THE FIRE SCREEN COMES TO LIFE"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 41, 16 August 1941, Page 15

THE FIRE SCREEN COMES TO LIFE"

Gazing sleepily into the fire, while the wind howled round the house, and me ram oatterea agauiot me wmaows, my attention wandered to the fireS^^dm^fwoiwn^TwhPn my old grandmother working it when . She was alive. A full-rigged ship, With the familiar black flag at the masthead, stood Out in flashing colours. The waves splashing round the hull of the ?reat shlD sent clouds of foamy sm-av gic«t«, oniij s>KiiL uuuui ux lucuxiy &iJid,y skywards. The man on the look-out shouted "Sail-ho!" A crowd of Swarthy faces appeared at the rail Of the oncoming ship, and a cannon Shot fell across our bow^ «*iot hv thp ra«;railv Ses Our cXiX oS «nn« ««.»«<« =w fl \,-+k Open fire, and shots flew hither and thither about the pirate ship. After a terrific battle, the pirates boarded our ship, and after taking us prisoner, iwJ^vCe^heedn^ryd^el "aboard^Th^ We had a rough time, as might be expected from such heartless ruffians, and after binding our hands, they told us, amid sneers and jeers, that we should walk the plank at dawn Next morning, in tile grey of the coming day, just as the rosy sun showed his shining face above the horizon, the first man was ordered to the plank With a.gurgle. the merciless sea closed over his head On? hv nn<a flip or^vtr with chattering teeth and trembline limbs, I found myself being blindfSlfntfaitoTSSwta^rwl^ft l?s T fl^ n??oarrs ?^ffis grouna nooi. i\o. Here l was. on the mat in front of the fire, while the firescreen stood thf>re in the corner apparently quite undisturbed at my and abrupt departure trom the . t ■ -water nymph- ««. ' Lower liutt. i

KITCHEN REVELS. Ll* was Hallowe'en, and all the kitchen folk had come t0 life t0 celebrate the night in thelr ov™ aoi W ™y- AU were old friends save the firescreen, who had been bought by the magter of the £ ouge jus{ four dayg efor^ and WQO stood now, shy and awkward, before the dying are, sazing wistfully at the revellers. Presently the poker, a tall, slender young woman in blark, sidled up to him and entered into an informal conversation on the new COir>k< but, finding our friend unresponsive, ioined two lively ezg-oups and waltz**! around the room lD s most unla^like manner. After her departure the pan came up. and proved to be a fat- staid, little fellow of few words, while his friend, the Toby toug, was portly and folly, fairly exhaling humour and geniality. There were many others, the kettle; knives and forks- gleaming plates—even the dresser I JS^J^ himself aloof on account of his size. proved humorous In a slow, caustic manner. and the firescreen soon knew them all. When t!onSan*^^^^^ tufne,d, to the Pan and sald. "I »ised it—being "pearl of the east" (14 ) Eastbourne. THE STORM. 0 {j t , t . embers of the once-tuS &rl I deemed to hear a voice saying in a loud voice- "Land ahoy, on the starboard side, mates 1"* I sat up and looked around. Again that cry rang out~yes J was awake. As my. gaze rested th fl rescreen R tanrHTii? rsirto it soemefj to c^hange The placid erfen sea had Si itself int«. foaming fury A tiny fishing vessel was being buffeted from side to side, up and d°^. by monster, foam-flecked waves. Torn aad ragged sails were being flapped and slapped the masts by the merciless wlnd fTOm ihe noTth- whUe the ropes strained and etretched with every roll. <A rugged. wind burned helmsman was trying his utmost t0 keeP tbe small craft on a straight course. 0? '°L '5? feJ7 t MLand ab°y!". ,wa«| g^^T-T^?^? firescreen was lifeless and still again. Silverstream. "BUSH ELF" (12). a * , POINTS FOB PARAGRAPHS. This week points were awarded as follows:— «w*f«r Nvmnh" /i<n q nn!nts> "Ri.«k Fir* <|2). 8 points: "Purl of the East" (14> 8 points: "Mother Bear" (13), 8 points: "Grey °^V'»^&'&jnte- 9S»SLJ. P°'n»s« ooutneriy ouster (to), 7 points: a!faß;.tat. (W-- 7 P°inte: "S°Uthern Star" p