OUR OWN VERSES

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1934, Page 20

OUR OWN VERSES

THE FLOWING STREAM,

'■' (Original.) Flow, little stream, flow, By your little 'mossy edges Where the tiny daisies grow And the golden pebbly ledges On which little stream you flow. Clear, bright, sparkling waters, Clear as crystal diamond*, And as shaded as the brook With your overhanging ash trees. You're a cosy little nook. "ANNABEL LEE" (S). ISoscnciUh. ANIMALS. (Original.) A foal is a baby horse. Who is too small to ride of course. As for the cat, Ho's sometimes black,

If we take him away lie's sure to como back Tlio dog he is like 80-Peep, For it is him w put In charge of sheep. Hut not all animals are the same, For some are wild, and some are tame. "SUZANA" (10).

"THE LARK." (Original.) The lark was singing gladly, And everything was W, - ' ' ■For the aim -was /shining brightly. It was a lovely, day. ••. Then down tlio road came two big boys, Hunting for birds; I'm ;sure,. . For In his hand one-carried a cage. Made of. wire; with a:'small, strong door. Soon they- espied tlie happy lark. Sitting, singing "on, a bough, And quo boy whispered, •-We'll get that bird, ■We've, a splendid : chance I Quick, nowl" The lark didn't- know of the peril below Till ho found himself 'caught In the net, He was thrust in a cage, iin.d was taken away, Ko-matter hoff niuclr he' did :fret. When the bad,-wicked boys at last reached their

home, ;■■ '■■'■-.: ■■'. ■ They put down tlio • poor- littla thiiiK. And watched for- it to,pour forth its voice: But 'twas too unhappy to sing. And so: at last1 thoy left it alone. And went' into "tip houso to bod, But they'd forgotten to: give it a, drink. And when they wWcq up, .It was.'dead 1 ■'•■■:■.' ''.- "WHITE FOX" (10). hauler. : '■ '-

PIXIE PEOPLE: Which of you love geography lessons? Only elves who possess the magic carpet of imagination, surely, for if you have ■that maps are no longer flat and ever so dull. Magic carpets change those feathery lines into ranges of Old Man Mountains, nodding beneath tlieir caps of snow . . . perhaps smoking, too. And those wriggly lines really DO turn into rivers that run beside ancient cities or slip coolly between fields of flowers. Then geography is really exciting . . . but because everyone does not own a magic carpet I'll tell you a new way of learning, and although you may not be able to try it for many a long year, 1 hope you will some day. This new geography lesson in three words is, "See For Yourself" and I liave met the jolliest young people, who are learning in this way ... and finding it all an exciting adventure, too. They were a party of schoolgirls (not very much older tlurn the tallest pixies of the Ring), ivho have come all the way from England to learn about New Zealand and Australia. Some of them have seen many wonderful parts of the world, but do you know, they said they had never seen anything as near to magic as our gloiv-ivorm caves at JFaitomo or the pools and geysers at Rotorua. So you see we do not liave to take our magic carpet very far to learn tlie first lessons, and before you start off across the, seas, my elves, I hope you II find the wonder-places of New Zealand first . . . for there are ever so many grown-ups as well as pixie people who have never seen the beauties that have drawn folk from all parts of the world to our small islands. Have you noticed the kowhai's gown in the Spring sunshine? She is the Golden Lady of the garden. My love to you with every breath of spring. FAIRIEL.