start when you’ve a good crowd.” Meanwhile, Uncle Sam, asleep in a deck chair, with a newspaper over his head, was dreaming that he was back in Hie army and marching behind a badly-played drum. Then he awoke to the fact that a drum was playing somewhere and that children from ail parts of the beach were streaming toward the Punch and Judy, in front of which a small figure in a much-too-large clown’s costume over which he kept tripping, was wielding a pair of drumsticks furiously. Uncle Sam smiled. “Reminds me of iny younger days. Nothing to beat a good old Punch and Judy show, I used to think.” He rose and strolled over to see the fun. “My hat.” breathed Bertie. “Here’s Uncle! YVhat shall we do?” “AH Hie better,” responded Daisy. “He’ll never recognise our voices when we speak through these little tin squeakers. Ready now!” I'uiich promptly appeared and squeaking out, “Hullo, Uncle,” wagged his head from side to side. Everyone laughed. Most of the grown-up people who had gathered to listen were “uncle”

to someone and they liked it immensely. Uncle Sam also smiled. Judy appeared. “Did you call me, .Mr. Punch?” “No, I want to talk to the Uncles. Are you one?” “No,” replied Daisy for Judy. Spoken ou the spur of the moment it sounded quite well. Mr. Punch made a dive for Judy with his stick ami knocked her backwards. "Now, Uncles —there are two sorts of you. There are those who give their nephews and nieces a good time and take them out on speed boats and those who 101 l about in deck chairs and snore all day and forget—” Daisy feared that Bertie would say too much and she shot Judy up again. “Who’s snoring all day, Mr. Punch?” she squeaked. “You wicked, untruthful man. 'Dike that—and that!” The light which followed, between Punch ami Judy was quite equal to anything that the owner of the show hud ever given. Backwards and forwards Hie little figures swayed, and the whole of the curtained stand began to rock In a manner which kept the children screaming with delight. Suddenly Harry pushed his head in at the rear curtain. "Clear—sharp. Old man’s coming! He's hurrying along the prom, for all lie’s worth.” He dived in am! commenced to tear off his costume. Bertie and Daisy pulled in their figures sharply. Silence fell on the children gathered outside as they waited for another figure to appea r. All at once a terrific commotion broke out. Bertie applied bis eye to the peep holo. “Gracious! All the donkeys have bolted, and are rushing this way. Hi! Lookout ” CRASH! Scattering people right and left, full tilt into the Punch and Judy boards and curtains the donkeys plunged. Over toppled the whole stand amid a contusion of shouts, screams and waving arms and legs! Quickly Daisy and her brothers struggled clear, and with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes raced back io Uncle Sam’s empty chair, glad to find tl'.at they had suffered nothing more than a bruise or two, and leaving the Punch and Judy owner in fierce argument with the donkeydrivers. “.It’s not our fault that, the donkeys wrecked the show,” said Bertie, “so if anything’s smashed they can’t blame us.” Daisy was counting rapidly. “One-and-fivcpence—no, two-and-fivepeucc. Someone’s put iu a shilling.” “It was Uncle himself that put it in!” chuckled Harry. “What?” cried the others. “Oh, here yon are,” said Uncle Sam, hurrying up. “I wondered where yon had got to. I was just going to ask if you’d like to go for a ride in those speedboats!”