News From Members

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 278, 20 August 1938, Page 9 (Supplement)

News From Members

Did You Send Any?

YOU would love our wattle tree. Kiwi. It is the social home of a number of fantails and silver eyes. These friendly birds also get very busy in a “five finger” bush, eating the queer little buds, I think. The sparrows appear from nowhere aud catch the scraps before they reacn the ground. If it wasn’t for our pussy, I think they would knock on our door with their beaks, and say, “Breakfast, please.”— Cutty Sark (11), Tua Marina.

Snbw and Snowdrops. He had a lot of fun snowballing. Our woollen gloves were wet through, and my hair all wet, but, strange to say, we didn’t feel a bit cold. I had half a dozen peppermints in my coat pocket, and forgot they were there. A little later, half a snowball landed in my pocket, and, with the warmth of my body, it melted—plus the peppermints! I put my hand in my pocket to find my hanky, and ugh!—a pocket full of stickiness, a good rival for any little boy’s! I had something new in the way of handkerchiefs, anyway, pepper-mint-flavoured, snow-watered, not to mention the 'beautiful peppermint perfume, and stickiness parallel to any gum! We made three snowmen—at least mine was a snowwoman! They lasted for several days, but gradually faded away to little heaps of shapeless snow. The ranges are a glorious sight now; the sunlit peaks are glistening white, and the shaded valleys dusky grey blue. The heavy bush-clad foothills were quite white too for several days, but now the snow has melted, and they are their natural green again. The clouds didn’t lift off the ranges for a week after the snow. We have lots of the real old-fash-ioned. daffodils coming out. I love them, don’t you? They are such golden, fat little things, and the buds are ever so plump'; they seem as though they must burst open soon! The snowdrops, appropriately enough, were just out last week, and when I managed to shake some of the snow off them, I found several out and lots of buds.— Peter (16), Takapau. Winter Mornings. These mornings are cold and wet or sometimes frosty. There are never any warm mornings when one wants to get up. I think twice about getting up before I realise it is getting late, and I will be late for school if I don’t hurry. Going to school is the worst part. Hands and toes tingle continually, while the ice in puddles cracks beneath one’s feet. I will be glad when William Weatherman spares some warmer days, and the snow melts on the mountains. —Myraßrown (13), Carterton. Obstinacy.

Some animals are almost human the way they play tricks on us. Here is a little tale about Darkle, which happened when I was going to school. I was rather late for school that morning, so Darkle had to travel much faster, and

I.bcre’s nothing that pony hates more than to gallop as fast as he can on a Monday morning! Half-way there he “Jibbed”—just stopped dead on the middle of the road and refused to budge, turning a deaf ear on my pleas, and finally, threats. "You stubborn donkey!” I roared in his ear, and then gave a yelp as he threw up both hind legs—a favourite trick for removing his rider! I stopped on, however, while Darkie did his “circus tricks,” and then I beamed as be stopped his antics —but just guess what that pony did then! He lay down with me! I must have looked terribly silly sitting on his back while he was stretched on the ground, and I was helpless with laughter as I pulled at his bridle to haul him up. His expression was just as if he bad said: “There! I’m not going an inch further, so you may as well leave me alone!”— N.Z. Lass (16), Waipowa. Opossums. On our road is a cutting where fern grows thickly. As we reached the top one night, we saw an opossum with a young one on its back. The baby was like a little jockey clinging on the back of its mother; it was a funny sight.— Blue Lady (11), Pahiatua. Monkey Business. We went to the Palmerston Show one day and w,e saw an elephant and some monkeys for the first time. One monkey had a piece of mirror and was looking at itself; Once it opened its mouth and tried to look down its throat. Monkeys are very funny little' things, sometimes.— Mermaid (10), Bulls. Verse-Making. One evening I had been reading A. A. Milne and Gloria Rawlinson, and went to bed with my head tilled with poetry. “I’ll make a poem,” 1 told myself, but alas! I couldn’t think of a single subject. Just as I was dozing off to sleep I heard the rain and thought to myself—“ ‘Rain on the roof* that’s a nice phrase.” This is the “poem.” I am sung in bed But over my head There is rain on the roof. Such a cosy sound When you’re tucked up warm To hear the storm Of rain on the roof. —Lilac Lady (16), Wellington. Four Calves. We have four little calves, called Sally, Strawberry, Spot and Blossom. Two are red and white, and the others are white and a blue colour. One morning after they had their meal I had a game with them. I ran as fast as I could, and they all chased me. A man driving past seined to be amused, because he looked out of his car window and was laughing at us.— Twinkle (9), Pa ra parauni u.