THE POSTIE'S BAG

Evening Star, Issue 22596, 13 March 1937, Page 8

THE POSTIE'S BAG

* ’ 4GI Main South road. Caversbam, Dunedin, S.W.I. inn , February 13, 193/. Dear Big Brother Bill,—lt is a very long tjme since I have written a letter to you, so I have made up my mind to gather my pen and paper together and commence to write. We have jimt returned from a. short holiday at Brighton, and I am going to tell you about a little penguin I saw. One day when we (my sister, father, mother, and 1) ■were walking in- to (Brighton proper we saw a wee penguin in a little sandy cave in some rocks. Our little Bom. dog, Trixie, was also with us, so my mother and sister stood on the footpath with him while my father and I climbed down a steep bank on to the rocks to see a sad, sick lady penguin in her rocky shelter. . It looked wildly at us, so we thought it best to leave it alone. The next day, when walking along the beach, I saw two dead baby penguins which had been Washed up during the night, that must have been why she was so sad, so that afternoon I went along to the rocks, but the penguin had disappeared and the water was right over her cave. Every day I kept looking, but she did not appear again. I. will tell you about our unfortunate night. In the crib there is no electric light, only a lamp, which we light every night. We were all comfortable m our beds when a long, weird moan, followed by a <Ksmal howl, sounded outside. This (we found out in the morning that it was a dog chained up next door) continued till about midnight. We were just getting to sleep again when wo heard scratch, scratch, scratch outside our window. My sister got up in the dark and) we discovered it was our pup, Trixie. She. could not open the door, so she. put her hand through the half-open window and pulled him in. He remained' tied up to the leg of the table, where he slept until morning. Another day we went up the river in a boat and) the dog came with us. We were admiring the ducks when suddenly the dog jumped overboard and made to swim towards them. I do not think .he had ever seen a duck before, Brother Bill, but his leash Was attached to his collar and I pulled him over into the boat, where he shook himself over us. Wo never took him up the river again, though. Well, Brother Bill, I will close now, with lots of love to the bairns and yourself.— I remain, Lorna Sykes.

[Thank you for your letter, Lorna Sykes. Your name is on the honour post, and you are the winner of the best letter prize for this week. The little adventures during your holidat at Brighton were quite interesting, and the bairns will be glad to read of them. It., is a nuisance when a , dog howls during the night. Brother Bill was glad to note that none of you was influenced by the rather silly supersti.tion that suggests “a howling dog means a death in the family.” Wise people know that the dog howls^ either from discomfort, or, strange as it may seem, because of pleasure. A dog’s howl is sometimes , a dog’s song, just as a wolf will howl a moonlight night. The tiny penguins that are sometimes found round our shores are driven ashore by enemies or by rough weather. It is a little sad to see their forlorn bodies lying on the sand. Thank you for your letter, and you must write again soon.] 377 Kaikorai Valley road, Dunedin, W.2., January 17, 1937. Dear Big Brother Bill,—This is about the third time I have written to you. We have a dog called Laddie, and one day last week ne got off his chain and made for the fowlhouse. He got in and killed about 12 pullets. What would you do with a dog like that, Big Brother Bill ? Mum went out to give him a spanking, but when the dog saw her he jumped up to be patted. _ Mum did not have the heart to hit him, so she just patted him and called him a bad boy. I am glad the number of cases of infantile paralysis is lessening. Well, Big Brother Bill, I shall close now with love and best wishes to yourself and all the aunts and uncles.—l am, yours truly, Hilda Schlaadt. [Thank you for your letter, Hilda Schlaadt. YoUr name is on the honour post for neat writing. Brother Bill does not quite know what he would have done to Laddie, hut be has the feeling that it would have been more than a pat. It is a strange thing that pets will sometimes give way to their savage instincts and destroy things. There is a little cream Pom known to Brother Bill, and his snecial happiness is to tear the linings from and slippers and make holes in socks and stockings. Of course, he is punished, but he forgets so easily. Perhaps this is the way our pets teach patience to their owners. Mother must be an exceedingly kind person to let Laddie off so easily. Write again soon.] 13 Corunna street, St. Hilda, Dunedin, S. 2. Dear Big Brother Bill, —Yesterday our puss caught a bird, and mother thought he had, because she heard the chirp of birds. So she went outside, and puss did have one. He was just down below mother’s bedroom window. She brought it inside, and gave it some water and bread. It was half-killed. Two or three flies were on him, so mother put the fly catcher over him. He was too frightened to blink even. After a while my sister went in, and ho stood up and looked at her, she told ns, and nwther said to leave him for a wee while longer. Soon after he was singing a song to show that he was well again. X shut puss inside, and put the bird away down the garden on a tree. He fell off because he could not fly, but he did not hurt himself this time. Puss had to stay inside until after tea, when the bird had gone. I hope to get my letter in the paper.—Love from Audrey Paine. [Thank you for your letter, Audrey Paine. Brother Bill is glad to welcome you to the family, ft was not very nice of puss to catch the bird, from our

point of view, but it was quite nice and proper from puss’s point or view .Which is a riddle for which Brother Bill does not know the answer. Cats are, as you know, Audrey, the natural enepiies of birds, and the only way to defeat this is to do as you did with puss—lock up the cat. Brother Bill is glad to know that the bird got better through your kindness. Write again soon.] 8 Dundas street, Dunedin, N.l. Dear Big Brother Bill,—This is the first occasion I have written to you for many yfiars. I am usually in Roxburgh at this time of the year, and no doubt you can guess the reason of iny staying at home, as you are a champion at guessing the correct answers. Here is my entry for this week’s competition. I am 11 years of age, and I am going into Form 11. when I go back to school. I have often come in with the Misses Lennox, and recite over the air. Kind regards to the aunts and uncles, not forgetting yourself.—l remain, Dorothy Walls. [Thank you for your letter, DorothyWalls. It is nice of you to say that Brother Bill is a champion at guessing correct answers, especially as he does not know the answer to the riddle you set in your letter. Do you go to Boxburgh for the fruit picking? Brother Bill remembers you, of course, and is glad to know that you thought of him and wrote your letter. Write again soon.] 100 Queen street, Dunedin, N.l. January 25, 1937. Dear Big Brother Bill,—l am 12 years old and like to listen-in to the children’s hour and also to read your children’s page on Saturday evening. lam entering for your competition for the over-tens, and, hope to be successful. —I remain, your loving friend, Winnie Maddocks. [Thank vou for your little letter, Winnie Maddocks. Brother Bill is delighted to know that _ you like the columns. You must write a longer letter so that the bairns may know you better. You are very welcome to the family. Write again soon.] Morrison street, Mosgiel. Dear Big Brother Bill,—l have two little kittens. One is a little black, fluffy one. The other has a black head and a grey back. They are such good friends. It is such fun watching them play. On Wednesday we went up to the top of Saddle Hill. The view is lovely from there’. Have you been up there, Big Brother Bill? .1 am entering for this week’s competition, under 10.—I remain, yours truly, Dorothy Tippett. [Thank you for your letter, Dorothy Tippett. Brother Bill is glad to know that you have such fun with the kittens.; There is a little tabby halfPersian kitten playing before the fire where Brother Bill is writing this letter to you. It is a pity that kittens grow up into cats. Do you not think so? Perhaps it would be more grateful to say that it is a good thing that staid and serious cats begin by being happy, playful, and amusing kittens. Otherwise Dorothy Tippett and Big Brother Bill would be .denied the fun of watching them. Write again' soon.]