THE POSTIE'S BAG

Evening Star, Issue 22526, 19 December 1936, Page 8

THE POSTIE'S BAG

4o Cranston fjtreet, Anderson’s Bay, Dunedin, E.l. November 2, 1936. Dear Big Brother Bill, —May 1 join your family- 1 I am 12 years old and in Standard 11'. My birthday is on January 29. I am sending in this

me for the bone. He is a clever dog. I<en. Clement has taught him a lot of tricks. He will jump over a rod across the doorway. The other day he climbed up the ladder to the top step. Although it is only a small one with eight steps one has to put a piece of cake or cheese at the top before one can persuade him to walk up. He likes chocolate very much, and Leu. makes him line up behind us to get his share. If he wants a piece he stands up and begs, and says “ Please ’* by giving a soft bark. I could tell you many more things, but I think I have written enough.—Yours sincerely, Lily Howard. [Thank you for your letter, Lily Howard. Brother Bill is glad to welcome you to the family. Your name is on the Honour Post and you are the winner of the best letter prize. Chum appears to be a perfectly right name for the kind of dog your letter describes. You must have good fun with him. Brother Bill has a little dog nowadays which has been named Samus. You will think that a queer name. But he is so tiny that the name was necessary. You see, Lily, people say: “ Why did you call him Samus? ” To which the reply is given. “ Same as all the other monsters.” And Samus wags his tail at once, quite pleased with himself after all. Write again soon.] 44 Cranley street, Tainui, Dunedin, E.l, November 21, 1936. Dear Big Brother Bill, —May I become one of your bairns? I take a keen interest in your page and I enjoy reading the letters and stories. We have only one pet, and that is a very talkative budgerigar. His name is Budgec, and he is green and yellow. He can say all sorts of things, and is very playful. Just at present wo are teaching him to say “He is a pretty wee budgee boy.” He gets as far as “ budgeo ” and then forgets what is coming after that. There is a small bell in his cage, which he plays with continually. He talks to-it, telling it that it is a “ pretty wee hudgoe,” “ a clever wee budgec.” and even says “ Hullo ” to it,. He can say my sister's name (Phyllis), and when anything is said to him he listens intently

and then says; “ What did you say? ” He oven talks when he is sitting on our shoulders or lingers. Ho tells us that he is a “ clever dear,” a “ sweet, pretty, pretty budgee,” and that ho is “ Phyllis’s pretty wee budgee! If the bell is put on the floor, Budgee walks round it, regarding it as very interesting, then he makes a wild dive for it and picks it up and runs with it, ringing it madly as he goes. Ho can whistle tunes (some he makes up) and some we teach him. He has even •got so far as imitating his bell, and quite often during the day I see him running up and down all the time, making a noise that is very like the sound of the bell. Well, ! must close now.—l remain, your sincere bairn, Frances Gibbon. [Thank you for your letter, Frances Gibbon. Your name is on the Honour Post for neat writing. Brother Bill is flad to welcome you to the family, he bairns will be very interested to read your account of the pet budgerigar. Brother Bill has heard that they can be taught to speak, and has received letters from folk who have talking budgies, but yours appears to bo the cleverest of them all. .Write again soon.] 123 Opoho road, Dunedin, N.E.I. November 2. Dear Big Brother Bill,—l am writing to thank you for publishing my last letter in your columns, and also for putting my name in the Honour Square. I will explain how we made the flax mats, hirst of all go down to the bush and get any number of flax or cabbage tree leaves. Place about half of them in a row on the ground, about an inch apart. Take one of the others and weave it in and out of the others (basket pattern). Weave all the other leaves the same, and when finished turn all the ends in under the second leaf on the wrong side, and cut the ends off so that they do not show. I am sending you a small one from which you can get the idea. Last night my mother, father, sister, and I went to the Gardens to see the azalias, and they were gorgeous. They are in full bloom, but some of them are hanging from the huge bunches. Last Saturday week I joined the Brownies, and we had great fun. I will he looking forward to when I. will become a member of the Girl Guides. With best love to all the aunts and uncles, not forgetting yourself. - I remain your loving bairn, Jill Summerfield. [Thank you for your letter, Jill Summer-field. Brother Bill thinks your description of the making of flax mats will interest the bairns. What an excellent idea it would be for picnic plates. You could make them on the spot and burn them after use. The Brownies teach good things to know as well as have good fun. Brother Bill is glad to know that you have joined. Write again soon.] 14 Allen street, Dunedin, N.E.I. Dear Big Brother Bill,—May I'join your happy family of bairns? I am eight vears old and in Standard I. I feed the birds when they need it. We have a Persian cat and a parrot. At the end of our street there is a creek, which looks very pretty with the willows on the side of the bank. At night the trout jump high. I will close.— Yours truly, Mary Hall. [Thank yon for your letter, Mary Hall. Brother Bill is glad to welcome you to the family. The birds will not need a great deal of feeding just at present, Mary, because their' natural food is plentiful. But they need it later on, when the warm days have given place to cold and wet again Write again soon.] 290 King Edward street, South Dunedin, 5.2. December 6. Dear Brother Bill, —This is the first letter I have written to you. I am entering for this week’s competition for over 10, at which 1 hope to be successful. I went to the final community sing at the Town Hall, and I enjoyed it very much. I will close now, wishing you a happy Christmas. —Bill O’Neill. [Thank you for your letter. Bill O’Neill. Brother Bill was glad to receive your first letter, and hopes that it will not be the last. He is glad also to welcome you to the family. Thank you for your good wishes. Brother Bill returns them a hundredfold. Write again soon.] 43 Bolting street, Opoho, Dunedin, N.E.I. November 18, 193 G. Dear Big Brother Bill, —1 would like to become a member of your baud. I have been ill in bed, and while I was there I worked out the puzzle which was in last Saturday’s ‘ Evening Star ’ about the baker and bis pudding.—l remain, yours truly, Ruby Witting. [Thank you for your little letter. Ruby Witting. Brother Bill is glad to welcome you to the family. Now that your first letter has been published he hopes that you will write a much longer one.. Write again socji.J ■