BIG BROTHER BILL AND THE BAIRNS

Evening Star, Issue 20020, 10 November 1928, Page 23

BIG BROTHER BILL AND THE BAIRNS

A WEEKLY TALK Hollo, everybody. The competition on collected slang words has boon won by Lena King, iVaitati. Several people have wondered why Brother Bill set a competition for the collection ol slang words. One writes: “Slang words should be speedily forgotten; not collected.” Exactly. But since among the queer dungs learned men have done there is an official ‘ Dictionary of Slang Words,’ all set up in print, with a nice lue coat for a binding; the whole issued by one of the world’s great uni-. . ersities. Brother Bill’s little competition has a perfectly good example. Vnd he likes to be on tho side of aimed people. But no one seriously thought that mother Bill wished the family to become experts in slang, any more than •a would wish tho family to choose its riends among slovenly dressed, shabby :cople. Because everybody knows that is exactly what slang amounts to; it is he shabby, slovenly dressed poor rclaon of decent speech. And 'just as ike begets like, too much association with slang begets careless thought and a slovenly brain. All of which everybody knows without being told. But we can collect slang words, and wonder about them, and laugh a little about them, without being any the worse. Brother Bill anticipates that Lena King had bushels of fun in writing down the 771 slang words she sent in” and he had a good laugh when examining them Tho competition this week is a little unusual; suppose you all have a try at it. There is not room for letters and birthdays this week, but the election will be over by tho next appearance of the bairns’ columns, and Brother Rill will print all those held back for want of space. Your always affectionate, BIG BROTHER BILL. THE COMPETITION Here is a competition that is quite unusual. Each little row of dots represents a missing word, and each word u made up of the same number of let-, ters, THE SAME LETTERS BEING ALSO USED FOR EACH WORD thus- If carrots he the first word (which it isn’t), then each of the mm words in the first poem will be of seven letters, and the letters will be 1 c, ‘2 r’s, 1 a, 1 o, 1 t, and an s. No other letters may he used, and no more let tors than those in the first word. Whayon have to do is find the first word and build all later words from it. The usual prize for the winner. Watching his play on the sand, Father a weary sigh. He screws the up in his hand And tries to a passing fly. she bids “to mind the kids” He growls; ‘ ‘ Such..... .aren’t for me. I’ll fly next year to far Cashmere-; No peace with by the sea. Sc shall this tide of care, And cease to down and swear.”

The blanks in this verso may be filled in with one word or two, but only the same five letters must he used in each. In many a street in London city (If thou hear my ditty) E’en if thou....i.thou may’st see Place where they sell us tea; With sugar, not from mind. But loaf, or of the crystal kind; Where one for the many, States on what’s left, if any. And these they every day. But beware of lasting, Too much .....and leads to fasting. This verso will be completed by nine words, each containing six letters. THE FAIRY PRIHGE’S BED A BED-TIME STORY Many, many years ago, the Queen of the Flower Fairies called a meeting. Ail tho fairies came hurrying to the royal palace to hoar why they were wanted. They soon found out. when tho Queen said: ‘‘ My dear little fairies, lam in great sorrow. My little baby, Poarlydew, lias fallen out of his buttercup cot, and if his nurse, Fairy Buttercup, had not caught him, he would have hurt himself, so I want you all to try and find him a new bed before tho sun sets.” Tho fairies worked hard, and soon had heaps of nice places ready for the baby to try. Why, even an old lazy spider spun a pretty fairy hammock for Pearlydew, and a little fish sent a pink shell. When night came, the various beds were tried. Pearlydew cried when he was put into the shell, and he kicked and broke the hammock. He tried a rose, but it did not suit him. A bird’seye, a forget-me-not, and heaps of other flowers were tried in vain, but at last a shy Tulin Fairy brought forward a lovely yellow tulip. 11 Oh.” said the Queen, “that is the very -Ring." So Peailvdcw was put inside tho tulip and fell fast asleep at once. “Thank you very much,” said the Queen to tho Tulip Fairy, but she had disappeared. If you look inside a tulip at the right moment, you will see a pretty little fairy asleep, but you must be very careful not to hurt tho flower. THE LOUIE RECIPE Big Brother Bill has been asked for a lollie recipe with honey as sole ingredient. There arc a number to choose from but each recipe contains ■mdinary white sugar, os well as hono\ lore is one. tor a walnut honey candy; ■on con leave out the walnut meat if on wish:— Take a cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons f honev, and 9 tablespoons of water, ’ook these until the syrup hardens ii vatcr. Prepare some minted walnuts, md, when the syrup reaches the ■ crackling ’ stage, mis in the -walnut meats. Pour into buttered plates and •nt into squares. Cheerio, everybody. BIG BROTHER BILL.

THE BEST OF FRIENDS MUST PART Little did we think when wo told the ( ' a few weeks ago of the friendship Mweon the lion Samson and the wolfhound Delilah in the Johannesburg Zoo that the time had already come when these best of friends must part. For five years they had played together, slept together, and (what is the most trying test of friendship of all) eaten together without so much as a cross look between them. 1 hey had come together when one was a lonely cub and the other a lonely puppy in a strange world, and in captivity their affection for one another had ever strengthened. In fact, when any attempt was made to take Delilah away from Samson the lion let the world know of it by a mighty roar. Delilah was brought back. But the wolfhound has lately f been taken to a new home with the Zoos curator, and now joins the staff, not as a captive, but as a free citizen. There is, in fact, a disnosition to make much of her, for her friendship with the lion has made the Zoo famous. Ihe story has gone, all over the world. Anyone who came to Johannesburg hurried to the Zoo to see the truth of it for himself. It was a finer spectacle than the Rand. , B But what of poor, forsaken bamaon r The lion, they say, seemed to suspect that something was going to happen on the evening that his friend was given her freedom. Just before she was led away he laid his mighty paw on her shaggy coat and a low growl came from his fierce jaws—yet ho was used to their brief separations. Delilah had always come back, but this time ho waited for her return in vain, and his impatience grew with every hour. His roars awakened the other animals An angry lion s roar means a good deal to most of the wild creatures who have found a home in the Johannesburg Zoo. But Samson is not to be all alone unhappy. A companion of his own family lias been found for him, a sleek young lioneess called Miss Grob.er. This odd name was given to her because she was given to the Zoo by Mr Piet Grobler, the Minister of Lands. Whether this young lady, said to be nt a haughty disposition, will make it up to i-amson for his loss remains to be seen. It is more than likely that Delilah, in her_ walks abroad, will pay tho couple a visit, but not yet.

00! Jack was wearing trousers new, A well-made suit of navy blue. Bought for him from a tailor Jew. Jack sat down on a pot of glue; The glue stuck fast, and Jack did, too. What was the poor little chap to do? He tried to rise from the pot of glue. But the pot insisted on rising, too, And hung to the seat of his trousers new. , y A sight so‘comical quickly drew Of lads and lasses a lively crew From street and road and avenue. And how they laughed at the funny view I What jokes they made on that pol or glue, A-dangling down from his trousers new! “ Some folks on their feet must walk, said Sue; “But Jack can he sitting and walking, too, Now that he’s fitted his stern with a shoe.l”-

“That isn’t it at all,” laughed Hugh; “ You’d want, yourself, a tail-screen, too, If your tail, like Jackie’s, ever grew I ” The lad ran home in an awful stew, Behind him hanging the not of glue I And behind him the crowd of urchins, too. They wondered what his mother would do. They guessed a painful interview For Jack, and they certainly guessed quite true! For when the mother saw those new And well-made pants all spoiled by glue Her bitterness began to brew. Sho first from Jack’s legs the trousers drew, With gluopot sticking fast thereto, 'nd dropped them into a pail of stew. Then, across her knees young Jack she threw, And spanked him without more ado, Till he was nearly black and blue! With young Jack yelling “ Oh I” and “Go!” This painful story bids adieu. It’s time that we the curtain drew I A FOX IM THE ZOO People who have visited the Zoo lately wonder how an ordinary English fox came to live among such distinguished foreigners as Mr African Lion, Mr Indian Elephant, and Mrs Polar' Bear. This is the story:— About a year ago a fox family was born in a delightfully cool and sandy burrow. As soon as the fat little cubs reached a sensible age their mother started to give them lessons in the art of self-preservation. She warned them of terrible giants called Men, who rode great creatures called Horses, and brought with them wondrously swift things called ounds. if a fox were silly enough to let the giants see or smell him they would chase him all day and tear him to bits at last. That, she exclaimed, was why cubs must never go out in the daytime. Most of the children believed her, but there was one little vixen who said to herself: “I don’t believe there are such things as men. Mother has made up this tale to frighten us into bein'? good. Now she and father have both gone out to fetch us something to eat, and I don’t see why 1 should not go for one littlo tiny walk by myself.” “Come backl ” squeaked the other cubs. But the little vixen trotted out into the sweet-smelling world, waving her brush with pleasure at playing truant.

And then—tho giant appeared. He picked up tho fat little cub and carried her off. She must have sobbed to herself: “ Now he is going to take me to his castle, and I shall be baked in a pie. Why did I disobey dear mother? ”

But when they reached the giant’s home she was stroked and cuddled, and given warm milk to drink, and scraps of raw meat to eat, and a sweet bed of hay to sleep in. Soon the_ little vixen was as happy as the happiest of pet dogs. As she grow older, however, her friends grew more and more anxious lest she should stray away into the woods and be caught in a trap or hunted by hounds. A wild thing wants to wander, even if it means to return to its friends again next day. For fear lest some tragedy should befall their pet they decided to give her to the Zoo.

She is safer there than roaming about a house and garden, and she is settling down to life in a cage. She is so friendly and so graceful that she will probably become one of the Zoo’s favourites in time, and then she will be famous in spite of being just an ordinary English fox. But, of course, she would rather lead a free and dangerous life in an English coppice, so tho story has a moral after, all. ' Cubs and children who disobey their mothers will certainly be sorry when it is too late!

A TALE OF A TAIL Sing a song of Johnny Jones, Who had a little dog Which was as greedy after bones As any greedy hog. Sing a song of Johnny Jones, Whoso father kept a shop— A butcher’s shop, with lots of bones, And many a mutton chop. Sing a song of Johnny’s pup, Who often stole a bone From out the shop, and crunched it up Without it being known. Sing a song of Johnny’s shop, From which the dog one day Picked up a nice fat mutton chop And with it ran away. Sing a song of Johnny’s dad, f 1 Who saw the puppy run, And also saw the chop he had, And what the scamp had done. Sing a song of what he did To that young thieving pup— How rapidly he strode (or strid?) And picked the puppy up. Sing a song of mutton chop, A chopper and a wail! A chopper in the butcher’s shop That chopped off John’s dog’s taill HDW KfHDI A grasshopper jumping his best Was advised by a lien to take rest. “ We must save your poor legs,” Said the layer of eggs, As sue i-.iv. i...u down with great zest. A TALE OF A SALUTE A splendid story of a moral victory has come from Samoa in connection with the King’s Birthday ceremonies. The new Administrator of Samoa is Colonel Stephen Allen. He was not in a very easy position because, owing to the recent troubles, the Samoans did not seem to appreciate tho New Zealand management. When the time came for the King’s Birthday ceremonies to be arranged for, the Samoan League thought out a way of showing their feelings They had to salute either the flag or the Administrator. The native chiefs have no objection to the British flag, and they decided to salute the flag and not let Colonel Allen know when their ceremony would take place. Colonel Allen was not able to find out the hour at which the march past of the Samoans had been arranged. On the morning of the day, as the household were gathering for breakfast, Colonel Allen appeared. “ I suppose nothing has been heard of the time of the League ceremony?” he said casually. It happened that a guest had come in who had been in Apia the night before, and by chance overheard some conversation. The native chiefs were to march past at 8. ? It was then ten minutes to 8. Apia was four miles away, and tbe Administrator was in morning dress “It cannet be done,” *aid someone. “It shall be done,” said the King’s represen ative, and at the great moment, as the Samoans were assembled in Apia, a long procession, with Tamese, the native leader, at the head, there was heard in tbe distance the purring of a car. As the clocks struck 8 the Administrator’s car drew up at the Government Buildings, the King’s representative stepped out and walked to the saluting base, and the first of the Samoans filed past the Administrator standing at the salute 1