Big Sister's Page

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 269, 13 October 1932, Page 10

Big Sister's Page

BIG SISTER’S LETTER. Dear Brothers and Sisters, How many Brothers, I wonder, will profit by the picture on our Pago this week? It would be quite simple to make a little carriage such as this 0110 to attach to your bicycle. Big Brother —and wouldn’t Little Sister appreciate it! I was looking through an old illustrated book the other day, and I was greatly amused at a picture of two black-eyed smiling Spanish children going to school on a donkey—but not on his back. They were comfortably seated in panniers or baskets, which were slung across the donkey’s back and hung on each side. Nor are these the only novel ways of going to school. I remember once seeing a load of happy native children driving along in an old buggy. There seemed to be dozens of them, all chattering and talking at once, and the vehicle creaked and groaned beneath the weight of it’s human freight. As for the poor horse! Well, ho suddenly “struck,” and I don’t blame him! The tired beast suddenly stood still (I fear he must have had something of the donkey in him!) and refused to stir. The piccaninnies accepted it with good grace, and despite the fact that the school was two miles further on, scrambled out of the ancient buggy, gave the horse a good-natured smack or two, and proceeded, with divers shoves and digs, to help him along the road. The eldest boy, after releasing the horse from between the shafts, took up his position there himself and, aided by his fellows, gleefully “trotted” off to school, with the other children merrily scampering along behind. I might add that they reached their destination sooner than they would had they left the question of their transport to the old horse. . ..

Of course, you are all waiting to hear the results of the Competition. And such a task I’ve had in selecting the “winners”! I assure you all, it was not easy, especially in the Senior Division. Well, the first award in the Junion Division goes to Bonnie Dalefield for a very neat and greatly improved entry. John Ballance was very close with second place, his only fault being that his fetter was a wee bit

long, though none the less interesting. | Snowflake is third. Hers was a neat and, careful. letter. j Now the “big ones.” .They were all] so good it was hard to make a choice.! Finally, 1 chose Robin Hood’s entry as! the best, second award going to Cinderella, and tho third to The Cub. Topping’s was very close, too, but unfortunately there are only three places. “The Biggest Scare I Have Ever Had” ] was extremely well done, and I was] delighted with the entries one and all. We all join in congratulating the winners. Pictures for the scrap hook are coming in very freely, but, of course, we stdl require more lor we want it to be a big, bright one for those poor little sick people in hospital. Thank you ever so much, Brothers and Sisters, who have sent pictures. I hope you will all write to me again soon. Love from BIG SISTER.

G.P.O. LETTERS TO RIG SISTER, CINDERELLA: Those pictures were splendid—and what a. pretty box, too ! Thank you, Sister. Yes, indeed, the weather has been very close, and swimming is very near. So you wish you had a brother or a sister —yes, Rig bister has both and wouldn’t be an “only one,” for anything 1 I am very busy, but will bo pleased to see my Brothers and Sisters whose nice letters are delightful to read. VERA : 1 was delighted to hear from you again, Vera. I was very interested, too, to hear about your garden. Flora Klickinann’s books arc delightful —have you read any of Marian Oran’s garden stories? I’m sure you would like them. I’m very sorry to hear Nita has had to part with her puppies—does she miss them very much? Best wishes, Vera. JOHN BALLANCE: Thank you for tlrose sweet verses, Brother, which I shall use later. Yes, I have been to Pahiatua, and enjoyed your reference to it as “Palmerston North’s little sister.” Give my love to Tiny Brother, and best wishes to yourself. TE RATJPARAHA: Always a consistent contributor, Brother 1 Thank you for those interesting paragraphs. Are you still working hard at your studies —it isn’t very long before examination time, is it? Love to you, Te Rauparaha. DORIS: What pretty pictures you have sent me! I loved that one of the dear little old-fashioned lady with the lantern, and that one of the girl and her grandfather. Thank you, Sister. That was a horrid scare you had with the black tree stump ? I hope 1 shall hear from you again, soon, Doris. Yours was a very nice little letter. Love to you and your brother. RONNIE AND MERVYN DALEFIELD : Those pictures are just splendid—the very ones I wanted. Many

tlranks, Brothers. I have received your contributions, too, Ronnie, and’ 1 like that poem about “The Little One in Between.” Write again soon, Brothers. THE CUB : Very well, Cub, I won t give you away, but you will allow me to congratulate you. And so you’ve re-christened the kitten “Frolics”! Very apnropriate, 1 should imagine Yes, I’m afraid I “credited” your brothe ’and sister to your chum —but never mind, 'thank you tor your delightfully newsy letter, Sister, and also lor the “tongue twisters.” TOPPING: 1 did get “mixed up” about the tennis tournament, didn’t I? I hope you will forgive my error—how The Cub must have laughed ! I can guess you are quite a bookworm. “Tales of a Maori Coast” sounds interesting—liavo you read “Legends of Mnoriland.” I have not read that book of Joseph Lincoln’s you speak of. EDITH OLIVER: 1 think you are a very clever little Sister to draw and colour thoso pictures so nicely. Thank you, little one. I should just love to see your ‘swimming baths. They must look very pretty—“the best baths in Palmerston North,” you say! Your little letter was delightful, Edith. SUNBEAM: I’m afraid your entry was too late, little Sister, but I did enjoy reading your nice letter. Your chicks must be pets. Does Buster peck much ? I confess I’m always afraid of roosters because I was pecked badly by an old rooster when I was small. I hope your ambition to become a poultry farmer will be realised —1 have a sister who has similar ideas, too. Good luck, Sunbeam. TUI: Yes, the puzzle was right and thank you for the recipe. I hope you will enjoy the fancy dress dance very much— l’m sure you will look very sweet as a pink calcamine. Ts tho little lamb quite better now ? Love and best wishes for a happy time , at the party, little sister. THE FLOWER PATCH.

Vera is a keen gardener, and this is what she says about her little flower patch:—“l have a small patch in the vegetable garden in which I have planted flower seeds. I bought an ounce of mixed flower seeds (over filty

I varieties) recently. Exactly a week 'after I planted them, the little plants j appeared, though, of course, not half lof them are up yet. I love flowers, ] and when these are transplanted, I ] hope when they flower, they will make ja lovely' show. “Have you-read any of Flora Klickmann’s books. I have read three about the flower-patch and think they are lovely. I’m afraid I haven’t had many i'frights other than some one jumping 'from some hiding place in front of me. The other day. I was carrying inside an armful of wood and as 1 set it down on the hearth down also came . a lingo black spider. I’ll admit I did shudder at the sight of it.”

A LEAF FROM THE BOOK OF HISTORY. Can you guess what incident in history the following little passage descri bes ? : Picture tho coast of a wild, uucultivatod country. Behind the bare rock the forest stretches away inland, while off the shore is a small vessel at anchor, from which men, women and children are disembarking. They are dressed in plain garments, and seem to belong to the artisan class. They look weary, yet how brave they must be to cross the wild sea in their small boat of 180 tons, and land with their little children on an unknown shore? Who are they, and wiry have they, come hero, where there is neither food nor shelter for them? One point will bo awarded to those who caii guess the right answer. NATURE STUDY CORNER. BIRDS OF THE AMAZON. In the dense forests of the Amazon River, in South America, there are somo most beautifully plumagod birds. A remarkable thing about these birds is that they do not sing a single note. There are beautifully coloured parrots and humming birds that flit through tho green foliage making a striking contrast. These birds build beautiful nests, weaving small thin twigs and grass to form a neat nest, which is sometimes hung on boughs. Some, however, say that they would rather have the plainer birds and hear their sweet songs than the magnificent but songless birds.

SPIDERS OF THE FORESTS. In the Amazon forests there are a largo number of enormous spiders, somo of which are two feet across tho body. The webs are made of threads as thick as string and just as strong. Birds are trapped in these providing food for the spider. The eyes of the spiders have a hypnotising effect oil small animals and oven on men. —TE ItAUPARAHA (1 point).

LADDER POINTS COMPETITION. SENIOR DIVISION. “THE BIGGEST SCARE I HAVE EVER HAD.” FIRST AWARD. (5 points.) THE FRIGHTENED PONY. When I was only a little girl I had a passionate desire to drivo my pony in harness. On this particular day tho pony seemed very quiet and well behaved, so I decided to try and make him pull something. I harnessed him up with various straps and ropes and then looked round for the ‘something.’ The only object that I could find was an empty benzine tin which had not been cut open. For traces I used a plough rein which I passed through the handle of the tin, thus leaving only a little room between the tin and tho pony’s heels. Very boldly 1 took the reins and proceeded to drive the pony round the paddock, expecting tho tin just to slide along the ground; but the tin, catching its edge on a tuft of grass, upset and hit the pony on the heels’ with a bang. 'The pony broke into a trot, from a trot to a. canter, with the tin hitting his heels all the time and I, hanging on to the reins like grim death, running for all I was worth. My quiet pony soon became a terrified animal, racing round the paddock with the tin and reins flying and I finally stood well out of the way, feeling very frightened. My fear increased by leaps and bounds as the pony made for the road gate—which is the largest on our farm, being a stock gate—with the apparent intention of jumping it. I am afraid that I don’t yet quite understand how my fat little pony scrambled the big gate. I was too terrified to fully realise what was happening. Within the next moment the tin was on the ground on my side of the gate, and a trembling, quivering, frightened little pony was standing on the bank on tho other side of the gate, while a terrified litt.e girl rushed to him feeling very thankful that he was still alive. The pony has been frightened of tins ever since and I don’t blame him, do you? —ROBIN HOOD (15 years).

SECOND AWARD (3 points.)

CHASED BY A BULL

One day in the Christmas holidays my cousin and I decided to go for a picnic to the river. At 9 o’clock we started off, taking with us some lunch and our bathing costumes. We walked across tho low lulls, over bridges, jumped fences, and being in the country very .often, we crossed little streams as we had decided to walk over the fields instead of taking tho road. After about a mile we came to a big paddock which had many trees in the centre. We had never been in it before, so we didn’t know whether there wore any cows there or not, lmt not seeing any we jumped over the fence. When in the middle of tho paddock and surrounded by trees, there suddenly came a terrible roar. “It must be tho milking cows,” my cousin remarked. But, Oh! What a big fright wc got when in front of us we saw a bull not 100 yards away! We both made for a tree that was near and we just had time to climb up a little way when the animal ran towards us. Ho stopped at the foot of the tree, looked up at us, and then, to our great relief, passed on. That was a big scare for us. —CINDERELLA (13 years).

THIRD. AWARD. (1 point). THE HAND IN THE DARK! We were alone in the house—my sister and I—when it happened. Having always been rather nervous, and being the possessor of a very live imagination, I, of course, thought I had heard noises in the other rooms—weird noises. But it was on the way to the kitchen with a jug of hot water (thinking all tlie way that if there was anyone there, the hot water would come in handy!) that 1 put my hand on the light switch—the light flickered! My heart missed a beat. I put my hand on the switch again, and felt— A Hand! My heart missed two beats and I swayed round (the water forgotten) and in swaying I saw Itmy brother. I will never forget the look on his face as ho gazed at me, jug in hand and very tottery on my legs. Then 1 laughed, a very shaky laugh indeed, and went forward. I heard my brother telling mv sister afterwards and she said, “You shouldn’t have done that! She might have fainted!!” —THE CUB (13 years).

JUNIOR DIVISION,

LETTER COMPETITION. FIRST AWARD. (5 points.) THE GAY SPRINGTIME. Dear Big Sister,—l think that springtime is lovely. I leave home very early these fine mornings, for school. 1 see dear little lambs playing in the fields beside the road, and there are pretty pink edged daisies, and golden dandelions in the grass. The kowliai tree in our garden is out now; last year a tui camo to get the honey from the golden blossoms. 1 hope that ho wiil come back again this reason and that lie will sing. You will be pleased to hear, Big Sister, that I won a first prize for a short story in an Australian children’s magazine. It was tho first one that I had sent there, and I was delighted to receive my prize through the post, with a nice letter from the editor, hoping that I would win more prizes. How very big your family is growing. You will soon* feel like tho old woman did who lived in a shoe! Now I will close my letter, with much love to “Big Sister” and everyone, from, —RONNIE DALEFIELD (11 years).

. SECOND AWARD. (3 points). “PALMERSTON NORTH’S LITTLE SISTER.” Dear Big Sister, —Wouldn’t it bo awful to stay at home for six months and not go anywhere at all ? I would not like it any more than you would. But although I have not been to Palmerston North for that length of time I often go to Pahiatua. Have you ever been there, Big Sister? I think it is such a dear little place. Of course it is not a city like Palmerston North, but only a small town, although some of the shops are quite big, bigger tliau

a lot in the Palmerston North Square. Pahiatua lias squares, too, and wide streets like Palmerston North. At one end of tho town is the children s play-ground with swings, slides and seesaws, and at tho other there are tennis courts and croquet lawns. In between aro the squares, one with the Fallen Soldiers’ Monument in it and another with a stone in memory of a soldier who lost his life trying to save a child who had fallen from a boat. Another has the flagpole in it and they all have gardens and lawns and seats under shady trees. Somo of the shrubs are covered with flowers now. There are a dental clinic and Plunket rooms in Pahiatua, too. I am going to visit the dental nurse to-morrow. They even have coloured lights across tho streets on Christmas Fve, just like your city. So you could call Pahiatua a babv sister of Palmerston North’s. I must tell you about my calf. I have joined tho Calf Club this year and I have a pretty little Jersey for my own. 1 have called her Margie. I feed her myself and handle her so that she will lie quiet and well-behaved. My father is very careful with the calves and they are always strong and healthy. He calls them Plunket calves, and 1 am making mine a Plunket calf, too. I hope to take a prize with her. [ wonder whether any of my Brothers and Sisters belong to a calf club? With best wishes from JOHN BALLANCE (9 years).

THIRD AWARD (1 point.)

A HAPPY HOLIDAY. Dear Big Sister, —In the school holidays, 1 went to Wellington. The first week I stayed in the city, but during the second I was on a farm in Lower Hutt. Tho farm had three fields. In the farthest one the cows were kept; the next one had been ploughed for tomatoes and the next was a vegetable garden.. I liked the one that was at the farthest end, for the cows in it were soft brown in colour, and their eyes were gentle and grey. The middle field had several paint trees, and was a delightful spot for a picnic. I never , grew tired of playing in the sunny fields and lunch-time was the only occasion I went inside.—Your loving Sister, —SNOWFLAKE (9 years).