THE FAIRY RING

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1938, Page 20

THE FAIRY RING

•'FAIRIEL SENDS . . . _ ♦ "Annie Roancy." City.—t have a.vkcd the. lilnu Teople to flnd you a pen'rli'iul,- elf. I he first summer story to arrive . . . ami yim vc written It ever so neatly. "Verity." Kilbirnle.—How Letterbox Klf nn<! I Tore to flnd letters like yours In the box. Books, swims, and lillltoi) walks nro flllinE holiday hours for you. "Irish Colleen," Mastorton.—You may have this pennnme, elf. but please stun your real name whenever you send » letter to the Illnsr. What Brand fun to co home from hospital for Christmas. "Anjeta" Hataltal.-^And -I had not forgotten you "Angela." Several of our lost pixies found their way back to the King this week. Thank you for that quaint old rhyme. "Rilllby Rill," Karori.—Cold-edued each flounce of her pretty skirt and framed her picture. The very brlKht blue sky did not look very happy asainst her petunla-tlntcd frock, childie. Paler tints would have been better. "Betty R.," Otakl,—So dainty that Letterbox Elf and I coloured it, too,, but that bad one made, the brush too-Wet and the colour spread .'■; over'the lines.,.-■■".•'■'., -^ ■''■, ..-.,,..,. :Mlram;ar.-ipf. ( course;you may, lass of "" the Emerald Isle .;.-. and I. like your everyday : name, even more. Happy days at Kaumatl. ' ' ■-. ■; , . "Splfnter." Kilblrriie.—Your : Xeii has been busy, Lorna. * I can see. a', splendid sketch for Sea.Page here, You may use your own name if- you ■wish..1,:1 ,■ _ _ . "lei "Maiden," Nsahaiiranja.^Tlie circus be- . longs to holiday lime. What,a merry afternoon, you had. , ..- "Leanda," island Bay.—The fuchsias' little red lanterns' lighted the 4way. for your picture girl." You painted < their scarlet and purple ."shades beautifully.l '■• ' "Ice-cfjam;" Kilbirnle.—Another,carnival dress with its gay red and green .... . and even the cloud wore rainbow''.tints." Xeat work, Betty. "Lorna H.," Te Kulti.—One never really grows out of a Fairy Ring and we'd love to see more of Gytha's drawings as we remember her very well. A hearty welcome to you, 1 ■ Lorna...' - '■■■-■' . ' . '.'i "Forest Elf,"' Nsahauranaa.—White rabbits! What a jolly Christmas present. Would Jig and Jog do for names V "Florence Nightingale," " City.—Did you like our artists' work? Some pixies work magic spells with paints. I'll watch for your "blackberrylng" paragraph. "Thelma P.," City.—A philosophy shall we name it? Your thoughts have led you far ' this time, lass. Would you like it returned for It Is well worth treasuring? "W.G.T.," Erua.—The story is not suitable for The Ring. Try a story of country children of the present or early; pioneer days. "Wanaka," Naahaurania.^Welcome hack, Wa r naka.. I shall look forward to finding yoiij" letters-in the mail once; more. , : "Jocelyn Joyce," Northland.—Your treatment of the .picture was original, Jocelyn, but you, 100, lost points through the mount. "... IWHEN SCHOOL IS IN d' "We" live beside the bush, and everyday the birds are waiting on the clothes line to be fed. We call one sparrow 'Tubby' because he is so fat. He hops in and gets the best bits always." "RILLIBY RILL." Karori. . ' A PET GOAT "1 have a dear., little goat named Carmen. Her colour is brown and black, and she has lovely long horns. Every night when we go down for the cows Carmen follows us. She eats gooseberries and raspberries." "LORNA H." (9). Te Kuiti. . . '

RING PEOPLE-. Old Man Sun has worn a wide holiday smile day after day since you, left school. Every letter to the Ring tells how much you are enjoying every sunny hour and gipsy-brown faces tell it even more plainly. Thinking of gipsies and imagining many of you camping under canvas and, learning to cook your own meals over camp-fires, I wondered if any of you would like to rend about real gipsies. Picture Man found the pictures printed below, which were taken not long ago on the famous Epsom Downs in England. Gipsy caravans and their dark-skinned, gaily-dressed occupants arc. among the sights In be seen at Epsom whenever thai famous race., the Derby, « tun. Those of you who have not yet known the fun of camping out have much to look forward to; days in the open with warm seas to

htilhein and appetites that groiv as quickly, as Jack's-beatistalk, long cool evenings when the trees are still, dark sentinels a^nd all the bush creatures s&m to gather round to listen to camp-fire tales; bird choruses in the early morning, when the sun is scarcely above tfie hilltops. Make the most of the summer, my Maoriland gipsies, for Old Man Sun's smile can disappear very suddenly. And please* Ring People, keep note of holiday news for our Summer Page at the end,of January, 1 wish you many more sunny days before school bells call you again

FAIRIEL

P.S.: Letterbox Elf and I '.are simply buried in pain'ings — some of them the very best yet. Results next week! — F. ■■■

A TEMPLE IN MEXICO ■! ,i , m ' ■■'■ 'In the vicinity of the .village of Malinalco;:: in Mexico, ,a. wonderful temple, hewn out,of the-basaltic-rock of a hill, is 'being' cleared of the debris under which it was long buried. ' Senor Enrique Palacios, Mexico's archaeological, authority, says the temple was dedicated to the' worship of the god of the dawn, being the eastern region inhabited by the souls of dead warriors. The whole temple, including its stairs, rooms, and numerous carvings, is fashioned from a single stone forming an integral part of the basalt hill out of which it was carved with infinite 'skill and labour.- Its" statues are of eagles, leopards, and immense dragon-headed and plumed- serpents. The temple has two storeys and several chambers, the chief chamber being circular, with polish floor and walls.

Remains of fine wall paintings have been brought to light, representing warriors or gods, richly clothed, and carrying spears and shields.

It is believed that the temple was cut out of the rock more than a thousand years ago.

AN ANSWER TO . . .

WEIGHING THE WEATHER ," ■■ ■ ■ ; ";t You often read that an inch of rain fell, or-that there were six hours'^unshine,«;;pr that the wind blew.^t 60 milesfari hour. How are these figures arrived at? The answer is. with; the aid of various instruments—some simple, some rather complicated:1 'The rain measure is one of the former type. It is merely a kind of tunnel running into a glass with measures marked on it. The speed of the wind is recorded by an anemometer, which is much1 like a small windmill, with cups instead of sails: The wind revolves the cupsi and the speed at which they turn is shown on the dial. Sunshine is recorded by instruments of varying type. Th'e, one most in use is electrical. When the sun shines the heat expands some: mercury (as in a thermometer), which, of course, "measures" heat, and themovement is electrically recorded. 'There are still other instruments for measuring the density of a fog. In one type a machine forces a sample of the foggy air on to a white blotting paper: According to the shade of colour of the mark, it can be estimated how much fog the air contains.

"Marco Frc»eo," Sealoun.— Xt>u arc enrolled as a Illni! member, Alfred. Hood ntws that you arc Interested In (itory-maklng. Ktorlcs of nornml happy and healthy bnys nnrl glrh ' arc preferred to. Ihose Illustrating a. moral. Try again. "Queen of the Dawn." Island Bay.—l 'gpect yoii are nut of hnspltnl now, Phyllis,.'tfnd the sore throat 1-a almost better. The Ring . people, will enjoy your story. . , . . "Lassie," Kelhurn.--Letterbox Elf thinks yon are as cay as tho stripes In our crossatitdi bag .. . but not in colo,(ir, of course. I wonder what would: happen If a-chameleon chose It for a. resting place? I think he'd have the same fate as most Christmas balloons 1 "Golden Lupin," Otakl.—A fairy fountain In your painting. How clever of 3-ou-to make It and the floating water-lilies. The picture needed lust a little more colour. "Thistledown." Lyall Bay.—l like your story, "Thistledown," and your clean, neat writIng. The country holiday- will be great fun I am sure. Do tell us about It. "Sea Lesend," Ngaio.—Too much blue In your picture, elf. The frock and the background should be tinted In contrasting shades. "Victor Ni," Ngalo.—The holly border made.a Christmas picture of it. -Victor-. ■ Careful . painting. . . . '...... "Auto," Island Bay.—Those crannied, grey stone steps nave a finishing touch to the-old- : world picture. I like" It immensely," sunbrowned elf. : .- ; : . . "Shlrlsy 8.," City.—A chain nf sunflowers to guard your Summer Maid. Keep your paintbrush a little drier" and you'll find that the ' colour goes on more evenly, Shirley. . "Fairy Godmother," City.—Thank you for.your dainty,lady, of the. rose petals, Gloria. I like your tiny flower' border. "Smudge,"" Newtown.—Letterbox Elf-is lookIng for your letter;'June. He says your paint- : ing is riot quite finished, for there are several, white parts.. .Blue sky,for Summer, please. ."Delna Ness," Northland.—Flesh tints for shoulders "and cheeks, please, "Delna Ness." "A charming'ldea to set her beneath a rose pergola..-..-I hope you'll-come visiting again . soon. . ■ . ■ . ' , . . ...:.'.' "Cicely MeC,," k«lhurn.—A very good try, Miss " Eight-years. It was as - good a'painting as those of many older elves". - . , :. " : "Heidi," Lyall Bay.—How cleverly you made the rainbow ■ tints in •' your -picture-frame, .' pixie. Just a deeper tint of gold in the folds of the crinoline Is needed. ''Morning Rose," Newtown.—l like the way In which you enlarged the painting, elf, but you forget a very Important thing ... to make the border leaves match those on.tho tree. "Patrene F.," Northland.—A beautiful paintIng of tho blue gown, Patrene, That dainty lady deserved a prettier frame. "Betty Butterfly," Brooklyn.—A pleasant surprise to find you visiting, Betty. This, year at college will be a busy one for you. Was falling out of the bunk the shortest cut to a ' morning swim ? ' •.'-.■ . ■-.-•. .

TWO WHITE RABBITS ■ . j__ ' » ——- '■■ ■ ■. . "For -a Christmas, present our /big sister gave us. two. darling little white rabbits.* One of "them is very fat and eats a huge amount of' food. We have made a large hutch for them." ■ "FOREST ELF" (12). Ngahauranga'. ':. .•-■■ .: ■■ ■ ■ ;ATTHE CIRCUS "Did you go to'see the'circus which was here just lately? I had not been to one before, so it" was a new experience. T think the best item of all was the Japanese balancing act, though I did enjoy the monkeys riding ponies. One of the monkeys who was not in this act- had a tiny baby monkey which she cradled and nursed throughout the item." " ■ . : .' ' "ICE MAIDEN" (15). Ngahauranga.