The Wendy Hut.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 23 December 1933, Page 9

The Wendy Hut.

LONG AGO STORIES WHEN NELL DANCED WITH THE SUN It was the first Easter after the return of King Charles 2nd to England and the people up at the Manorhouse were going to dance with the sun on Easter morning. Nell heard all about it, but, being a Puritan, and her father having fought for Cromwell, she was not allowed to dance, nor to take part in any of the old customs. Nell cried, and her father asked her the l eason.

“I be a bad maid, but I would like to dance with the sun on Easter morning,” she sobbed. • ‘Tis a, wicked custom,” replied her father. “Long ago folk worshipped the sun, and this dancing with it on Easter morning is but a vile memory of the

past when the heathen danced with it in order to celebrate the return of spring.” “Aye, they were glad to see the spring after winter, but we be glad, too, because "tis Easter,” said Nell. Then her father locked her up in her room. But at cold, grey dawn on Easter morning she looked out of her window and saw all the folk from the Manor troop down the little street. The butcher and life family joined them, and the blind beggar, too. “Be thee coming, Nell?” laughed the young son of the Manor house. “I’ll throw thee up a rope.” Nell knew she ought not to go—but she went. She slid down the rope, ran off, and climbed the hill outside the village. Other people were there, waiting for the sun to' rise, and when it appeared—all lemon and pink in the grey sky—Nell caught her breath because it was so beautiful. “ ’Tis Easter morning!” cried the lord of the manor. “The very sun dances for joy. Let us dance with it.” Then a long shaft of sunlight fell on .the hill, and all the people took bits of glass, or knives, and the ladies of the Manor held out their beautiful silver-backed mirrors, and the sun was reflected in them, and tossed about, and they all danced with it. Nell’s heart was nearly bursting with joy and thanksgiving. At last they all went down the hill to church. The bells rang, and it was a wonderful Easter morning, but when Nell came out of church she caught her father’s eye, for he had been there, too. “Father,” she said in a trembling voice, “I have danced with the sun.” Her father had her put in the stocks where she bowed her head in bitter shame. Never again did she dance with the sun on Easter morning. “ ’Tis a wicked, heathen custom,” she said, years later, to her own children. “Thee shall not go.” But she did not tell them how she had once disobeyed her father, or of the punishment she had suffered.

PRETTY “TRIMMINGS” FOR YOUR CAPS A Wendy girl wants to know how she can trim up her last-year’s cap to make it look “new,” so we have thought out a few ideas, for her and for any other Tinkites who would like to do a bit of renovation work. The first sketch, A, shows the simplest plan of all. A little cap of navy

blue wool is trimmed on the left side, with a cluster of embroidered wool snots. Tink embroidered a cap like this, choosing orange, jade and white wools for the satin-stitch spots. She chalked them in first, then worked them as shown in the left-hand diagram A. A brown cap embroidered with yellow spots would look nice; so would a black one trimmed with cherry red spots. Diagram 13 gives you another idea. In this case, a little posy of crochet wool (lowers is perched on top of a blue beret, and a posy to match is pinned on the right shoulder of the jumper. Yon can use up oddments of

wool to make these flowers. Begin with five chain and join into a ring. Work two double-crochet into each of the five stitches, then work two double crochet into each of the stitches in the next row. Finally, work two double crochet into everv alternate stitch of the preceding row, with one doublecrochet between. For a leaf, make a length of eight chain; work two double crochet into the first two chain after the hook, four trebles into the next four chain, and two double-crochet into the next two chain. Then go round on the other side of the chain, and repeat. When you have made three flowers and three leaves, join all into a posy, and stitch this on top of the cap. Diagram C shows yet another renovation. Chalk a puppy figure on the left side of your beret, and outline it with white wool stem-stitch, adding black spots for eye and nose. If the beret is a light one, work the design in black or br.own wool, instead of white. —Wendy’s, Dressmaker.

THE BILLY BOYS’ WORKSHOP A USEFUL BOOT-BRUSH BOX I’his strong box will be found very useful for keeping together bootbrushes, tins of polish and polishing cloths. It can be made .from ordinary deal three-eighths of' an inch thick, with the exception of the bottom, which must be made from three-ply wood. I For the sides of the box, cut two pieces of wood to the sizes given in diagram A, and, after planing on both sides, mark the slanting top edges and saw away the parts not required. Finish the edges, down to the marked line, with a small plane. The two ends, 8.8. are nine inches long and three‘and a half inches wide. The centre partition C, which is nine inches long and four and a half inches wide, has a slot cut in the top to allow the fingers to pass under the handle. To make the slot, drill two holes with a three-quarter inch bit, and cut the wood away with a pad-saw. Round off the edges of the slot with glasspaper. A sheet of ply-wood fourteen and a •quarter inches by ten inches will be needed for the bottom of the box, and this must be fixed in p'lafce after the sides and ends are screwed together. Use countersunk screws three-quarters

of an inch long. Before marking the positions of the screw-holes in the plywood base, see that this projects one-eighth of an inch equally all round. , Fix the centre partition with screws through the sides and bottom of the box, and screw on the handle, which is a piece of three-eighths inch wood, two inches wide. Round off the edges of the handle with glasspaper, especially at the centre. Finally, smooth the edges of the plywood base with glasspaper, and coat the box inside and outside with varnish stain. —The Hut Carpenter.

COME PARACHUTE JUMPING I have just been talking to a famous professional parachute juniper, and thought you might be interested to know exactly how a person leaps from an aeroplane. > , (i “ First he straps the parachute and its case firmly to his body, and prepares for a long climb in the ’plane of about 5000 feet. It is impossible to jump from loss than 1000 feet and come down safely. When the proper height has been reached, the jumper climbs on to the wing and stands with his back to the

TINK’S CROSS-WORD PUZZLE

propeller, whilst the pilot slows down the machine as much as possible. “Right!” yells the man in the ’plane. “Right!” the jumper yells back, and then he pitches head foremost as far away from the tail of the aeroplane as he can. With his hand gripping the rip-cord he waits a few seconds until he is quite clear, and then he- pulls hard. Actually the pull is one of ten pounds pressure. “Wump!” There is a bang, and the 'chute opens, 1J seconds after the cord has been pulled. One thing you must remember if you have ever to make a jump you mustn’t pull the cord unless you are head-downwards. You will be turning over and over as you fall, so you must wait until your head is down, otherwise the ’chute might wrap itself about you. and be useless. When about to hit the ground, the jumper lets his body go quite limp. If lie didn’t he would probably break his legs, or his neck, or both! A QUICK WAY TO MAKE COCONUT ICE

Roll a pound of icing sugar, and add to it not quite half a pound of very fine desiccated coconut.’ Mix well in a fairly large basin. Have ready some boiling milk, make a hole in the middle of the coconut mixture, pour in a little milk, and mix with a fork to a stiff paste. Take out half of the mixture and shape it into a block. Colour the other half pink with cochineal, or brown with cocoa, and shape this also into a block. Brush the white icc with a liitle milk, and put the coloured ice on it. Place a piece of greaseproof paper on the top, stand a weight on this, and leave to dry.

TINK’S CROSSWORD PUZZLE Solution to last week’s puzzle:— ACROSS 1. Green food- that’s good for you! (Cabbage). (5. Because. (As). 7. Belonging to us. (Our). 9. Vegetable usually served for dinner. (Potato). 11. Small kind of deer. > (Roe). 13. Not closed. (Open). 14. They’re ground into oatmeal. (Oats). 16. Conclusion. (End). 17. Tracks or foot-prints. (Traces). 19. Not high. (Low). 20. Conjunction. (Or). 21. Regards with respect. (Esteems). DOWN 1. Root vegetables of a red colour. (Carrots). 2. Same,as 6 across! (As). 3. Couldn’t say —— to a goose! (Boo). 4. Word meaning “self,” as in —graph which means your own signature. (Auto). 5. Fruit growing on a vine. (Grapes). 8. Marvellous things or events. (Wonders). 9. Parts of a flower. (Petals). 10. This number. (Ten). 12. Rowers use it. (Oar). 15. Native of Scotland. (Scot). 18. A sheep. (Ewe). 20. Short for “order of merit.” (0.M.). Now a nice easy one that the tinies will be able to manage. Clues:— ACROSS 1. It sails on the sea. 5. Follows either. ♦B. One time. 10. Deserve. 12. Flow back (the tide). 14. Girl’s name. 15. Wild plum. 17. Unhappy. 18. Perhaps you have to write one at school sometimes. ■> 21. If you . 24. Most cheerful. ’ ; down 2. Cow with a crumpled . .' 3. Kind of hotel. 4. Short for “police constable.” 6. Dressed in a robe. 7. What 1 across sails on. 9. Wriggling fish. 11. Insects. 13. These also go on the sea or river. 16. Lacking colour. 18. The hen lays it. 19. Pry. 20. Affirmative word. 22. Preposition. 23. Exclamation of enquiry.

Stone window ledges are too often neglected and allowed to become wea-ther-beaten and discoloured. To bleach them scrub vigorously with common salt and very little water. Epsom salts dissolved in cold water 'and applied to windows evenly will give a good imitation of frosted glass. Allow three tablespoonfuls to one pint of water. When cleaning distemper, always work from the bottom to the top. Use a soft cloth wrung out in warm water after the walls have been well dusted. Wool should never be wound tightly, or it will become impoverished.