FOR YOUNG FOLK

Northern Advocate, 5 November 1932, Page 11

FOR YOUNG FOLK

THE MOON-BOAT. By Ma rgaret riov:ni. •Just before Peter’s bedtime, 1; 1 1 < • door-bell rang. 11 was the moon-man, and he liad come to sit in front of Hr- liro ami talk for a little w'hile before starting on his night's travels round tin* sky. ‘•Oil, Mother! May J slay ir [ > asked Peter. ‘‘l’m afraid not, Peter,'' said Mother. ‘‘Tomorrow’s a sehool day.'' So Peter had to go to lied. He undressed slowly, watching trie moonlioat whieli had Been tied to tinpoint of the star all the tino-. He had often gone for sails in her. At the first of the month when the moon was very little, the moon-man always took all the ehildren in her, and he used to let them try to sail her too. It was quite easy. Xow the moon-boat was Ida, and round, and looked ready for a sail. No wonder Peter didn't want to go to bed. At last he was undressed, had his pyjamas on, and there was nothing left to do but crawl under the covers. He load even remembered to clean his teeth.' I'suallv Mother had to tell him. So he climbed, in, and tried to go to sleep. Hut he couldn’t. He rolled this way, and he rolled that. He palled more covers on and then pushed them off again. He tried counting up almost to a thousand. Still he couldn’t go to sleep. He got up very quietly, and went to the window to take another look at the moon-boat. She was beautiful, Peter thought; and she seemed to he calling- him.

‘‘T wonder if I could make; her go,” said Peter to himself. The window was not very far above the ground. Peter got out, and walked down to the foot of the garden. He pulled at the rope, and the moonboat came quite close to the star. Peter stepped in. He untied the rope. He pushed the right buttons, and the boat started. It was quite easy.

Tlic moon-man was very busy telling Peter’s father all about a very big tish lie bad caught once, only it had got away. Peter’s father was ver\ busy listening, and putting coal or, the tiie. Peter's mother was vei\ busy listening, and darning Peter's stockings which always had very big holey to mend. None of them saw that the moon-boat had gone. Peter steered very carefully. He did hit one star. A little old woman lived on it, .and she had just started to eat some porridge for her supper when the moon-boat bumped into her star.

‘‘lt must l>e a star-quake’’ (which is the same as an earthquake), she said, and she was so frightened she went straight to bed, and pulled all the covers over every bit of her, and stayed there till morning.

A fter that Peter was oven more careful. Tic drove the boat over into that |.?!it oi' flic* sky ■where then- were no stars at all. He was petti no- sleepy because it was very late tor Peter. A 1 last he didn’t think he eonhl stay awake tiny longer, so he stopped the boat near a la rye eloud, and enrled tip in the lioftoin of it and went to sleep. Tin- moon-boat drifted into the eloud, which was a iih-o, soil, comiv tour*, and staved there.

After a while, at Peter’s house, the moon-man said: ‘‘l must go on now. The earth people will wonder where t am If I don't.”

Peter’s lather auu mother went to the door with him. They looked out. The moon-boat was- gone! “Whatever shall I do?” gasped the moon-man. “What will the earth people think? T must not have fastened the rope properly.” “F can’t see it anywhere,” said Peter’s father.

“And I can’t see it anywhere,” said Peter’s mother. “Whatever shall T do?” said the moon-man again. “Pretend it is a moonless night,’’ said Peter’s mother. “But it shouldn’t be,” said the moon-man. “All the earth people’s calendars say ‘full moon.’ ” *“ 1. know,” said Peter’s mother. “I have a big, round, red cheese in the house. We can hang that clown from the star, and the earth people won’t know the difference.” “I’ll -try it,” said the moon-man. “But it’s not the right colour.” Bo they got the cheese, and a long string, and hung it over the star. But j the earth people did notice, and some of the land fairies sent up messages. “W’hatovcr Ims made the moon so red louight.”’ they asked. The mooii-maa looked at Peter’s mother am) lather. “II won 'I do, ’ ’ he sa id. ‘ • | have a large, round, yellow cake plate,’’ sait l Peter’s mother, “only 1 am verv fond of it. Jt must not be broken. Von'll have to hold on to one (Mid of the string so nothing can happen to it.” Tho moon-man went out to the, end of the star, pulled up the red cheese, ami let down I he yellow plale. Peter’s mother In ought him a cushion to sit on, and a big, green blanket to putround his feet. Then she went into her house, ami she was so worried about the moon-boat that she forgot to go into Peter’s room las f thing before bed, as she always did. She did not know that Peter wasn’t tluve. Early next morning, so early that that the stars were .still blight, the cloud in which Peter was, began to leak down on the earth people. It leaked on Peter too. He wakened up,

I verv wot, very oold, and very nncom- ; I'ortable. Ho sat up and then he 1 stretched. i ‘‘l think I’d belter take the moonI boat home,'’ he said. ‘‘l wonder j what time it js ” j He started the boat. It went out jot the cloud and lie steered for home. I The moon-man was still sitting on j the point of the star holding on to the I .string which was tied round the plate. | His aims were very still'. He was very < old in spite ot' the rug. So when he saw the moon-boat coming he grew very angry. ‘‘Some one took it,’’ he said to 1 himself. ‘‘Wait until he gets here!'' j Peter linmght the boat close to tlm star. The moon-man looked ai him. ‘‘Why, it’s Peter!’’ he said in astonishment. ‘‘What, were yon doing in my boat.’ Von should have been in bed,” ‘‘l know, '' said Peter. ‘‘l I went to sloop away oil' somewhere. Is it very late?” “Late.’ Late?’’ said the moon-man. “It’s not late at all. It’s early.’’ lie pulled up Peter’s mother's good yellow plate, helped Peter on) ot' the moon-boat, ami got m. “I think—l think,’' said the moonman, “I’m getting a cold in my head, and it’s all your fault.’’ “I know I’ve got one,” said Peter, and snoozed so hard that the moonman jumped. “ Vou’d bettor go and tell your mother about, it,” said the moon-man. “And I think site’ll be Very angry when she hoars.” She was. And Peter's eold wasn’t only ia In's head. It was in his chest, and his arms, and his legs, and everywhere. He had to go to bod with a hot mustard plaster, and a hot water bottle, and a hot bath, and a hot lemonade, and all the other hot things you can think of. He was in bed for'several days, and it wasn’t much fun. And the moon-man wouldn’t take liim out in bis boat again for a long, long time. A DOUBLE HANDICAP. Employer: “Yon tire always rushing in at the last minute. Why don ; t yon get a bike to come on?” Workman: “I should, but yor see, stir, it’s down-hill t-work, an’ uphill ’ome. ’ ’

TOO BAD. Wife: ‘‘ ’Ere you arc, .just ’ome after doing two years for arson, and now you can’t even make the kitchen fire draw!”