"TWAS ON FRIDAY MORN"

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 20

"TWAS ON FRIDAY MORN"

//IT KNEW," continued tho Black 11 ■ Cat/"from tho very beginning, that it would be an unlucky voyage— —" Timothy < sat spellbound. For two whole minutes this extraordinary cat . had been talking to him-rever since Timothy had perched himself on the 'gate, next to it, and hero it was telling him of wonderful adventures. "Because," the Black Cat. wait on, "wo set sailou a Friday—Friday of all days! You know that Friday is an unlucky day to begin a voyage? Yes. I was so" disgusted that I was doubtful about joining tho crew again. Howaver, my great friend Percy was going, and I couia not bear to part company Avith' him. Accordingly we started on Ihiday morning, and a tidier littlo craft or trimmer crew you never saw. Outship, tho Jolly Mouscr, had :for a crew black, or black and whito cats only. "When we were thirteen days from land we discovered a stowaway—a i hideous, ginger cat. Wo were so horrified that we tied him in a, sack, weighted it, and slung him overboard. "What should, we sco next but aj mermaid sitting on a rock which stuck j up in the sea, combing her red hair! < Of course Tarnmas the cook, a very i superstitious animal, declared that this j was 'Ginger' come back to haunt us. j By the timo wo had soothed him the, mermaid and rock had disappeared, and : we were all alone on tho vasty deep. "But not for long. . • on the horizon was a tiny speck. ■ It approached us with incredibto speed. Our captain whipped out hit telescope, and held it to his eye. "'Avast, ahoy, and belay!' ho. -shouted. 'Hard port to starboard! Port your helm! Full steam ahead, and every stitch of-canvas rigged! Drop anchor and go for your lives! A pirate lugger in the offing!' "In-spite of our obeying his splendid commasin, the pirate ship overtook us before w8 had galled two fathoms. We j saw, standing on tho deck, a nondescript crew. The pirate chief was* a -whity-grey mongrel with a black patch over his "left eye, which gave him a slightly rakish look. His cocked hat ■bearing tho skull and cross-bones was perched at a jaunty angle on his ugly head. And the crew matched its chief. "Th'cy -throw tho grappling irons across. Our backs arched, our tails .expanded to twice their normal size, our eyes glowered green with rage. The ■ pirate chief was first to board our ship. Percy was first to oppose him, but with a mighty slash of his cutlass Black-Eye chopped off poor Percy's ear. This so incensed me that I picked up a belaying pin and gave Black-Eye a sm^rt rap with it on the aide of his head. "Unluckily, it failed to stun him. Ho tamed to me in a terrible rage. Just as he swung his cutlass the bosun threw a coil of rope which landed round 'his neck. - • •<, ■■ "By this time hss crew were boarding our ship, and fighting lustily with our men. "After a short, sharp fight ■we were captured and taken on to the pirate barque. ' "We were all lined up, ready to walk tho plank, when suddenly al rat appeared. The pirates forgot everything but the'chase, and in the excitement every dog followed the rat when it leapt into the sea as ita only refuge! "We cats hitched the pirate ship on to ours, and sailed home, bearing with us a goodly treasure." As the cat finished his tale he solemnly closed one eye and grinned at Timothy with, the other. "Well, then," said Timothy, "if you got homo safely with all that treasure, you can't call it an unlu " Ho broke off short. What on earth Why, the cat was disappearing into thin air! Only his open eye was' left now, leering at Timothy. Bounder ana "rounder, bigger and bigger grew the eye. "Wait!" cried Timothy. : There ttsw ft bang, and even tho ejy« 3(B&g gone. fr> Taacrfbift wwl Mt afooa.

"PLEASE . . .!" Leave a margin down your papers, small ones, when you send me stories—and don't Writs on both sides! FAIRIEL. "Buddy."—Write to "Kins Cole," 2, Moeller Street, Oriental Bay, City. "L'Olseleur."—To "Lady Gay," '2, Kirk's •venue, Petone. "Kathleen Mavourneen."—To "Mist Maiden,". I, Kirk's avenue, Petone. "Pink Pearl."—To "Prairie Flower." corner Exchange and Cairo streets. Upper Hutt. "Wendy."—To "Jean of the Firth," 22, Aurora street, Petone. » "Lotus Blossom."—To "Amy Johnson," 9, Hanson street, Newtown. "L'Olseleur."—Please visit the Fairy Ring. , "Dolly Dimple."—To "Mermaid," 22b, CottloVtllß terrace, Tliorndon.