Happy Cogs

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7299, 28 October 1933, Page 11

Happy Cogs

Kupot.aroa. Dear Hub, —This morning we went over to the other side of the river. The willow trees aro lovely now. Thoy are growing on the bank and some of their branches touch tho water. Further along tho bank wa3 the punt, ready to take tho flax away. Our dog, Laddie, swims, and if you throw something into tho water ho will bring it out for you. Our pet cat, Rusty, has a dear little black and white kitten. lam going to call it Dusty. Our flowers aro beautiful now. Testorday my Aunt and Uncle came up from Wellington for the day Well, Hub, as news is scarce I wil. close, with love to you and all the Cogs from Flax Flower. Rusty and Dusty are nice names for a cat and a kitten.

Makorua. Dear Hub,—l'll see what I can write towards tho Animal Page, but I'm afraid it won’t be very much as I have not very much to write about animals. We will all be anxiously waiting for the paper on Saturday morning to see what everybody has written. I know Fido’s letter will bo good; it’s great fun reading his letter. I must tell you about our chicks first of all. Wo set twelve hen eggs under a bantam and sho brought out eleven fluffy little balls of yellow; wo take a great interest in them.' Dad said, “A lot of chicks we’ll have now wo have King,” but the bantam soon settled him.. Ho went nosing Tound just after they’d been hatched and the next moment King went tearing round the house yelping loudly. You can imagine what had happened. Puppy minds his own business now. Have you heard this true story? It is sad, but it’s an animal story and I can’t think of anything else to tell. Once a lovely Collie dog was left in charge of a wee baby in a cradle, and while he was on guard a huge rattle snake crept into the house and made for the cradle (anyway it was near the cradle when found), but the faithful dog fought with it and killed it. Presently his master came home and he went to meet him, looking eo pleased and wagging his tail The master saw him covered in blood, and on the spur of the moment thought, “He’s killed our baby.” In a fit of passion ho picked up a piece of wood and killed his faithful dog. How ever would he feel when he found what had really taken place? Doesn’t that prove that one should look before one leaps! Love from Napoleon. Cogs will enjoy your animal story as much as I did. Mangawhata Dear Hub,— Here lam again, with Skilltest worked out, which I hope is correct. Isn’t Fido clever, Hub? Wo are playing tennis at school now. My sweet peas, pinks and butterfly, plant are coming out now. I am going to start Tabbit-trapping in a, neighbour s paddock again, and this time .1 hope to be more successful than last time. They are real pests in liis place, and he is glad to get rid of them. Wo found ono under tho pig sty one day. Wasn t it a funny place, Hub? We have three pi<rs. Two aro black and tho other one is a gingery colour. Wo also have four kittens. Three ginger and white ones and an * ‘all-coloured one”. It has touches of white, ginger and black, and grey colours. I will close now. Love, Lavender Moon Rabbit trapping .is very cruel, don’t you think?

Umutoi Dear Hub,— Dad has made a house for the calves, for it has been fairly cold. My calf Frisk is growing big ana strong. She drinks almost a bucketful of milk. While I was feeding the calves this morning Frisk jumped .up on the haystack and began jumping around. Losing her footing, she tumbled headfirst to the ground. made me laugh. One of our calves was bellowing today and Whistling Eufus bc"an to chase it, but wont sliding into the fence. My black pet pullet, Nutty, made her first nest today (isn’t she lazy?) Tim and Glen are growing up and are nearly as high as their mother Jip They have lost their playfu. moods, too. We have found lots, of birds' nests today. While I was climba tree after clematis, a branch broke which frightened a bird, and I found a nest with four eggs. I must say cheerio for it is bed-time. I am, your loving Cog, Cowboy Tom I don't suppose Frisk will jump on the haystack again. MY puppy I love vou, little puppy, Though you 've torn so many troclcs, And made a really fearful hole In one of my best socks. I l«ve you though you’ve spoilt my nat. And snatched away my crust, And run away with half my toys, And knocked me in the dust. I love you, 'cause you’re soft and warm And understand my play, But how I wish I had the doll You chewed up yesterday I Sent in by Granny Bonnet PEANUT TOFFEE—A SIMPLE BECIPE Sugar, Jib; cold water, l pint;, vinegar, 1 teaspoon; peanuts, lightly browned with husks rubbed off. Boil sugar, water and vinegar till the mixture thickens. When a light brown colour, test a drop in a cup of cold water; it should form a crisp ball. Pour into a buttered plate over which the peanuts are spread, and leave m sold*

INTERESTING PETS Haicombo Dear Hub, —As I had nothing to do, I thought I would write to you. We have seven calves, and aro milking twenty-six cows. 1 call my calf Tuppence. My sister has a pet lamb and he jumps up against tho door when he hears her coming with his milk. When wo feed the calves, ho used to try and get his head in tho tin. Sometimes he would get his head just under the top of tho tin, and knock it over. One tfaj when my sister was teaching a calf to drink, ho knocked tho milk (all that was left) into a little hollow. Ho then got on his knees and drank it up. Sho also has a pot pig which likes her to scratch it. If sho scratches another pig, Mary gets jealous.- When tho turnips are getting chopped up, the cows toss their heads up and down until we givo them a bit of turnip out of our hands. Orio of them gave Violet a knock on her head the other day. A few years ago she knocked mo over, and another time when she was a calf, I was letting them in by the house and she bumped against tho gato I was standing on and I fell down. The white rooster is not so frightened of the other one now. They aro amusing themselves by crowing to each other at present. We have a half-draught horse named Doily. We put the swedes on tho sledge and she pulls them round the paddocks. I havo some pet hens, ono of which I call Speckles because she has black and white featners. We have thirteen chickens out of seventeen eggs. Wo will have some more in a little over a week’s time. Our friends havo a dear littlo white dog called Snowy, and one afternoon ho ran away down to our place. A cow chased him over tho bridge and away over the paddocks. Hub, that dog would havo shamed a Whippet, and the cow wasn’t far behind him. When I was smaller I used to ride Venus, the cow. One day when I was on hor sho rushed at another cow and I slid down to her tail and then down by her neck. I also used to ride one of last year’s calves. I will closo now, with best wishes to you and all the Cogs, from The Emu. What a lot of interesting pets! Tuppence must be a very mischievous calf.

Mangawhata Dear Hub,—Our old dog Jack was getting too old and useless, so one day when Dad was in town he brought homo tho dearest little black and white pup you ever saw. He has a black tip on his tail so wo call him Tip. He can run very fast and when chasing hares he soon catches them, but he can't kill them and they get away from him. Dad says he is too fast for sheep, so that shows that he is fast. He is a very timid dog and if a stone or a stick is picked up, he is out of sight before you can say “Jack Robinson”. He is very friendly with tho cats, and when they are sleeping in the sun he goes and rubs noses with them. He is not like our other dog Toby; he and Toby do not agree. Because we pet Tip, Toby gets very jealous. He gets a mean trick on Tip every minute he gets a chance. Toby is very unfriendly with the cats, ho would rather chase them up a tree -than look at them. Ah, but Tip is quite tho opposite. If you tried all day you would never get him to chase a cat. 1 think that is all I can say about Tip, Hub, except ho is a very smart, handsome dog. From Rising Sun I liked reading about Tip very much. ' Umutoi. Dear Hub, —I am glad tho Animal Pago is hore at last. I must first toll you that wo have two pet lambs whoso names are Billy and Biddy, and who seem to like my father’s cabbage plants better than grass. They also like the flower plants, but they are great pets. We also have a cow which was kindly lent to us by a neighbour. The cow’s calf is a dark jersey and is called Duchess. We are having a very • cold snap here the last few days; there 1 is snow all round us ou th high levels, and to-day and yesterday havo been like real winter days. I am enclosing three stamps for a badge. I will close now as the clock says bod time. Love to all tho Cogs and yourself and Mr. Printerman. Lotus Blossom. It would not be wise to leave the garden gate open when Billy and Biddy are around! You forgot to send the stamps, my dear, Also bo sure to send your full name and address.

HALLOWE’EN, A SCOTTISH ' FESTIVAL Hallowe’en, a Scottish festival held on October 31, is so named as being the evening of the Feast of All Hallows, which is on the day following, November 1. Hallowe’en used to be very commonly observed all over Scotland, and merry parties were wont to convene under its happy auspices, but it is now falling into neglect; in fact, the day would very likely have been a relic of the past long ago were it not for the fact that Burns has immortalised its observance, its ceremonies, its spells, its superstition, and its fun in one of his best descriptive poems. Hallowe’en is a festival which is based upon superstition. In theso times, tho supernatural influence has beon dissipated to a groat measure, and with it has faded away the very reason for the observance of the evening. Its social opportunities and a sentimental regard for “Auld Lang Syne” continuo to give it a lingering lease of life, but if Burns’ poem had not been written that lease would probably have ended fully half a century ago. In the lands of the British Empire, many of the Scots societies give an entertainment on JJailPSe 'SH. .