FAIRY RING

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 144, 14 December 1940, Page 19

FAIRY RING

Christmas "Trimmings" DEAR RING PEOPLE: After wandering through the big shops this week, Letterbox Elf and I have decided that it is the smallest things that make up the festive atmosphere of Christmas . . . the sprays of holly leaves and berries, crimson streamers and yellow candles, and not the expensive presents in elaborate boxes or the life-size teddy-bears and dolls of the toy departments. So we decided to write to you about Christmassy "trimmings" today. You can all help to make a few gay decorations with cardboard, silver paper, and paints. You can make cut-out . candles, holly leaves, small Christmas trees covered with silver stars to stand on shelves or tables, and, with scraps of coloured paper, bright little lanterns. What do you think that rascal Letterbox Elf has done? He has found such a good hiding-place for his presents that he's afraid he'll have to arrange a treasure-hunt on Christmas morning to find them again! We want to remind you, pixie people, to make your parcels as gay as you can when you send out your small gifts. Red and green cords, seals, and coloured wrapping paper all brighten up Christmas tremendously, and make Postie a much more cheerful visitor. Our Ring scrapbook parcels will be sent away early next week in time for the Christm,as trees. Do you know that of all the scrapbooks brought or sent to the Ring up till last weekend, only two were unfinished, so they are all ready to be packed, and if there are any more books to be collected, they'll be just in time if posted this weekend. Christmas competition entries, too, must be popped in the letterbox by Monday. Santa Claus tells me he is having ever so many Ring visitors every day! Happiness aplenty to all of you! FAIRIEL

AT A GUIDE RALLY* v ■ . —____—^___ —_: ' "A few weeks ago there was -a , Guide rally at Waiptikurau for Pioneers'" udy, and we went, leaving at 9 In the ' Morning:'and returning at 8. ,at : night. We had. a., team of six, of which I was bne,: to Compete against twelve other teams for prtaesY First of ;■ all wa had to pack our rucksacks and be .ready as though going on- a- hike". The flagpole and flag wero- erected next, after which we made a fire in the proper Guide'way and' cooked dinner.. My .dinner consisted of an'egg'1 cooked in hot ashes, a baked potato, an. onion, and a damper." ■'. > - ; ■•■' ■ : "QUICKSILVER" (13). Dannevirke. .... *■■■•■• •,/ -> .•.'■•• ;.■■._ "NOT RIPE YET." '• , .. ~ ■ '.'• .■■■»■ •; ;■; ■.■ ■ :,-v Betty had been, given two.lovely bright yellow canaries for her fourth birthday, and was very delighted with them.. :Ojie day She was taken over to- sed her grandnsotherV ;who had two tiny green lovebirds in a cage. For a long time Betty watched them. :She Bald: "Oh, Grannie, what's the matter' with your littli canaries? Aren't they, ripe yet? "• : V ■ —From '■'• :■,."•' -■.','■■ -■ "LITTLE BUD". (S). Hataitai. • * • • ■ A BREAK-UP BANQUET. ,—,, , —, _ "We are going to have a creak-up banquet, with grown-up dances, long frocks, and boy escorts. Our teacher is letting us practise. all the dances, including the Lambeth Walk and Boomps-aOaiSy." . "MARIE R.'< Island Bay. I THE VIGIL ———♦ We like this story of the eight-year-old Scottish lad in Wigtownshire whose mother gave him sixpence the other day and suggested that he went |to the pictures. j When he came back some hours later, much to his mother's surprise, lie gave her back the money. "Here's your sixpence," he said; "I didna gang tae the pictures. My King and Country need me, and I've been looking oot for parachutes!" THINKING CAPS ON! I am a piece of leather; cut off, my head and I am something you can rida in; cut off my head again and I knock. I am a" trimming; cut off my head and I invade; cut off my head again and I help. I am part of a kettle; cut off my head and I look disagreeable; cut off my head'again and I am not in. I pull hard; cut off my head and I carry people; cut off my head again and I make you wet. Solutions:—Strap, trap, rap; braid, raid, aid; spout, pout, out; strain, train, rain. —From "LITTLE BUD' '(8). Hataitai. • The initial letters of the objects illustrated make a word square—the same words reading down and across. '