FOR THE YOUNG FOLK

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 100, 24 October 1925, Page 15

FOR THE YOUNG FOLK

? :••"/•.;"••: By E. NELSON HOBSON. S^A'N #

a|£:vs| Kirn, the Kiwi \\SK4\fl

l)| ;.♦«•••"'♦..; | ILLUSTRATED BY A. H. MESSENGER. | :..'''"*:.': | H

CHAPTER IV.

As you know, Kim'a failing was curiosity. He had always been told about Christmas, and how Santa Claus comes down the chimney, so in order to find out if this was true, Samuel and he decided, after bedtime on Christmas Eve, to wait and see Father Christmas go down the chimney. The .roof of Kirn's home was painted green, so in order not to be seen, he procured some paint of this colour, and got Samuel to brush him all over with it, and then sat on the roof, hiding behind the chimney. Samuel was too cold, so he .went to

bed, with the result that Kirn stayed on the roof all night—and waited in vain.

Early in the morning, when the festivities began, Kirn was misaing, and on looking down the chimney he saw the family opening their presents — wliieli apparently had arrived—and not wishing to be out of it (you can understand that he wa3 in most things) ho suddenly appeared in the room painted green. His mother was so" annoyed that she put him to bed, and would not allow him to have any of the presents that had been brought for'him. He tried to put the blame on to Samuel, but his mother would not believe him. lv painting him green Samuel had painted his clothes green too. Mr. Rouge was not so annoyed about this, as it would mean an order for another new coat and a pair of trousers.

That night, the rest'of tho family being tired, they went to bed early, but this did not please Kirn, so he got up about 10 o'clock, woke Samuel, and told him that up at the homestead there was a big party on —and he wanted to see it. Samuel did not wish to go, as he was very tired, and it waa quito cold, but being a little afraid of Kirn, fell in with his wishes. They went up to tho homestead, heard tho music, and saw the children playing with the grown-ups. They climbed up to a window ledge where they could see everybody dancing, until somebody tame into the room, and said supper was ready in a nearby apartment; they then opened the window, on the ledge of which Samuel and Kirn were sitting—to let some fresh air into the room.

"Come on in and hide," said Kirn, "and after they have finished, wo "will help ourselves."

At the thought of supper Samuel readily agreed, so they jumped in. and on to the floor, hiding Behind, the gramophone.

While walking from Kirn's home to the homestead Samuel had caught cold, and when hiding behind the gramophone told Kirn that ho felt chilly. Kirn said, "If it's not your head or your tail, it's your nose. For goodness sake stop talking about your ailments and keep quiet." Samuel tried to keep quiet, but constantly wanted to snooze, and before he could stop himself, let out a loud "tishoo."

Just then the homestead cat entered, and hearing the sneeze, wont over into the corner, and waited for these two to come out. This frightened the life out of them. Samuel, naturally, saw hor first, aud told Kirn ho could just sec her between the edge of the gramophone and the wainscotting. Kirn said, '' A. fine catastrophe might befall us on account of your sneeze." However, when all tha little boys and girls came back into the room to go oa

with the party, tho cat disappeared, but Samuel and Kirn, however, wera forced to sit very still, without talking, until the party was over, and everybody had gone to bed. Samuel then wished to go home, but Kirn said, "Home, after waiting all this time; it is ridiculous." Samuel suggested that the supper had all been cleared away, but Kirn said he did not think so, as he thought he could smell savoury things.

Kirn was quite right, as on stealing into the supper-room they found the remains of the children's supper. The first plate they came to contained onion sandwiches, and the strong

smell of the .onion then made Kirn sneeze. This made Samuel very angry, and ho said the cat would not be the right type of guest at the moment. Kirn said he was sorry, but he could not help it. He then suggested that Samuel should go right to the other end of the table, where there were cheese sandwiches. This liim agreed to, and Samuel commenced to do so, but being as careless as he was greedy, knocked into the pepper pot and upset it. This then made Samuel sneeze violently, so much so that they thought the cat would come after them again. Fortunately she had been put outside, so they had a very good supper, and returned home early in the morning.

Kirn, having thoroughly ovcr-oatcu himself, on going to bed slept, but dreamt that he was always being run over by trains, or that big policemen were chasing him, or that he was shut in a cage with a largo, animal. He woko up in the morning, and found Samuel with such a bad cold that he was forced to stay in bod for some days.

Kirn's mother determined he would not go away again if she could help it, co she bored a hole in tho boards between her room and Kirn's, in case they might converse regarding any escapade. .This thoy assuredly did, and she overheard every word. Kirn told Samuel that tho next day he would go away, and in order to do so they would go to tho township and wait there for a chance to jump on to the service cars, which stood outside the hotel while tho passengers were having lunch. On hearing this Kirn's mother did not go to bed, but sent Mr. Brisk-Fur into town to fetch Mr. C. Gull, the policeman.

The next day, early in the morning, he arrived, and this time to try to put a stop, finaUy, to Kirn's escapades. He questioned Samuel as to his whereabouts, and theatencd to put him into prison—likewise Kim—whieh frightened them more than they had ever been frightened in their lives.

The ship in which Samuel had come out from England in was then just about duo back in Duncdin, so he proposed bundling Samuel straight down t.o the ship, and returning him to tho Old Country. This Kirn risked Mm not to do, but his mother said it ■was only right that Samuel .should be returned to his parents the same as Kirn had been.

Kirn then promised that ho would bo good, a.s he realised that ho had learnt a. good lesson, and in view of this, Mr. Brisk-Fur suggested that they should all be allowed to go down to Dunodhi to see Samuel off. This they all did, and they waved Samuel "good-byo" as he left tho wharf. Knmiiel returned to England safely.

Kirn returned to tho bush, and for t.fic time being went into business deli vcring parcels and joints for Mr. Moropork in tho neighbourhood.

(To be continued.^