CHILDREN’S CORNER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 1 May 1926, Page 10

CHILDREN’S CORNER

I BILLIIUNS IN THE VILLAKINB I ______ I'm “cainping-out” Billy Boys! I'm camping-cut in tljc Villaln'ns It's great fun, too, because you can do what you like, when you iike, and how you like; and you can have your meals when you want them. 1 don’t ray they’re particularly substantial meals, but—there you are! —when you are your own cook, you don’t expect a banquet, do you? I wandered info the Hut on Monday morning, came to grief, and wandered cut again. Wendy said she thought it would be better if 1 camped-out in the Yiilalvins for a day or two; she would see that my larder was kept well filled, and I eouid amuse myself by cleaning cut my own domain, and cooking my own food. j Now—l'll give you a perfectly good recipe for cooking potatoes; you take a large potato —or a small one if you’re not very hungry—and you peel it. Then you get sumo butter (dreadful extravagance, Wendy says; you really ought to use (hipping!) and put it in a pan and make it boil c-rver a fire (the butter, not the pan !) and when the butter is boiling, you cut the potato into thin slices and plop them into the boiling butter (sounds like a tongue twister, doesn’t it?) and boil them in the boiling butter until they’re brown In the meantime (all the best cookery books sav “in the meantime”) you cut a slice of bread anl stick it on a fork and make toast. Then you take up the potatoes which you have boiled in boiling butter and plop them on the toast—and get to work! In the intervals of eating potatoes on toast, I clean the Villakins. Oh-o-o-o I wish you could come, along. It’s great fun. I’ve found, tilings I thought had gone for ever; aiid I’ve found things I never knew I had—tucked away in corners, you know, and stuck behind pictures. I’m not looking my most beautiful best, and I’m always rather damp, anil flie dirt comes off the walls on to my

i face ard hands—but I’m.getting through i and I’m going to give Wendy and ’link the surprise of (heir lives when I’ve finished cleaning the Villakins. | I forgot—about the dancing lessons... “Come along with that letter if it’s t.<> go in the Corner this week” Wendy has iu.it called from the Hut' l'l) tell you about the dancing next week. . . . THE BILLY BOYS’ WORKSHOP HOW TO MAKE A STATIONERY CABINET Would you like to make a nice little home for note-paper and envelopes, Billy Boys? Yes? Well —let’s tiy the little cabinet shown in Fig, 1, shall we? It comprises three separate drawers in a case resting on four small feet. The material required may he obtained from a confectioner’s shop at a very smalt cost, because it consists merely of three | shallow wooden chocolate boxes of exact-! Jy the same size. These are used for the drawers, and two slightly larger boxes are needed for the cabinet itself. | First remove, the lids of the boxes by unfastening the wire clips. Then cut one of the lids to form neat fronts t'or the three boxes which, are to form the draw- j ers. Take one strip of wood and glue and nail it to one of the long sides of a box, as shown in Fig. 2. Make this front piece exactly the same width, as the box; set its top edge level with thoj top of tlie drawer, but let the bottom I i'dge project about half an inch below; tiie bottom. Treat the other two drawers in the same way, rub off any rough- 1 ness with coarse sandpaper, and the drawers are readv.

Make the sides of the big box as shown in Fig. 3. The wood of the other box lids will provide»the material. Nail two runners of half-inch square wood to each of the inner sides. Use the wood from the remaining boxes for the top, bottom and back of the case. Nail them firmly together, with the drawers in place. Cut ard fix the four little feet, varnish the woodwork, fix knobs to the centres of the drawers, and you have a very attractive cabinet. ANOTHER NURSERY RHYME WENDY HUT EDITION Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake, baker’s man, Bake me a Cake as fast as you can. For it soon will be BiJlikins’ birthday, you see, And the Wendy Hut’s having the jullicst spree Bake it with currants, ail'd raisins and spice. And everything else that is wholesome and nice ; And white sugar icing with silvery stars, For the guests who are corning in Fairyland cars. And whatever you do you mustn’t forget, " ' To put Billikins’ name, ’cos lie’s everyone's pet. , , Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man, ! Get busv as quickly as ever you can. ' Daffv Dill. ! THE CACTUS > ! The cactus grew by itself in a hot, sandy desert, and was riot very happy. “I can’t help being ugly and full of prickles”, thought the cactus, “but I do wish somebody would like me. Here I arn, struggling hard enough to get moisture out of the ground to keep myself alive, and nobody has a good word for me. I don’t suppose those tortoises will even greet me as they pass.” The tortoises were walking along at quite a good pace, one behind the other,

their brown shells shining in the sun, their funny littje heads looking about expectantly. I “Cactus !” said the first, tortoise .“No good at all! You eqn’t eat cactus. Let us rest near these stones.” the cactus v’ighc-d, and presently a party of jerboas came leaping merrily over the sand. They were ljke little jiiiicc with very long back legs resembling those of a kangaroo, and they were looking foe some supper. ■'Cactus!” cried the jerboas. “Utterly useless.” “Oil dear", sighed the cactus, seeing a camel in the distance. “He’s bigger than the others, so perhaps lie’ll say something worse still.” The camel could only just hobble along, but when bis weary eyes fell upon the cactus they became quite bright. “Exquisite delicious, juicy cactus,” tie cried, “you have saved my life!” He ate it, thankfully, and walked in. “11a, ha”, laughed the cactus root. “] am good for something! I must grow more leaves quickly for the next hungry camel.” “Sorry,” said the tortoises and jerboas. “We didn’t know you were such an extremely useful tiling. Let’s be friends, Cactus.” “Delighted,” answered the cactus. “You see, you mustn’t say tilings- are no good because you don’t happen to want them yourself.”

GIRLS ARE SO FUNNY Now Arabella was the sort Of girl who looked like honey; You know the kind; as sweet as sweet, Her smile could be so sunny ! And yet of Arabella-girl ' I’ll tell a, tale that’s funny. ... They always chose her, don’t you know To be the Fairy Queen. ... At ail. the concerts and the fetes Was Arabella seen ! Her fluffy skirts and ringlets smooth .Made many other girls , Just wish "and wish that they’d been born With lovely golden curls!. . . And now we come to that queer tale That I shall here unfold. . . . Can you believe this lovely lass Would grow quite hot and cold With something very like unto An envy yellowish-green, iAnd not at all becoming in A dainty Fairy Queen !) — When she beheld a plainer girl In gay Prince Charming dress?. . . Yet Arabella, nigh in tears, To Mother did confess That in her Fairy Queen’s attire She fob no further joy; And that slic’d give the whole wide world To look ,inore like a boy ! THE TINY TINKITES’ TOYSHOP # MAKING A CHILD'S SWING The great thing in making a swing is to be quite sure that it is strong. It will be very popular, and you would be sorry if it broke and let flown one of the tinics; so be certain that your work is firm and strong before presenting your home made gift. The swing consists of a wooden seat, shown in Fig. 2. suspended on cords, and tlve sizes marked are suitable for the average child. Make the seat of wood about 1 inch thick, nail battens to the under side ends, and drill £ inch diameter holes as shown in Fig. 2.

Next make up four short slats and two long ones, as shown in Fig. 3, these

lining ;f bout, 1a inches in width and ft.inch in thickness. Round off their ends and drill through them as shown in Fig. 4. Next get eight wooden beads, like the one shown in Fig. 4, about 2 inches deepr- Then take a piece of very strong clolnes line, about 6 to 7 feet long, form an eye in the'middle of its length by tying a lashing of twine mound it, the eye passing through rings as shown in Fig. 1. Tie knots in the loose ends about 12 inches from the end, and then pass the cord through tiie slats and beads alternately, and tie knots at the extreme ends, thus completing die swing.