BIG BROTHER BILL and the Bairns

Evening Star, Issue 23915, 19 June 1941, Page 12

BIG BROTHER BILL and the Bairns

LIKE THE SUN DIAL, I RECORD ONLY THE SUNNY HOURS THE COMPETITION. Hero are nine birds with the names jumbled. They arc familiar birds. How many can you discover? Write them in a list and send them to Big Brother Bill, care of ‘ Evening Star,’ Stuart street, Dunedin, C.l. Mark the envelopes “ Competition.” Hidden Birds— (1) TUVERU.L. (2) OENHR. (3) EELSKHRAD. (4) RIENME. (5) NUTOAC. (0) INPFUF. (?) CTCAI.It ENTR. (8) LIPGNAW. (9) COKDCOOW. f" or Honour (o 5 MARKS Phyllis Magee, 125 j r'VrvJ Glen road. Caversham. I V For interest. I V, Tna Duncan. Durness street, Palmerston. For neat writing. THE POSTIE'S BAG 125 Glen road. Caversham, Dunedin. Dear Big Brother Bill, —This is my second letter, to say I am very pleased to bo in the Bairns’ Club. This week 1 am going to tell you how I spent the King’s Birthday week-end. On the Saturday morning I caught the 8.30 train south. I arrived at Kaitangata at 11.30. In the afternoon my sister, brother, and I went to the pictures. On Sunday we went to Bible class and church. In the afternoon my sister and 1 went a bicycle ride up the lakeside. Love to the Bairns’ Club and yourself.—Yours faithfully, Phyllis Magee. [Thank you for your letter, Phyllis Magee. Your name is on the honour post, and you are winner of the host letter prize. Did you have fine weather for your King’s Birthday visit to Kaitangata ? Brother Bill knows the Lake road, and it is a very pretty drive. He remembers seeing a white heron one day by the lakeside many years ago. It being a very rare kind of bird made the day and place memorable. There are not many, white herons these days. Indeed, to see' one is supposed to be very good luck. It wasn’t really, because a few miles further on Brother Bill had a burst motor tyre. Which made the day memorable in an unhappier fashion. Write again soon.] Burness street, Palmerston, .June 9. Dear Big Brother Bill, —How are you keeping? It is very cold weather here just now. There is snow on the mountain. Mother won six bags of coal and an elephant in the raffles. I am the best at Sums in my class. My baby sister will be one on June 16. She is very lively for her ago. She can walk round her pen, and every time a car goes past she says “ Car.” We have six cow-s, six calves, and two cats. We have a few hens also. I hope you are well.—Yours truly, Ina Duncan." [Thank you for your letter, Ina Duncan. Your name is on the honour post for neat writing. It is very cold weather everywhere just now, Ina. What an admirable win on mother’s part for very cold weather. But an elephant! Brother Bill suspects that you mean a toy one, of course. Talking of elephants, did you know that all the elephants in the English zoos are now being used for ploughing and cartage work? They have to earn their living in war time; but imagine ploughing with or harnessing the farm dray to tons of elephant? Give Brother Bill’s love to the one-year-old sister. Write again soon.]

Spencer street, Milton. Dear Big Brother Bill, —This is the first time I have written to you. I often look at your pages in the ‘ Evening Star,’ and enjoy reading them very

much. lam 11 years of age, and this is my first attempt to answer one of your competitions. Your loving lujirn, William Burleigh. [Thank you for your letter, William Burleigh. Welcome to the Bairns’ Club. There are many country bairns have membership in the club, and Brother Bill is glad to receive letters from them all. Yon did not win the competition, but Brother Bill thanks you for trying. Try aghin, until you do win. Write again soon.]

22a Adam street, Dunedin. Dear Big Brother Bill, —This is the first time 1 have written to you. 1 read your page every Friday night, and I enjoy it very much. 1 would tike to become one of the little bairns. I am eight years old and in Standard 11. at tlio Arthur Street School. We had two little kittens once, one called Smokey (because ho was grey) and tho other one was called Nigger (because he was black), but they both died. They are buried under the rose tree in the front garden. A friend gave us another dear little grey one. We call him Peter. Ho is half-Persian. Jn tho Easter holidays I went to my uncle’s farm at Halfway Bush, where I spent a very enjoyable week. My cousin Jim has a very nice pony.—Hoping you arc well, yours sincerely Nanette Burleigh. [Thank you for your letter, Nanette Burleigh. Welcome to the Bairns’ Club. ■ Brother Bill will look forward to other letters from you. It was rather a nice idea to bury the kittens under the rose bush. Did yoii know that there are pets’ cemeteries in both England and America? There is a little stone above each dead pet, and usually a (lower bush or tree planted near the stone. When the animal or bird has given joy during its life, it is not at all a bad custom to have a place where it can rest peacefully in death. And tho (lowers arc symbols of the happiness and joy it gave while living Write again soon.] WAIL GF THE WHELK The whelk was doing his best to hide Upon the beach. “ Oh, fetch me hack, dear sea,” ho cried. “ Before I’m taken homo and fried ! ” “Alas. I can’t,” the sea replied; “ You’re out of reach. I couldn’t save you if 1 tried, You’ll have to wait till next high ■ * tide.” THE GRAB THAT CRACKS A NUT In the Keeling Islands lives a crab which feeds on coconuts. It tears off the husk, fibre by fibre, and then hammers on one of the eyeholes till it makes an opening. Then, inserting the point of a clawi it raises the coconut and bangs it again and again on stone till it cracks it, after which it pulls it to pieces and cats the kernel. BEING FRIENDLY Oh, being friendly is a privilege Some hurried folks forget; Being friendly is a tonic, Which the more you give, you get; Being friendly is a duty, Often to the four winds hurled. Though the great Creator planned that This should be a friendly world. —Anna P. Bowen. A THRILLING ADVENTURE Two native boys in Kenya Colony were accustomed to pass the night in a small shelter in a cattle enclosure.

One night two lions sprang over the wall, glanced at the boys, and passed on to attack the cattle. While they were eating an ox that they had killed they wore all the time so close to the boys that the tip of the tail of one was in their little shelter. The boys, however, kept their heads and -remained quite still till the lions had finished their meal and trotted off into the night.

THE FLOWER THAT FLIES AWAY In the Great ißift Valley of Africa is seen what appears to be a coloured flower like a foxglove, and below it on the flower stalk patches of what seem to be lichen, while above are apparent green buds not yet opened. When we go to pick the flower, however, blossoms, buds, and lichens all fly away. They are the winged forms and larva; of a wax-producing insect called the flata. They vary in colour, and after being driven off they rearrange themselves on a stalk like a flower. OLD MRS THREADGOLD Old Mrs Throadgold has a shop Where everybody goes ; She’s cards of hooks, and paper books, And tins of sweets in rows; And then, as well, a tinkly' bell ' With such a, merry din, Aiid you should sec her smile at mo 'When Jack and I come in. Old Mrs Tbreadgold doesn’t know, Hut. when I’m old and grey, I’ll keep shop, too, that’s what I’ll do, In just her very way. And I’ll sell books anil cards of hooks, And everything, you’ll see! And smile each day in Just her wav At little folks like mo! RIGHT “ Wright has not written rite right, Said a boy to his teacher one day. And the teacher replied, As the blunder she eyed: “ Right! Wright, write rite right, right away!” TONGUE TWISTERS Do you want some very good tongue exorcise? You can get it by reading, or attempting to read, rapidly the following sentences. For those -- who (in future life) may have to read or speak in public there is more in such exercise than mere fun;.— Six little thistle sticks. Flesh of freshly-fried fish. The sea ceaseth, but sulficeth us. Give Grimes Jim’s great gig-whip. Strict, strong Stephen Stringer snared slickly six sickly silky snakes. She stood at the door of Mrs Smith’s fish-sauce shop welcoming him in. Swan swam over the sea, swim, swan, swim; swan swain back again, well swam swan. SONGS WITHOUT WORDS I sometimes wonder what the Girds Say in their songs, it they have words. Perhaps they do not really sing A word at all of anything. But live as flowers day by day With thoughts too beautiful to say. IF THREE TIMES ONE WERE NINE If the butterfly courted the bee. And the owl the porcupine; If churches were built in the sea, And three times one were nine If the pony rode his master, If the buttercup ate the cows, If the cat had the dire disaster To be worried by the mouse. If mamma sold the baby To a gipsy for half a crown; If a gentleman were a lady— The world would be upside down!