THE MAIL BAG

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 287, 31 August 1935, Page 25

THE MAIL BAG

y I know you are wriggling with curiosity—so I won’t keep you waiting a moment longer. Competition results are as follow Prizes to Madame Pompadour, Eketahuna, and “Ha, Johnsqnvllle, for their spring stories. . . Star points to Elizabeth Taylor for her spring crossword puzzle; Nonnie the Gnome,” for her. story; Mary Greig, for her poem; “Golden Fawn, for her letter and drawing; “Two Gun Tex," for his story; “Little Pal,, and Nora Miller, for their drawings. ‘ Whew' It was hard work judging all the entries, and I must test awhile to gain my breath once more. Congratulations, winners! • . . j —KIWI.

? Titania, Carterton, writes» “Don’t you feel free and W since the rain and snow have gone? I do. As I eit here the air io still, criep and clear, and t the distant hills are a rich blue. Above them is a beautiful rose-pink band of clouds —artists could not paint such a pink. It pales into the palest of blues and the misty white blossoming plum tree seems whiter etill in this twiiight. The r 4 wattle, too, has changed into a golden ‘ bunch of still fairies. A cow is eating the green grass, and a pretty calf is lying beside her. A bird is twittering drowsily in a big silver-topped pussy-willow tree. Now only a thin band of gradually • paling pink is to be seen floating over the hills, and a shadow is cast over the land. , Madame Pompadour, Atea, writes:— “Isn’t spring the dearest, happiest time? lam sitting on the veranda in the . sun. To-day something seems to have ' f got deep down into the heart of every bird for miles around. I could listen to their secrets and happy songs for hours. “Are there any kingfishers about your . home. Kiwi? I was reading in The Dominion’ of the two at Point Jerningham, md when I was staying with my aunt in Kelburn a few months ago there were always three of them on the telephone wires by her place. About here they are very >rare, and I was delighted this winter when , a pair made their residence about our , garden. And now, Kiwi, one of them is dead. At first, when I saw our old rogue - puss pit k it up from the long grass at the end if the garden, I thought he must have caught it, but the poor little bird was quite cold and not marked in any . way, so Ido not know how it came to die. r Ido feel sad because the other one looks ,Z eo lonely by himself, and I suppose he, or maybe she, will go away now in search of a new home and another mate.”

Janiee, Feildlng: Yes, nearly summer, with swimming and tennis and sunburn. Te Hauparaha, Bunnythorpe: Don’t put any more fingers in, please! I think you are very lucky to have the thumb still. The blackbirds should have been nightingales! I wonder If it was some freakish doing ot Spring’s? I like cats just as much as dogs. I must confess. ■ Barbara Conalna, Hnwera: Could you not guess? Wedding cake, of course! Nonnle the Gnome, Napier', I liked it, but just a whispered reminder—do not let your love of description run away with your story!

Mascot Mickey. Featherstons And was the aeroplane made from the notes in this page?

Young Niok. Te Horo: If it Is your very own, made up out of your head, then I will certainly put it in. But you must say whether It is copied or not, Doreen Lyons, Dannevirke: I hops you will soon receive a reply from her. Titania. Carterton: You caught the spring at a drowsy moment! lan Sinclair, Talhapo: You should have come to see me! But never mind, come next time. Joker. Walpukuran: Have you been having a hurricane up your way? It was surely not a spring wind that blew them over.

Mary Greig, Wanganui: I loved your poem, and was only sorry it could not be put in with the illustration. It would have made the printing too small. Allan Swenson,'To Horo: Yes, certainly, if you send a penny stamp for it.