“OUR MAIL BAG.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 139, 16 May 1925, Page 9

“OUR MAIL BAG.”

Noe line Barnard: Thanks for the suggestions for competitions; but if I need them 1 would not be able to judge fairly because l have riot the “answers.” Grace Tavlor: I am glad you want a Badge. See liiy letter for all information. You may scud Crispies arid Riddles in every week, although I have plenty in “stock,” an 1 1 only offer a prize occasionally. You write a remarkably good hand for a child of 10 years. What a pity your brother is a. year or two older, for he, too, would be able to- enjoy the page. Aisla Vurcoe: Your order wae rather a “tall one, Aisla! 1 am sorry that it is too late now to return your drawing, except of course, the sketch c-i “Lizzie,” which was, very well done. Please try your hand at another one—showing more imagination. The “Little Boo” serial is now half finished. I did not think it would please the “older” girls, as well as the younger set, and am very glad that you like it so much. I hear ' that school lessons are very strenuous —and even in this short, space of time (in consequence of school re-opening) entries to the competitions have fallen off somewhat. No doubt when you have settled down into the routine of school life again, you will find a little time each week to squeeze in an entry, at least, to the “Aunt Roberta’’ competitions;- At any rate, 1 hope so. Thomas Broad: “Heads I win, is a humorous sketch, but it does not conform to any competition: Sorry you had all the trouble for nothing. Ethel Birchley: I am returning your sketch of “Lizzie.” Try again, Ethel—and use- your imagination. Best wishes. 23RD COMPETITIONS. Cloning date. Wednesday, 27th May, 1925. Each envelope and entry must bo marked “23rd competitions,” NARROW ESCAPES: I Give a shop;- account of your most narrow escape. You must all have had one. I know I had a narrow escape once of mother finding me in the pantry eating jam. Of course, that was a very trifling one —but I didn’t think so when I was hiding behind the flour hag, and if mother had caught, me, she would not have thought so either. But then it wouldn’t have been a narrow escape at ull 1 Senior division: 12 years and up to 17 years, let prize 4e, 2nd prize 2s. Junior division: Under 12 years, Ist prize 4s, 2nd prize 2s. BEST JOKE ABOUT TRADESPEOPLE Senior division, 2s 6d. BEST JOKE ABOUT CHILDREN. Junior division, 2s 6d. BEST RIDDLE. Senior division, 2s 6d. Junior division, 2s 6d. BLACK AND WHITE SKETCH OF “LIZZIE.” (Senior division, 4s. Junior division, ,4s. COMPETITION RULES. Cach prizes will be awarded each week. Boys and girls up to 17 years of age may compete. The work will bo judged according to quality. Due consideration will be given to the question of age of the competitor. Marks will be awarded as follow : To the winner of any competition, and for the one who sends in the best joke, riddle, catch, etc 4 To the boy or girl who gains second place 3 Highly commended ... 2 Commended U

A record will bo kept of the marks gained, and at the on 3 of the year the following prizes will be given:— = A handsome gold medal to 'the one who gains the highest number of marks. A silver medal to tho one who gains the second highest number of marks. These medals will be in addition to tho cash prizes awarded each week of the year. Write in ink on one side of paper only. Neatness, good writing and punctuation will count. Each entry must be on a separate sheet, with name, age, date of birth, and address underneath it. All entries must be your own unaided effort, except jokes, riddles, catches, etc. Drawings must be done in black ink, unless otherwise stated. Address all entries, letters, etc., to — “Aunt Roberta," C/of “Manawatu Evening Standard." Palmerston North.

RESULTS OF 19th COMPETITIONS.

“GHOST” STORY.—Senior Division. First prize (4s).- Michael J. Forde, Scott’s Gap (13 years). Second prize (2s): Alf de Vantier, 21 Wood street, Palmerston North (15). Highly commended : Jean Monteith, Porongahau road, Waipukurau (13); Ruth Christensen, 48 Botanical road, Pulinerston North (12 years 11 months); Alice Hewitt, 3 Eye street, Invercargill (13); Phyllis Woolf, 27 Waldegrave street, Palmerston North (15); Helen Shaw, Slack’s roud, Palmerston North (14); Nancey Hobson, la- Clyde road, Napier (14); Reginald Knight, Rongotei siding (16). Commended: Hula Arthur, 277 Main street West, Palmerston North (12); Ita Wischnewsky, 244 Main street, Palmerston North (13); Myra Hamilton, Lora Gorge (15); Mavis Wesney, 10 Thomson street, Northern!, Invercargill (15).

FIRST PRIZE. “A GHOST.” (By Michael J. Forde),

It was a cold c-hillv Sunday evening in winter. The wind had wailed mournfully all the afternoon; rain had done its best to come, but it seemed as if there wasn t a drop to full. After tea I accompanied iny sister to see a friend of hers (who had been visiting her in the afternoon and staved for tea) home. When we left home at about half-past eight the night was pitch black —enough to make anybody stay indoors. Our course led through a very lonely paddock and along the railway. The high embankments of a yellowy colour looked very weird on the'black background, but, of course, the girls didn’t see that —they were too busy talking, tlirls do talk a lot sometimes, you know. Well, after leaving our friend about an hour later, a moon was floating above the horizon, making a scene like fairyland. We wended our way home quite cheerfully, talking and laughing all the way till we reached the gate (a great, heavy, white railway gate, tied with a chain). Oh ! how I hate the rattle of that chain! which opened into our backyard. All at . once my sister seized my arm, looking horrified: “Oh ! Look !” she whispered, as she pointed to the trees—tall (lines which 1 think may reach to the sky some day. I tried to be brave, but it was too much for mo. I stood rooted to the spot—terrified, for I beheld a great white form. We watched it for a few seconds, too frightened to move, but it made no attempt to come miV closer to us. , , , , , Then I started to laugh—l bad solved the mystery of the ghost; t. was an old macrocai pa, the bark 01. which had. been stripped oft’ with the wind, ml the moon shining on it- made it a'ppeur white. Quite disappointing, wasn t it?

SECOND PRIZE. “THE GHOST OF ST. IVES.’’ (By Alt de Vantier). The scholars of St. Ives proudly avowed that the school had once been a Norman Castle, and so, like other ancient buildings, it had its ghost. The ghost, it, was said, was the spirit of a haimeomc knight who had been foully murdered in the very room where the new boys, who came during the term, slept. , This tale was told to every new boy, and sometimes a boy would dress up as a ghost in order to terrify the occupant ot the “haunted” room. When Green, a small good-natured tioy, came strolling out of idle office of the Head on his first day at school, he was met by “bully” Lambert, who at once poured 'forth the tale of the haunted room, in which he (Green) was to sleep. To the bully’s groat joy tho new boy seemed terrified. , , Just as the clock struck twelve that night, Lambert, whose face was painted with phosphorous, garbed in a. sheet, pushed open the door of the new I boy s room. “Plonk!” a canvas bucket ful of water fell fair on the bead of tile luckless Lambert who, after he had removed tho cumbersome bucket, strode wrathfully towards the new boy’s bed, seeking vengeance Ere be hud covered half tho distance he saw a white figure glide noiselessly ficin the cupboard, an upraised dagger in l'-S hand, and move towards the couch cn which he saw to his horror n knight in armour; so he, thinking that the spirits of the murdered man and Ins slayer were acting the murder over again, fled !->r Ins ,lf \Vith a chuckle, Green emerged from out of the “ghost” murderer, and hastily replacing in the corner the knight, who y.as reallv an emptv suit of armour, he climbed into'bed. lie' realised that many a uav would elapse before Lambert would play the ghost” agusn. JUNIOR DIVISION.

First prize (4s): Helen Monteith, Porongahau road, Waipukuraii (9 years) Second prize (2s): Ngnere Lane, 8/ Rimhine street, Palmerston (8 2 years). Highly commended: J.... Dalrymple road. Invercargill (11), Lthe Coin mended ; Tom Maxwell, Norwich street, Otautuu (11 years 11 months); Ralph Holmes, 8 Knowles stree„, I nhnerston North (9); Isabel Scott, Carnarvon FIRST PRIZE. “THE GHOST OF OAKS’.VELL,” (By Helen Monteith). One night Helen went outside to shake the crumbs from the table-cloth. As soon as she opened tli3 door she came running back again, crying out— 1* athex . CMi. father, there is a ghost in the gaideri under tlie walnut tree ! The whole family rushed out, and there under the walnut tree stood a " hlt T fo ‘ , rustling the leaves. They stood still and stared at the ghostly sight. Mm moropork in the wattle tree gave a creepy cry. The night was very dark and still and the children clung to their mother and fathei Mother thought it was somebody diessed as a ghost stealing the walnuts. „ Presently there was an angry Moo, and mother remembered that she had left a sheet to bleach upon the grass. I oking old Buttercup, the pet cow, hud put tier horns through it and was tangled up in it. The children crept quietly to bed before their father asked questions about gales being left open 1 SECOND PRIZE. “OUR GHOST.” (By Ngaere Lane.)

The bedroom upstairs was always empty. No one would sleep them because it was a dark room with rambler Wases grooving over the windows. I will tell you a. secret, a ghost lived there ! . Any night when the wind was blowing this ghost with its shrill, shrieking voice would cry out: “Shall I shave jo now? “Shall X shave ye now?” repeating the same words all night. When my uncle came to stay with us, my mother started to make him a shakedown as all the rooms were occupied, but he said ho would like to sleep upstairs in the haunted room, to see if all we said was true. We begged him not to go up there and

sleep, as ve were sure the ghost had a razor and might cut his head off, hut he only laugh'd at us and said “Goodnight. When lie came down next morning wo all rushed at him with "Did you see the ghost, Unde?” “No, yo i silly children, I neither saw nor heard anything,” was his reply. We were rather sorry thut nothing had happened. Uncle, however, said lie would be staying a few days .longer, so there was hope that he might see it. . The second night nothin? happened, but the third night a gusty wind sprang, up. Uncle in bed heard the ghost crying: “Shall I (have ye now? Shall I shave ye now?” repeating this till ho could stand it no longer, lie bounded out bed, threw the window open, and said: “Yes, shave me now, you waster!” But there was no one there. lie got bade into bed chuckling to himself. When breakfast was over next morning, Uncle saic he would take us up to see the ghost, and that wo were rot to be afraid os it coull not hurt us now. We followed him up the stairs into the haunted room and over the window. He picked a branch from the rambler rose and said: “Plus is vour ghost! When the wind blew it scratched on the window, which rounded as if something were saying: “Shall 1 sliuve ve now?”

BLACK AND WHITE SKETCH Ol ;

“LIZZIE.” Children, you have no imagination! Your sketches of “Lizzie” were in most instances either fire grutes or waste-paper baskets. A small boy, who lives in Palmerston North, thinks “Lizzie” is a crocodile, and a Palmerston North girl imagines “her”- u= a dragon. Both of these ideas are good—but commonplace. 1 expected you to let your imaginations bolt with you —und sketch “Lizzie” as a mixture of prehistor c animals. You know she is not ordinary—for she thrives on such extraordinary diet. Try again, and see if you cannot please “Lizzie” this time by a really excellent portrait of herself. The prize money which, was offered for this competition, amounting to 12s, has been di> ided equally and added to the prize nionev offered for the Illustrated Geographical Puzzle (No. 2) and the Queer Arithmetic Puzzle.

ILLUSTRATED G LOGRAPHICAL PUZZLE (No. 2).

The five towns or suburbs of New Zealand are : (1) Auckland. (2) Little River. (3) Hamilton. (4) Nelson. (5) Parnell. The majority of entries were incorrect, ami “Lizzie” enjoyed a good meal. Prizes of 3s each go to: —Leslie Bloy, P.O. Limehilis (13 years); Nancy llobson, la Clyde road, Napier_ (14 years); Myrtle Windsor, Tauwharo (In years). QUEER ARITHMETIC PUZZLE. Only a few of the entries to this competition were wrong I —and it is not an easy puzzle by any means. Congratulations! The correct answers arc: —(a) Seven (Severn); -(b) Six. (Sioux); .(c) Eight (Sleight); (d) One (Cone);, . (e) Three (Tree). Prizes of 3s each hfive been awarded to : Clifton Duncan, 11 Stanley' Avenue. Palmerston North (14), Iris Gigg, Delhi street, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay (13^); Mary Richards, Lumsdcn (13i)* ORIGINAL VERSES.—(Senior). “MEMORIES.” (By Ettla Arthur, 12 years). Down the paths of time gone by Steals -music, soft and low, Memories that cannot die, The dreams of long ago. In the night a whispered word, A little stifled sigh. By the ivied wall is heard, Beneath the darkened sky. Where the icy moonbeams gleam Among the tangled grass, By the rippling silver stream The phantom footsteps pass. Oh, the thoughts that rush so fast, And crowd upon the brain — Days that have long since gone past We long to live again ' Junior. Do you know who “Aunt Roberta’ is? That's a puzzle, for to guess. Can you tell mo where “She” lives? That’s harder —I’ll confess. “She” isn't Mr Nathan, Or Mr Nash, whom we adore! “She” is just kind “Aunt Roberta, With a “Family” of ten score. (By Grace Taylor, 10 years).