BIG BROTHER BILL and the BAIRNS

Evening Star, Issue 23059, 10 September 1938, Page 8

BIG BROTHER BILL and the BAIRNS

A POUND OF PLUCK IS WORTH A TON OF LUCK The winner of the competition on August 20 is Ron Smith, 3 Sydney street, Dunedin. S.W.I. Congratulations. Prizes will be posted. THE COMPETITIONS Under-tens have a pictux-e puzzle, and the over-tens a puzzle to recognise shadows. Send your answers to Big Brotlier Bill, care of * Evening Star.’ Stuart street, Dunedin, 0.1. Be sure to mark the envelope “ Competition.” AN EVENT IN HISTORY. (Under 10 years. Prize, one shilling.) What event in history does this represent?

A PLAGE FOR BIRD LOVERS The Pledge.— " I promise to care for nil wild birds, especially New Zealand native birds, to feed them in winter, and to protect them at all times. I promise also to protect our native trees and bush, and at no time to assist in their damage or destruction, since they are the natural home of our native birds.” Name Full postal address

PEN FRIENDS' CORNER If you want a pen friend write to Big Brother Bill, and your name and address will appear in this corner. If vou have pen friends overseas or in New Zealand who wish for bairns with whom to correspond, send their names, ages, and addresses to Big Brother Bill, and he will gladly publish them in this corner. 54 East street, Ashburton, August 22, 1938. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I am writing hoping you will be able to help us. We were wanting pen friends in Dunedin, as my girl friend and myself hope to be able to visit there at Christmas and would like to correspond with someone. I used to live in Dunedin 11 years ago, and was a pupil of the Normal School, but I was too young to write and keep up a friendship among my schoolmates, so I would be very pleased if you could help us.—l remain, yours sincerely, Rae Steele (Miss). Rae Steele (girl). 54 East street, Ashburton, would like a boy or birl pen friend interested in outdoor sport; about 17 to 20 years. Rae is 18 years old. Lucy Hill, 134 Cass street, Ashburton, would like a boy or girl pen friend 16 to 18 years old; interested in all sport. 20 Magnetic street. Port Chalmers. Dear Big Brother Bill.—Would you ■get me a pen friend in the North Island? I am in Standard IV. and I am 10 1 remain, yours truly, Lconie Sausom.

THE POSTIE'S BAG 53 Calder street, St. Kilda, 5.2. Dear Big Brother Bill, —1 am entering for the painting competition, hoping I might be successful. What lovely weather we are having for our holidays! We have a green budgie, which is a little hard case. He says quite a number of things, such as “ Hullo, Popeye,” “ Hullo, everybody, have a cup of tea,” and “ What are you doing?” His name is Paddy. We call him that because he is green. We also have a black Manx cat called Peter. Paddy calls Peter, which just sits and looks ,as much as to say: “ What is the matter with you?” We never leave them together. We might have no budgie, as it is only natural for cats to eat birds. 1 must close now with lots of love.—l remain, yours truly, Ray Edwards. [Thank you for your letter, Ray Edwards. , Your name is on the Honour Post, and you are the winner of the best letter prize for this week. Brother Bill is glad to welcome Paddy to the company of talking budgies. What about teaching him to say; ‘‘ I am Ray Edwards’s budgie”? Brother Bill has just succeeded in teaching his own budgie to say ‘‘Pretty Bluie! 1 am Brother Bill’s budgie!” Now, if the scamp gets out of his cage and away he will be able to tell folk to whom he belongs. Brother Bill has heard of a budgie that -rides on the house cat’s back. It sounds to bo a tall story, but there are unusual friendships between cats and birds, although it is very much wiser to keep them separate. Wiser for the bird’s sake. Write again soon.]

37 Prestwick street, Maori Hill, Dunedin, N.W.I, August 27, 1938. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I have never written to you before, but thought I would enter for your last competition. I am 11 years old and in Standard V. at Maori Hill School. I always read the

children’s page in the ‘ Star ’ on Saturday night, and_ enjoy it. I also try to do the competitions, although this is the first time I have entered. My brother and I love to listen to_ your children’s hour and the song service on Sunday.—With best wishes from Marjorie MTherson. [Thank you for your letter, Marjorie M'Pherson. Your name is on the Honour Post for neat writing. Welcome to the family also. Brother Bill is glad to know you enjoy the columns. He will look forward to a long, chatty letter next time. Write again soon.] Colonsay street, Lawrence. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I am writing to ask you if I may join your happy band. I am 10 years old and I am in Standard 111. I came eighth, and there are 14 in the class. I am going in for this week’s competition. As there is no more news 1 will close.— Yours sincerely, Patty Hore. [Thank you for your letter, Patty Hore. Welcome to the family. Perhaps, next time you write, there will be more news for the family. The bairns like to know interesting things about each other, and, in this matter, Brother Bill is just as curious as anybody. Write and tell us about your hobbies and pets. Perhaps you will be able to write a letter about the famous Lawrence daffodils. Write again soon.] Broad Bay, August "28. Dear Big Brother Bill, —May I join | your happy family? I am 10 and in Standard 111. at the Broad Bay Schooj. I am entering for this week’s competition, and hope to be successful. I play Rugby at school. One Tuesday we played Portobello, but we did not win. While walking home we dropped the ball into the sea, and the boys who dropped it waded in and rescued it with a stick. I read your page every Saturday, and I enjoy it very much. With best love to you and the bairns.— I remain, Allan Bain. [Thank you for your letter, Allan Bam. It was disappointing to lose the football match, out no discredit if you played your best. It is a jolly good thing to lose things occasionally, Allan, in the sports line, of course. It fills a fellow with determination to “ show ” what he can do next time. It was a good thing, though, that the football was rescued. To lose the match and a good football into the bargain would have been no joke at all. Welcome to the family Write again soon.] FROG IN THE PIPE At South Ferriby, in Lincolnshire, a chalk quarry and a wharf were recently closed down for two days, and 20 men working there were thrown idle for a very queer reason. A fat frog became tisrhtly wedged in a pipe, 200yds long, which carries water from a reservoir to a cistern from which tlie crane operates. It is thought the frog had been a prisoner in the pipe since its tadpole days, and had grown until it blocked the pipe.

For. Homomßt. & Ray Edwards, 53 M Calder street, St. Kilda. For interest. A Marjorie MTherson, D 37 Prestwick street, Maori Hill, N.W.I. 1C For neat writing.

THE HAWK APPEARS During one month each year there is much alarm and flutterings among the thousands of pigeons living in the nooks and crannies of the Central Post Office at Durban, for suddenly a hawk appears and levies toll on them. Once again the hawk has arrived for his stay of a month or so. The pigeons were fluttering happily about their homes when suddenly and without warning the dark sinister shape fell among them. For a while at least the Post Office was free from the pigeons, for they moved across the way where the dome of the City Hall rises. Here they were much more safe, for they can fly along the balconies without fear of attack from above. Where the hawk goes during the rest of the year is not known. THE MATCHBOX MAPS It seems that .the craze for collecting matchboxes is very much alive just now. In Finland maps have been prepared with markings in red which show the best routes to favourite tourist centres; and these are used as labels on the boxes. The idea has given a great incentive to collectors and tourist agencies.

PRISONERS OF THE LAMAS

SAFE AT LAST! When Dr Mndigan was sure that further pursuit was impossible ho slackened his speed a little and ran. on more leisurely until ho reached the ledge on the mountain side. Here he found John resting and gave him a brief account of what had happened. John was greatly relieved, for ho had been afraid that the din he had heard might be a landslide that would prevent his father from getting through the tunnel. He helped his father to rid himself of the smarting rope round his wrists, whereupon

they commenced the dangerous descent. It was far from being the easiest part of their escape. Durum his nocturnal excursion Dr Madigan had managed to secure a rope. After tying it round his own waist and his son’s ho told John to descend first, adding: “ Hold on tight—and don’t look down whatever you do, because then yon will be giddy. If you should happen to slip I’ll clo what I can to keep you up.” The grilling sun made the rock burning hot. and, what with the heat and

their exertions, John and his father were sometimes compelled to press themselves against the mountainside and stop for breath. They were glad to see, however, that they wore making fair progress ; even if the “ steps ” were small, they had been cut sufficiently deep in the rodk to give a good hold for both Jiands and feet. They reached the foot of the mountain at last, and before long they had found the right way out through tho pass. A little later they came across

men from their own expedition who were searching for them, and who were, of course, rejoiced at finding them safe and sound. The search party had brought a couple of extra horses with thentj and Dr Madigan and his son were therefore very soon seated once more in their camp with a substantial meal laid out before them. But it was agreed between Dr Madigan and his son that they would never reveal the secret of the hidden city. They wished the monks, whose ruler

HOLIDAY HINT BUILD A HUT. Instead of erecting the usual tent you might try to build a straw hut for once. For this job you will find the open-air loom described below immensely First drive two short branches into the ground about Hyds apart, and connect these two posts by a crossbar (1). At an approximate distance of 2yds plant six sticks of the same kind (2). From these sticks run tight lengths of corcl to the crossbar, and continue from the crossbar to another pole 2yds long (3). The length of the string or cord between these two long poles must be a little more than between the six sticks and the crossbar. The loom is now ready for use. The material employed for weaving is straw, and three persons are required for weaving a mat. ' One of them lifts the crossbar up and down, moving it alternately left and right of the cords, while the other two insert bundles of straw from each side in the loops thus formed by the strings.' The bundles of straw should be pressed well in towards the crossbar every * lin Figure 4is a diagram of the weaving process. Only two stationary cords are shown; for clearness sake the artist has drawn them thidker than the moving cords. The crosses and arrows indicate the loops through which the bundles, of straw are inserted alternately above and below the stationary cords. Notice that the loops on the two cords correspond, and also that the moving cords run alternately left and right of the stationary cords for every two bundles. When finished the mat is securely tied at each end and then cut off the loom. . . . A mat of this kind is an excellent ground covering for a tent, as it is waterproof, and it can also be used for building a hut. Simply cover a rough frame made of branches with a couple of these mats, and cover any openings with small bundles of straw securely tied to the frame. These bundles of straw, seen in figure 5, should be as compact as possible.

AN EASY CHAIR FOR SWIMMERS It is the easiest thing in the world to make this novel “ beach toy ” with three disused motor car tubes and a plank about 2yds long and 18in wide. Pump up the tubes and lash them to

holes in the plank in the manner illustrated. Do not squeeze the tubes by tightening the string excessively, and see that the plank is nicely planed so as to snare yourself unpleasant surprises in the shape of splinters.

John had been just for a day, to be allowed to Jive undisturbed. Shortly after camp was struck, and Dr Madigan’s caravan set off for other regions. [The End.]

STRANGE COMPANIONS A Tunbridge Wells lady has two strange pets: a five-year old tabby cat named Mike and a year-old ferret named Oily. The ferret has been brought up with the cat, and the two animals play together and wash each other. AN 000 SUM Bill asked his friend Jack if he could work out a little sum set in the style of a crossword puzzle. Here are the clues:— (a) Henry the Eighth, (b) What he wore. (c) A boy’s name. (d) A leather-worker, (e) North and South Poles, (f) A sort of pig. “ When these are added together,” said Bill, “ they amount to £2 7s 6£d.” Jack soon solved the problem, and this is how he. did the little sum:— (a) A sovereign (£1). (b) A crown (ss), (c) Bob (Is), (d) JTanner (6d). (e) Two far things (£d).“ (f) Guinea (£1 Is). Total, £2 7s 6*d. THE HEDGEHOG CALLS An inkeeper at Bishop Wilton, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, has had an interesting experience with a hedgehog. He saw the hedgehog coming to the back door of the inn and sent it away. It went round the yard, trying the tins from which the poultry drink. They were all empty, and it came to the back door once more. This time the innkeeper gave it a good drink from a bowl, after which it went off into the garden.