CHILDREN’S CORNER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 17 November 1926, Page 8

CHILDREN’S CORNER

D'you know those lovely, drooping, lazy-lobkiug Irons (hat you nearly always find lay the. side of the water? Weeping Willows I think (lie Humans cull lliem. Did you ever notice the one in our garden, close beside the Wendy Hut Brook that babbles along at the bottom of the lawn? 1 always thought it was .just an ordinary tree—a Tioriiiously lovely tree, of course, but just a tree. Until the other day .... 1 was wandering in the garden, wondering what to do next, when I heard a voice inside the tree calling: “Billikins Billikins! Come in here, Billy Boy!” 1 didn't quite see how I could got inside a tree, but still the voice kept calling, so T tried Have von ever parted the low, drooping branches of a weeping willow free, Billy Boys, and walked in between them, and found yourself in a. sort of little green house, with a domed roof through

which the sunshine bickers and the shadows Hit? I expect you have, ’spe cially when you've been in camp and wanted a cool place to lie down in 1 loved this little green house, with a, domed roof, and I walked all round it, listening to the breeze rustling in the leaves and whispering fairy stories (o them; for of course*, the breeze decs whisper fairy stories to the leaves, else how to Hie stories get to Humanland at all? As I walked round, I heard the same Ifctlo voice call again: “Billikins, Billikins; help me, Billv Boy !”

Whoever could it be? I wondered, as 1 searched in every, corner for I lie owner of the voice. Someone wanted help—that was quite clear, and. being Billikins, anti, leader of the Billy Boys’ clan, it was up to me to see what I could do. Good gracious! There was the owner of the voice—way hack in the furthest corner of the littie green house with the domed roof. But what could he he doing, seated cross-legged on the ground, with his rosy-red face and his twinkly eyes and even his tiny pointed ears all twitching with eagerness as lie bent over his task? , ' “Wha what- are you doing here, please, Sir Elf? I asked very politely, for I saw at once that he was an Elf of the Trees and they’re very important persons, vou know. ■ “Wha- —what am I doing?’' he mocked. “Why preparing the paint. . .

of course” “P-p-paint?” I stammered, wondering what on earth we wanted with paint in the Wendy Hut garden Yes. . . . p-p-paint !” the little Elf man mocked again. "And you ve all heeu so busy gardening this year that there are twice as many flowers and trees and hushes to colour as there were this lime last year. And I’ve been all day trying to mix enough paint, and I've to get the job finished by midnight, and how I’m going to do it without help I'm sure I don’t know !” he finished up breathlessly. ‘‘Conns on, young Billikins—up with your sleeves anc! give mo a hand witlT the paint pots!” Then I knew what was happening! At all seasons of the year the Elves of the 'frees are busy, you know —sometimes (hey are painting everything a pale, soft green ; sometimes they aro throwing great splashes of crimson over the earth ; at others they aro gently tinging the foliage with gold and red-brown: and I lien, suddenly, they whip leaves and llowers right away and hide them, until it is time to start painting (lie world green again. You ciin just imagine how pleased ? was to help ! For hour and hours wo mixed the paint, getting purply-grccns and purply-re'ds, and yellowy-browns and pinky-creams, and vivid crimson, until we had a row of pots full of the most wonderful colours you ever saw. And for the rest of the day and all night long. 'I went round tho Wendy Hut garden with the elf of the Trees, painting here and just splashing there: putting a great blot of erimson on a •.■ambler, nr a little tinge of brown on the rose leaves.

At last.tired out, Eff of the Trees and I crept hack into tho weeping willow house with (he domed roof, curled ourselves up on the leaf-spread ground, and went to sleep. T slept and slept and slept until I heard a voice outside :

THE WENDY HUT

SILLIKINS HAS A'NEW ADVENTURE

ANB fi(!)£R A LITTLE PAINTING

' Wendy, Wendy, Wtfndee! Come •ind see your garden—it’s b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-f. The Elves of the Trees must have been busy all night long! Come on, Wendeo!’’ If was Tink’s voice I heard, and, as I crept out into the sunny daylight, l saw Wendy running from (ho Hut, head back, e.vcs flashing, longing lo see the wonders of her garden after the Elves of flu* Trees had painted it. And i never told lliem I had helped !

THE BILLY BOYS’ WORKSHOP

MAKING A BENCH VICE

Billy Boys who are. interested in t.ho “Workshop Corner,” and like lo try the models described by flm TTiit Carpenter, need a bench vice of some, sort; Imt a proper one may nol he easily obtainable.

,\ good siibslilule can be made of wood,, as shown in Pig. 1, and need not cost much for materials; often sufficient pieces can lie found in the house without flic lined of buying anything at all.

The vice consists of a baseboard of wood about 4 inches wide, 1 inch thick and 15 niches long. To one end screw a hnttcii on the underside, and then screw linn!her piece firmly across the fop part, milking the latter.about 2 iuches-square. Prepare (wo oilier pieces s*.~ about 2 inches square and 4 inches long,, nml to one of them fix to stout wooden or metal pegs, as shown in Fig. 2, spacing

them about 3 inches apart. Next drill, a scries of holes in I In*, baseboard so Buif I lie pegs will fit lliem, but take care to keep the holes in line so that the piece of wood will be. at right angles lo (he length of the baseboard. This forms the “jaw” of (ho vice arid is adjustable by setting it into any of the holes drilled in the baseboard.

Now get l.wo long screws such as lliuse sold for fastening windows and get two nuts with flanges to suit them. These fillings cost only a, small sum at any ironmonger's.* .Screw (he nuts to flic inner side of the fixed block on the base-, hoard and drill holes through it to allow the screws to pass as shown in Fig. 3 . This completes the vice, which may be screwed or clamped to the workbench or table.

To use the vice, place the material to be gripped between tile adjustable block and the second loose one, tighten the screws, thus pressing the vice “jaws” together, as in Fig, 1, to hold the work firmly. This makes quite a practical and useful addition to the tool kit of the home, worker.

WENDY’S LITTLE DRESSMAKERS

You will probably ho wanting new dresses lor school or playtime just now, and won’t you feel proud if you make them all by yourselves! The one we have chosen for you this week is very easy to put together, but it will look very pretty when made up because it is in mock "pinafore” style. Choose some nice dark material for the main part, with a contrasting colour for the sleeves and waistbelt.

Tho bodice (diagram A) is cut just the same as usual, in rnagyar style; make it about four inches wider than

;.oui' width, and as deep as from your shoulders to just below your normal waistline. The sleeves should be cut about fifteen inches wide, and a nice length, so that when you gather tlio lower edges into a cuff they come well down over the wrists. Gather tho top edges Loo, and stitch firmly into the arin-

holes. The neck of the bodice can be hound with a narrow strip of the sleeve material cut on the cross. And now you’re ready for the skirt. (Diagram B.j This should be about a yard and a half wide, and as long as from your waist to just above your knees, allowing for a two-inch hem at the bottom. Gather the top up until it fiis the bodice, and tack it neatly in place, taking care to get the gathers nice and even. Then, when you have *cwn the bodice and skirt firmly together. you can make the waistband.

This can either be made long, and tied at’the hack, sash-fashion, or it can be cut to (it round vour waist, and fasten with a button or press-studs.

A DELICIOUS SWEET COCO AN 13 T ICE Every likes coeounut ice, and it is one of l hose nice sweets which cannot go wrong wlicn made at home. First lino a sma'll tin with greaseproof paper. Now put a. pound and a. .-half of icing sugar/in &'saucepan with 'two tahlespoonsfnt of water; stir with a /wooden spoon, and bring gently to tho jhoil'. When boiling— icing sugar does toot- make a syrup—add a pbund of 'dossil a ted coconut ,and' mix well together l>v tho side, ot the fire.

Now pour half ttie contents of the saucepan into tho (in, making it even willi flu- wooilen spoon, anil allow it to cool.

Coiour (hr remaining ice willi V-nolii-noal. and s(ir bv the lire till it is a g,.ii(| pink, (lien pour il on top of the while ice. and leave In sol. When cold cut into bars willi a sharp knife.