FOR YOUNG FOLK

Northern Advocate, 18 April 1932, Page 8

FOR YOUNG FOLK

DRAGON AND THE ROBIN.

The Dragon yawmed and stirred his limbs, tossing them lightly in the wind that played round the fields and woods. He -was really an old tree that had fallen down long ago and been too lazy to pick himself up again, although his leaves still grew’ in the summer, and his boughs sheltered the birds.

There was something in the air that he could not quite define, but it was a change from yesterday’s cold —a certain softness, a suggestion of music that betokened, warmer days and sunnier skies.

The Dragon looked about him at the gray, heavy sky, and the snow-cover-ed grass. His branches —those wonderful stepping-stones that the children loved to climb—were still draped in a soft snowv cloak.

He could not make out what the difference w r as, but he felt quite sure there was a Something. He wondered if any of his leaves were sprouting and beginning to peep through, or if some birds had spotted a snug corner in the fork of one of his branches and intended to. build a nest. But the sight of the white country-side made him realize that nest-building had not yet begun, A small Robin alighted on Dragon’s arm, and hopped around making little happy noises as if he, too, had found an extra “something” to be glad about.

“What is it.” whispered Dragon. “What is what?” chirped Robin. “Something—l cannot And it out—but there is something. Is the snow going?” Robin smiled. “Going? Maybe it is going, some time, but it has not gone yet. Look at" it, look at the children skating and tobogganing. Have .you not had snowballs aimed at you? I had to dodge some this very morning when the boys were having a big game. It was such fun, and I longed to join in, but they did not notice me.”

“Yes, I, too, have had my full share of snowballing. But I still feel something different. Perhaps it is clover," he added softly. Robin hopped up and down in merriment. “How funny you are, Dragon," he cheeped. “Do you really think you can smell clover when it won’t, arrive for months? Can you really imagine flowers are here?" Just, as he was speaking there came the weeniest, teeniest tinkle over the snow.

“What is it?" asked Robin under his breath.

‘ ‘ Bells—little bells bringing us some news. Let us ask the Wind what they are saying.” Eobin hopped, round to. .the other side of the' bid tree so as to catch the Wind as he flew past, and there his little bright eyes saw a beautiful sight. Close by Dragon's side, nestling against the sheltering boughs near the. ground, was a bunch of Snowdrops, glowing in the snow.

“Hello!” said Eobin. “So it. is you -who are ringing the bells!” “Yes, we decided to wake up today, because- there, is something different, the promise of warmer days—' ’

“I know what it is!” cried Eobin, breaking into a little song, “it is Spring - !” and his sw r eet voice sang out the loveliest melody. Dragon stirred happily and rocked his boughs from side to side, for he knew that Spring was close at hand, trailing her flowery garments over the countryside.

A good story -was told me concerning Audrey Combe, Lady Moira Combe's little daughter, w r ho was recentty a bridesmaid. Asked whether she would like to be a bridesmaid again, she replied: “I would much rather he the lady that walks in front.”—The Star.

I SHAN’T BOTHER.

Susan wasn’t ready when the breakfast bell rang. “Oh, dear!” she said. “I shan’t bother to brush my hair,’’ She combed it quickly and ran downstairs, looking rather untidy. Susan had developed a dreadful habit of saying—“l shan’t bother,’’ aud this habit was growing worse. Susan’s fairy came along just then, and she was very much shocked to find the little girl was growing so careless.

Did you know that there are fairies who look after children and see that they behave nicely? Susan’s fairy had been away curing a boy w 7 ho bit his nails, so she hadn’t seen Susan for some time.

When the fairy found that Susan ‘ ‘ wouldn’t bother, ’ ’ she flew to a powerful wizard and said —“Please, may I have some strong magic to cure a little girl who won’t bother?’’ The wizard gave her a good spell, and she took it back to Susan’s house, and arranged it so that it started to work in the morning. Next morning Susan was late again, and she thought she wouldn’t bother doing her hair. As she turned to go downstairs she heard a sound, and on looking round she saw a most surprising thing. Her hair brush had grown two little logs and was coming towards her.

.Susan gasped with fright and turned to run away. The brush followed, singing shrilly:— I'll follow you here and I'll follow you there, And I’ll rush by your side till you do brush your hair,

Down the stairs went Susan, and after her came the brush. At the bottom Susan stopped breathless, and then she noticed the words of the brush's song. “Oh, dear," she sighed. “I suppose I must brush my hair with the horrid thing!"

She picked up the brush timidly and, as she touched it its legs vanished and it became an ordinary brush—again, Susan did her hair properly then, and looked much neater than usual at breakfast.

After breakfast Susan's mother told her to change her shoes for school, Susan didn't want to- bother, and as she went to the boot cupboard she grumbled crossly. “I shan’t bother." As she said this there was a scuffle .inside the cupboard, the door opened, and out jumped her Shoes. They sang squeakily:— We’ll play and we’ll dance, and we’ll do what we choose, And we’ll run by your side till you do change your, shoes. Susan seized the lively... shoes - and put them on, and at once they became quiet again. Susan was quite cured of her bad habit, for whenever she said, “I shan't bother, ’ ’ the spell always worked, and then,she.had to bother.

WIT AND HUMOUR,

Minister (heaping coals of fire tjron a strayed lamb)—“And as a consequence, you have now a splitting headaclie, your mouth is parched, and you wonder if life is worth living.” Eeveller—“That's correct, sir. I can see you've been through it like the rest of us.''

The mountaineer was driving a single hog to Atlanta, when a man overtook him on the highway. ■

In reply to questions the mountaineer said he could get 2 dollars more for his hog in Atlanta than at the County scat and that it took him two days to go to Atlanta' and two more to return home.

“Man, you get only 2 dollars more for the hog in Atlanta and it takes you all that time?”

“Time?” said the mountaineer “What's time to a hog?”

A little boy had taken his mother’s powder puff and was in the act of po’wdering his face when his small sister, aged 5, snatched it from him*.

“You mustn't do that,” she exclaimed. “Only ladies use powder; gentlemem wash theirselves.”—Transcript.

The constable was taking the offender’s name and address.

“Why do you always lick your pencil before you write down the particulars?” asked the latter. The constable frowned ominously. “To make the case look blacker,” he said.

The son of a butcher had great difficulty in dealing with fractions in his arithmetic lessons.

“Now, let us suppose,” said the teacher, “that a customer came to your father to buy five pounds of meat, and that yOur father had only four in the shop to sell. What would he do?”

“Keep his hand on the meat'while he was weighing it!” w - as the youngster ’s reply.

Uncle was visiting little Betty, who had been ill.

“Well, my dear,” he said, “and how did you find yourself ■ this'morning? ’ ’

Betty opened her big, innocent blue

eyes. ‘ ‘ Oh, uncle, I just opened my eyes—and there I was.”