BIG BROTHER BILL AND THE SHIRKS

Evening Star, Issue 19776, 28 January 1928, Page 16

BIG BROTHER BILL AND THE SHIRKS

A WEEKLY TALK Hello, everybody! O-my-good-garden-stulF. . . . I remember an old man who always said that when he was hot and bothered about things. I’ve been saying it myself these last few days. Scores of fat letters containing little dictionaries of words, and all to be carefully checked and counted. Some of the family sent very neat and tidy lists of words; but others just stuck the pen in the ink pot, closed both eyes, and wrote wherever the pen happened to touch the paper. One member of the family filled the page full of words and then wrote some more words in the opposite direction along the margin. And the writing was not very good either. But one very kind membe r of the family had her lists typewritten. She ought to get a medal for being kind; and I should like to have given her the prize, but that she did not win it. Next time we have a wordmaking competition, please, everybody, write your lists in columns down the paper, number each sheet, and write the number of your words at the end. Otherwise the big brother of the family will go just plain daft. Now for the winner. When you are given a certain number of words containing a certain number of letters, you can use the number of letters in the words, neither more nor Jess. For instance, you can only use words containing 1 a, 2 t, 1 s, and so on. There is only one letter “a” in the Dunedin ‘ Evening Star,’ therefore all words with more were disqualified. The same rule applied to every other letter. Miss Annie Coysland, 142 St. Andrew street, Dunedin, sent in the magnificent total of 1,583 words, but 617 were disqualified for the reason given above. This reduced her total to 966 words; less than the total sent in by Bruce Jones, 71 Queen’s drive, Musselburgh. Bruce sent 1,212 words, but seventeen of these were disqualified for breach of the rule. This leaves him 1,195 words and makes him winner. Gwen Jones, 3S City road, Roslyn, came second in the competition with 1,061 words. Gwen Jones is to be complimented on the neat fashion in which she prepared her lists. Quite a number of the competitors went beyond the 1,000 mark, and all are to lie congratulated on the work done. Shirley Irvine, 10 Park street, Dunedin, is the winner of the “code-let-ter ” competition. A great deal of good work was done by the family on tills competition, and everybody thought they had caught Brother Bill napping. Although they were kind enough to blame the poor printer as usual. Suppose Brother Bill put the mistakes in to see how carefully you decoded the letter ? Shirley’s letter was a careful analysis of the code letter, and a clear statement of both the code used and the mistakes in the You will not forget that all letters will be answered ‘ over the air ” in future; and that I want all the members of the family at all talented to let me know what they can do. I want you in the concert parties that will entertain the radio family at 4YA.—Yours affectionately always, BIG BROTHER BILL. RUSSIAN AND TURK There was a Russian came over the sea, Just when the war was growing hot, And his name it was Tjahkavakaree— Shikbadirova— Ivarditzova— Sanilik — Danerik — Varagohhot. A Turk was standing upon the; .shore,.: Right where the terrible. .Russian crossed And he cried, “Bismallah! I’m Ab-el Kor— BaZarou-Kilgonautosgobross—• Getfinpravadi— Kligekoladji— Griviuo — Blivido — Jenikdokosk. So they stood like brave men long and well, , , And they called each other their proper names, Till the lockjaw seized them, and where they fell They buried them both by the Trdesholmmes— Kalatalustchuk — Mischtaribusiclup— Bulgari— Dulbary—_ Sagharimsing.

SWE BIRTHDAYS I wonder why the member of_ the family are shy about telling their birthday dates? Everybody has a birthday once a year, unless they happen to be leap j’ear people; they have a birthday every fourth year. There are three birthdays to be remembered tills week, and all girls. Don’t boys have birthdays at all? Leslie Biggar, of Lumsden, had a birthday on January 7. It is a little late to send her greetings, but Brother Bill does so with pleasure. Leslie found a special Brother Bill parcel behind the sitting room door. Bonnie Russell, 29 Dalmcny street, Dunedin, was five years old on January 24th. What a lovely name—Bonnie! And somebody who knows whispered “She is Bonnie by name and bonnie by nature.” Bonnie found a Brother Bill parcel in the wardrobein Winnie’s room. And Brother Bill

found a lovely big parcel of Turkish delight, fudge, and birthday cake on his table at 4YA. Many thanks to you, Bonnie Russell. Eileen Wilson, 111 Oxford street, South Dunedin, was eight years old on January 24. In her letter were some dandy little photos -of little brother Ronald and herself. They were tuning vi to Big Brother Bill at 4YA. Eileen fou. her Brother Bill parcel under the radio set on the shelf. I think that I was pretty clever to know “ What Katy did next ’ was just the book she wanted. Very many happy returns of the day to you lucky people. May every dgv nf this new year he full of joy and happiness When the year’s end brings another birthday may you all he able to look back on the happiest, healthiest year of your life.

THE POOR CENTIPEDE A centipede was happy quite Until a frog in fun Said: “Pray, which leg comes after which?” This raised her mind to such a pitch She lay distracted in a ditch. Considering how to run. A RIGST ASTONISHING THING The other day I read this most astonishing thing: It seems that an American named Mr R. J. Wensley has invented a life-size doll that will do as it is told. It will open a door, start an electric fan, or sweep the lloor_ at the word of command. And a writer says that when mother is out visiting she will be able to ’phone orders to the mechanical servant at home to make up the fire, rock the _ babyor cook the dinner. All of which, since it comes from a land where they do 1 ig things and imagine bigger things still, we .shall take with a grain of salt. But this business of wireless control is really more wonderful than we realise. Dr Founder D’Albe, who is a very famous scientist and inventor, says there is now nothing wonderful about a machine that will obey sounds. He says that the human voice has in it about thirty different notes, and that each of these notes has its own wave length. According to this famous man it is now simply a matter of converting these notes into electric currents. And he also said other interesting things. For instance, he has seen, a tcv dog which would run out of its kennel when you called its name. He h s a friend named Professor A. M. Low whose garage door opens at the word of, command, just like the rock moved when * Aladdin said ‘Open Sesame.’ And he didn’t say this, hut everybody knows it to be true. At, the Morlel Engineer Exhibition, held in England last September, there was an engine that raced round the track, stopped, or reversed, all at commands given through a microphone. One doesn’t know' and can hardly guess what, the end of such a queer beginning will he. It will be simply splendid, of course, if everybody comes to possess a mechanical servant who will chop the wood, get the coal, do nil the fetching and carrying, and clean the house. Splendid for the finvs and girls who have to be “ rousenbouts ” for mum and dad, I mean. One thing we do know, however, and that is hoys and girls who will he men nnd women in a generation where wireless promises to do so much ought to learn all they can about it now. You ought to have your own little crystal set at least, and it, wouldn’t cost very much either to make on© for yourself! Have a try at it. THE WEEKLY COMPETITION Here is a competition to keep you all busy. I think wo will call it “Printer’s Pie.” They tell mo that when a printer drops his case of typo, h© calls the resultant mess “pie.” Well, here are a score of books with their names all “ pied.” What you have to do is discover the hidden names of the books.

The usual prize of 2s 6d. The number of words is the number of words in the book title:—

(1) Nosnib. Ylhn. Afor. Siw. Sseth. (‘Swiss Family Robinson’). (2) Eosnos. Urcnibor. (S) Redwonnal. nid. Ilaec. (4) Ueht. Cod. Greos, (5) Snacom. Hihte. Fos. Tab Eht. (6) Syal. Doohsn. Csworb. Mot, (7) Ssgorerp. Srgmilpi. (8) Sept. Cpla. Sretunb. (9) Elkiwn. Nap. Vir. (4.0) S’ti. rcvot. en. Etto. Al. Demn. (11) Daluaomir. Yiarf. Lacts. (12) Eth. Htafpdmre, (13) Mimrgs. Arfiy. Aelts(l4) Lcenu. Omts. Buaic. (15) Ynln. Taso, (16) Relsedraro. (17) Eth. " Liar. Fot. He. Milrcbsolt. (18) Eht. Rahsevrer. (19) Ttelit. Rodl. Tmiarelfyo. (20) Haicm. Rakcle This competition closes on Saturday, February 4. T!IE HOHSE THAT BANG THE BELL A BED-TIME STORY Once upon a time there was an old tower in Italy. The stones were grey with ago, and, to cover their shabbincss, lovely green vines grow around the tower. In the tower was an old, old bell that swung gently to and fro when the wind blew. Now, the king of that place made an order, and the order was proclaimed through all the region by heralds. He said: “If any man or woman in my kingdom suffers wrong or cruelty, all they need to do is come to this old tower, ring the old, old bell, and ask for justice.” And the king’s heralds, gaily dressed in red and blue and yellow, went over all the region declaring the king’s will. But the king was a wise and good man, and the people ruled by him were happy, both with him and with each other. Nobody had any need to come to the tower, ring the bell, and ask for the king’s justice. And the bellrope rotted away, so that one day somebody broke off a piece of the green vine and tied it to the rope. And whenever the green vine withered away and fell to the ground, somebody was careful to break off another piece to be tied in its place. Now, in the place was a knight who had become bad and mean in his old age. This old knight had a horse, old like himself. But the horse had become old and worn in his master’s service. And one day the mean old man looked at his horse, and said this to himself: “This horse is useless. The money that I spend for hay might as well stay in my cash box. There ought to be plenty of grass somewhere in the world; the old beast shall go into the road and search for it. If he lives, he lives; if he dies, well, let him die.” So the old horse was whipped into the roadway and the stable door locked against him. Well, the poor thing limped along the road for days, trying to find a little green grass, and, having shambled along all the roads in the district, came at last to the old tower. There was the rope mended with green vine; and the vine was the first green thing he had seen for weeks.

So he laid hold with his hungry teeth and tugged away in earnest. _ And the bell rocked in the tower till it seemed as though the air was being shattered to bieces. The people poured out of their houses and ran to the tower to see who wanted the king’s justice. Great was their amazement when they saw the poor old horse. Then somebody recognised it as belonging to the miserly old knight. And, with the magistrate at their head, the people marched back to the castle where the bad old man lived. “ But the horse is my own,” he said to them, “and I can do what I lik© with my own.” “ That you cannot,” answered the magistrate, “ unless the thing you like be what is kind and proper to this horse. He has appealed for the king’s justice, and the king’s justice he shall have.” “ But shall 1 feed a thing from which I get no service? Shall I house in my stable a hors© that is of no use?” objected the mean old knight. “ This horse gave his strength in your service; now his strength has gone you shall treat him with kindness,” came the stern answer. “This is the king’s justice.” And the magistrate and the people saw that the old horse was once more given his snug stable; they put him there themselves. And they mad© the mean old knight give them a promise that the hors© would be treated more kindly in future. And I expect they kept their eye on him to see the promise was kept. THE LOUIE RECIPE Here is a recipe for peppermint toffee. You can make it for grandfather or grandmother, and they will like it instead of blackballs. It is a soft toffee and quite easy to make. What you will' need: On© pound of sugar, half a small tin of condensed milk, a breakfast cup of fresh milk, five drops of peppermint essence. What you must do: Put sugar and milk on fire or low gas, and bring slowly to boil, so that sugar is dissolved gradually. Now add condensed milk and boil the whole for ten or fifteen minutes. Stir until it is nice and thick, add peppermint essence, and pour out into a buttered plate. In a few minutes cut into small squares and leave to set hard. Cheerio everybody, BIG BROTHER BILL.