THE WENDY HUT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 27 October 1928, Page 12

THE WENDY HUT

BILLIKINS HAS A LOT TO SAY

Wliat a rush! What a scramble! What a life!

I only returned from a “well-de-served holiday” a few days ago, and here's Wendy bullying me round like anything! She says I liave neglected you; asks why I couldn’t write before, and makes various jolly little remarks about my conduct generally. But I don’t worry. I have, such a lot to tell you now that I feel quite breathless! 'l’d begin with, I brought home four of the cheekiest little bantams you ever saw in your lives! Perky golden birds, they are, as proud as you please ancl as ready to fight as Dempsey! The people I stayed with gave them to Vie and I brought them in a wooden crate with holes punched in for air. The things clucked and crowded all the way home, and everyone crowded round to see wliat sort of queer luggage I had!

I told Wendy I was bringing them, arid she got the Hut carpenter to fixup a hen-house ancl a wired-in run in the garden. Like to know how to do it, Billy Boys? If so, I’ll get the carpenter to toll you one of these fine davs.

When I got the bantams home I straightaway opened tlie box to put them in the run and—would you believe it?—those ungrateful birds simply flew oft’ in the opposite direction! Of course Wendy and Tink said I should liave waited until I was inside the run before opening the box. But you can’t wait when you’re on tenterhooks to show off your new possessions, can you? It was a pity, though, because it took Wendy, Tink, the carpenter, the gardener, the dressmaker ancl everyone else, in the -Hut about two hours to catch the horrid little things. Then they clucked arid crowed so hard that the nice old gentleman and his wife from down the lane came rushing up to know who was being killed and why!

•However, they have settled clown quite nicely now, and I’m going to breed bantams. The little hens lay lovely wee eggs. I’ve only lmcl them a week and already I have twelve jolly eggs—or I should have if I hadn’t eaten them. Wendy says I’ll never get a ‘sitting’ if I go on like this, but those eggs arc really rather good! I’ll tell you when I have a brood of baby bantams—if any! Wendy says it’s the wrong time of the year for breeding chicks, but you never know until you try, and I don’t think she understands much about it anyway.

Aliy advice on chicken rearing will be most gratefully received, because I’m the most hopeless amateur, though I’m quite ready to learn. •Lots more to say, but no room to say it in, so I’ll tell you about the donkey next week.—Love from Billikiiis.

WENDY’S LITTLE DRESSMAKERS My dear children, You will need about a yard and a half of 27-inch wide material to make a juniper.like the one in the picture..lt, is rather a pretty pattern,' with the

“Wendy’s Little Dressmakers” A jumper to wear with the skirt you made last week.

fulness gathered into an imitation hip band.

“The Billy Boys’ Workshop”

Fold the material in half widtliways and lengthways, and cut as shown by the shaded parts of diagram A. The little added sleeves are made out of strips of cotton braid and joined on to the shoulders. Seam up the shoulders, sew along the sides of

jumper :and ‘:'bip:ba'nd”, -arid .then ‘ : l!tirn up a horn roupd the bottom.• Gather up and cut. edges of the upper jumper part, and sew them into the “hip-band”, as explained in diagram B> neatening the edges inside with-narrow tape. Now for the trimming. As you’ll see, the flower-embroidered braid is sewu round the neck -as a binding, aud a ten-inch length is sewn down the left side of the jumper -front.-Little bands sewn over the joins of the -hip band will simulate pockets, and a wee white hanky stitched into place one side will add a realistic touch. You’ll find it best to sew all the braid into position before embroidering the flowers. These are done in lazydaisy stitch like diagram C —they’re quite old friends of ours, aren’t they? -Red flowers on a blue background would look jolly if the jumper were buff-coloured; green flowers on a lavender braid for a grey jumper; yellow flowers on orange braid for a brown jumper—all are cheery colour-schemes, but I expect you’ll work out some special plan of your own! —Wendy’s Dressmaker. THE FAIRY BALL The cowslip bells are ringing, and they ring a happy chime, To summon all the Fairy-Folk; it’s nearly sunset time, Titania, fairest Fairy Queen, has planned a Ball to-night; A Ball for all the Goblin-Men, for every tiny sprite! The Butterflies arc busy; they are weaving garlands gay Of rosemary and pimpernel, to keep bad spells away. The Ladybirds are polishing the glossy dancing floor; The little Froggy Footmen stand, in green, beside the door.

“The Fairy Ball” “In rainbow dresses, petal-blue, the Fairy dancers throng.”

In rainbow dresses, petal-pale, the Fairy dancers throng; They drift across the moonlit room, with silver elfin song. > Oh beautiful the singing, and the ringing sad and sweet, Anil sweeter than the cowslip chillies, the sound of fairy feet. The Stars shine down, then start to pale—--the dawn air whispers chill; Anil-far away, a lone cock’s crow creeps sadly o’er the hill. By one and one, in shadowed hosts, the Fairies steal away, To leave the world for mortal tread, because it’s dawn o’day!

THE MONARCH AND THE PAINTER A TRUE STORY Four hundred years ago, the Emperor Maximillian visited the town of Nurnberg to inspect the pictures which the great artist, Albrecht Durer, was painting on the walls of the council chain-, her of the town hall. He was mightily! pleased with all lie saw, but suggested some slight alteration to one of the figures. The painter at once fetched a ladder and started to climb up, his brush in his hand. The ladder was not very steady and the Emperor called to one of liis pages to hold it firmly. The boy hesitated: “Shall I, who am nobly 'born, Sire, do this for a man of the people?” said he, “pray allow me to ! fct(ih one of the servants to perform this menial office!” The Emperor was furius at the arrogance of his page. Curtly ordering Him to hold the ladder one side, he himself trtok the other. “What your Sovereign can do,” he cried, “will bring no dishonour on you.” And he continued to hold the ladder lintil the painter had made the alteration. When it was finished, the Monarch - turned to his •page : ' 1 ' - : “You vain young Jack-a-napes! Had you done this service freely, you would have brought honour upon yourself. In his own kingdom -Albrecht Durer has no equal. He reigns supreme. My royal word can make of any subject an aris-j tocrat. Out of a thousand nobles, I; cannot make one Albrecht Durer!” To the astonished painter he said: “Kneel!” and, waving his sword over liis head, he commanded him to rise, a Knight of the Holy Roman Empire. “But keep,” he added, “the name which you have already ennobled by your art, for I can give you none that; is greater.” THE BILLY BOYS’ WORKSHOP FROM CIGAR BOX TO LETTER RACK This letter rack can be made from thin wood—cigar box wood will be i splendid. It is eight inches wide across the front, three and a half inches broad,

and the back is six and a half inches high in.the middle. Study' the 'diagrams , and you will see "the ' shape of the five pieces required to make it, It will be better to cut • the pattern in brown paper first; then take the cigar box to pieces, mark out the parts carefully with a pencil, cqt into shape with a fret-saw, arid-tqipk’them together with tiny nails. Now glue some attractive wallpaper over the wood; start with the outside, bend the paper neatly over £o the inside, and line the inside with pieces cut to shape. If no cigar, box is available and you decide to niake the rack of cardboard, each pippe must -be covered wjth cretonne before being assembled. '’Chit the cretonne larger than the cardboard and,

with needle and thread, draw the edges together at the back; . then gflni another piece of cretonne, cut s tp jfitero. over the inside of the mack.'’Now “ftx all the parts’ together at the corners with a few stitches of bright silk matching the cretonne in colour. Tink’s Cross-word Puzzle will 1 bo found on the .next page.