KNOCK, KNOCK, WHO'S THERE?

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 39, 9 November 1940, Page 16

KNOCK, KNOCK, WHO'S THERE?

(Original by Nuts (13), Gisborne.) “TTALLOWE’EN has come again. ■“"The pumpkins’ eyes start giowine when The witches fly across the feu For Hallowe’en has come again:” Sang Tinkum as he danced about flourishing a large knife and looking for a pumpkin to slice. Winkttm was busy in the house on top of the tree stump, pasting Mack cats and witches round the walls, while Blinkum wandered through the woods in search of apples and chestnuts. That night hilarious laughter and merry music went floating, or rather, jumping, skipping and somersaulting from the windows of their tree-house. Inside, BJinltum Tinkum, Winkum. and Greenleaf, the housekeeper, were apple-bobbing, eating hot chestnuts

and telling ghost stories in the flickering light of a roaring fire and a dozen pumpkins. Tiukuin was telling his story. —and in the middle of the thunder and lightning there came an eerie knock nt the door —” “Knock, knock.” went the door.. “Help!” “Whassat?” “A ghost 1” “Or a witch!” All this, and more, issued in seared whispers from beneath the table. No one thought about opening the door. Then, as they huddled under the fringe of the table-cloth with eyes popping and teeth chattering, the door opened slowly. There stood. . . . Nobody! “Ah. There you are, Greenleaf. They told me down in the village that I would find you here,” he said. “Oh!’ Hello Nobody, old chap. Friends, meet an old pal of mine—Nobody.”

Then, and not till then, a windswept figure appeared, though he was still semi-transparentx

The three sprites gave rather a shaky laugh and shook hands with their’ housekeeper’s friend. “Hope I did not scare you,” he said. “Not at all. not at all,” they coughed. Then they changed the subject quickly by giving him a warm invitation to join the fun. But after this. Tinkum always insists on having the caudles lit when he tells a Hallowe’en tale.