Blue-Birds Corner.

Hutt News, Volume 12, Issue 38, 15 March 1939, Page 8

Blue-Birds Corner.

Dear Boys and Girls, — It really seems to-day as if Summer has gone and Old Man Southerly had taken advantage of her absence to pay a visit to our valley again. One can almost imagine him with a mischievous laugh on his face as he rips all the dead leaves off the trees to give breathing space for the little buds that will be forming in readiness for next spring. He will lash up white-crested wavelets. on harbour, river and pool, and have everyone hurrying round in order to keep warm. 1 imagine you will all be playing the games that keep you active, and looking among your clothes for the gay jerseys and cardigans to wear out-of-doors — for the March winds are bracing and invigorating. Now, too, with the. nights drawing in you may be looking out for new hobbies. Stamp-collecting had crossed my mind, then, since it is Centennary year, it had occurred to me that from now on there will be a great variety of small advertisements, labels, postage stamps, advertising stamps and historical notes that will possibly never be repeated, and will therefore become quite valuable in time. Had you ever thought of that? You could have quite a lot of fun exchanging your '' finds.'' Joyous days, BLUEBIRD.

TUPPENNY AND THE CUCKOO.

When Tupenny was in bed, and the street lamp outside was making bright patterns on the window and throwing great black shadows into room, she could see live big steps, which weren't there in the day-time, climbing up the nursery wall. Tiuvt was a square black step behir.u the chair, and one beside the table, and one beside the bookcase, and one beside the mantelpiece, and one beside the cuckooclock. "I can climb those steps," said Tuppenny. When she pretended very hard, | her legs seemed to grow longer, ; and her feet bigger, so she went hop—hop—hop—hop—hop right j up to the cuckoo-clock. I And there she found the Cuckoo, sitting just inside his brown doorway on a brown rocker-chair. He poked his head out at her, and said, "Cuckoo! Who are you'? Cuckoo!" "I'm Tuppenny," said Tuppenny. "How do you do!" replied the Cuckoo. "Won't you come inside and I'll show you my house. My wife is very busy at the moment, She is downstairs doing the washing/' A Neat Kitchen. "I didn't know you had a downstairs house, too," said Tup' penny. "Why, yes!" said the Cuckoo. "This is just the porch where I sit in the rocker and read my newspaper. It's very handy when I have to put my head out and tell you the time." The Cuckoo went on chattering as they made their way down the winding, twisty, brown stairs. The last step of the stairs led right into the Cuckoo's kitchen. It was very bright and neat, and full of smart, brown-painted furniture. And there was Matilda scrubbing away at the washing board. "This is Tinwennv, my dear," said the Cuckoo. Matilda gave a little curtesy. Matilda Helps. "How d'you do," said Matilda. "You'll excuse me if 1 don't shake hands, I am so very busy."Tuppenny was quite sorry when the Cuckoo took her upstairs to the porch again. But he let her sit in the rocker while he told her what a busy time he had poking his head out into the nursery every hour. just then they heard Matilda running up the stairs calling. "My love, it's two minutes to eight o'clock, and I feel sure you'll forget." '"Why, so it is!" said the Cuckoo, pulling a shining silver watch from a pocket in his shiny brown waistcoat. "1 must go," said Tuppenny. "Thank you so much for showing me your house." She said good-bye to the Cuckoo, and to Matilda, who was drying her soapy hands on her apron, and then jumped down the big black steps again, hop— hop—hop—hop —hop, so fast that she was snuggling beneath the bed-clothes when the Cuckoo threw open his door and poked his head out. "Cuckoo!" he said. "Cuckoo, cuckoo —" But Tuppenny didn't hear any more, because she was asleep.

LASTING FASHIONS

Pansies dress in velvet, White-lace for Queen Anne, Morning-Glory's skirts have flared Since time began. Pinks have fluted ruffles, Robin flaunts rags, Dutchman's breeches still are made To look like bags. Violet wears a bonnet, Daisy dons a hat, Columbine, a pointed hood— And that is that. —Annie E. Moore.

HINTS FOR YOUNG AUTHORS

(By Velma Lewis lngraham.) Sometimes writers seem to forget that the reader has any sense except sight. Consequently, such writers make their pictures only one-fifth as clear as they should be. Remember your reader can not only see, but he can also hear, taste, feel and smell. You have five ways of approaching him. Let us work out an example together. Suppose you are to attempt to tell your reader about a walk you took early one morning. You can help him see: Trees and flowers, their colour, size and shape. Houses, their location and background. Clouds, their slow drifting motion. People, their mannerisms, their appearances. You can help him hear: Songs of the birds. Dogs barking. Children laughing and 'talking. Automobiles chugging, and tooting their horns. You can help him feel: Cool morning' air on your face. The piece of damp earth you turned over with your hands. Softness lof the pussy-willows you gathered. Little stones under your feet. You can help him smell: Morning air. Flowers. Smoke from the chimneys. You can help him taste: The mint leaf you picked. The berries you found hanging over the fence. In fact, you can almost take him with you on that trip again, for you can give him every bit of the experience as it came to you. You can even tell him what you thought, too, if you like. Keep these five ways of approaching your reader always in your thought while you are writing. Insert some pages in your note-book for practice in making these complete descriptions. At the top of each page write these five words: See. (We see not only colour but size, location, shape and movement). Feel. Hear. Taste. Smell. When you have finished your ■writing, put. a check after each word if you have used that method of appealing to your reader.

COMPETITION ANSWERS.

Sovereigns of England: William, Rufus; Mary, Scots; James, Stuart; John, Magna Carta; Elizabeth, Armada; Alfred, cakes; Charles, oak; Harold, Hastings; George, Hanover; Richard, Lion Heart. Names of countries: Russia, America, Africa, India, Australia, Greenland, Turkey, Canada, Wales, Austria. How many of these answers from last week did you have right?

RIDDLES AND TEASERS

Why would a sparrow be annoyed if you called it a pheasant? ■ A.: Because you would be making a game of it. Q.: What is taken from you before you get it? A.: Your portrait. Q.: What kind of bridge causes the most anxiety? A.: A suspension bridge. (J.: Why is a dog larger in the morning than at night? A.: Because it is let out in the morning and taken in at night. Q.: Why did the marble bust? A.: Because it saw the iron sink. A twister of twists once twisted a twist, And the twist that he twisted was a three-twisted twist. Now, if one of those twists that he twisted untwisted, The twist that he untwisted would untwist the whole twist..