A Corner For Children

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 1 May 1937, Page 13

A Corner For Children

PRETTY BELTS FOR YOUR FROCKS I Will tell you to-day how to make gay Waist-belts to brighten up last season’s frocks. There are three ideas in the sketch, any one of which is quite easy to carry out and looks most attractive. To make the first belt, you will need a piece of wide furniture webbing just long enough to encircle your waist, six brass or bone curtain rings, and a oneyard length of crochet wool chain in emerald, cherry, or any other vivid shade. Make the crochet chain, using double-knitting wool in two thicknesses to get the cord nice and thick.

Dressmaker tells you how to make gay belts to cheer up last season’s dresses.

Make a knot at either end. Take the webbing, fold under the two short raw edges for one inch, sew invisibly, then Stitch three rings to each edge, side by Side, using wool like that used for the crochet cord. Lace the cord through the two sets of rings, as shown in the Sketch, and tie the ends in a bow. The next belt is made from another piece of webbing, six inches longer than your waist measurement, and three inches wide. Turn in one' short side, hem it, then mitre the other end and stitch it neatly. Sew press-studs On the point, and on corresponding positions on the belt, Work groups of berries in bright red wool satinStitching, as shown in the picture. Lay « halfpenny on the material and outline it with a pencil, for each berry. When all are worked, link them up with stem-stitch stalks in black wool. This makes a really gay belt to wear

on a plain dark dress. The last belt sketched suggests a way of using up all the oddments of wool in your basket. Use three thicknesses together, and a medium hook. Start with seven chain and turn with one chain. Work in d.c., backwards and forwards, until you have a length to go round your waist. Now take three thicknesses of wool in a contrasting colour, join to one end of the strip, and work in d.c. all round the belt—one stitch into each of the side loops of the original piece of crochet. Do two rows in this colour, then join on another shade, and finish with three rows in this. Fasten ofl' and sew on press-studs for fastening.

OLD FAIRY TALES RE-TOLD THE WIND Long, long ago, the story says, the wind was visible. He was a beautiful youth, very strong and merry, and when he wanted to play tricks on human beings he made himself invisible. On one of his journeys round the world, he saw a lovely maiden whom he loved at first sight, and he went to her father and asked permission to marry her.

“Certainly not,” thundered her father, who was a great Indian chief. “You are good for nothing but making storms, wrecking boats, and carrying tents away. You shall never marry my daughter.” The chief chased the wind away, but the young man made himself invisible and returned to the magnificent tent, hearing and seeing ail that passed there. “I will hide you from that mad, wild wind,” declared the chief. He took the girl to the centre of a forest of pine trees and left her there. She wandered hither and thither, but could not get out of the forest, nor could she see because the branches of the pines kept out every gleam of light. That night the wind came and carried her away to the north, and the Spirit of the North married them. The wind was so happy with hjs beautiful young wife that there were no storms on land or sea because he travelled no more. The girl was full of joy, too, till one day when she was gathering frost flowers she saw her father approaching. Before she could warn the wind, who was fishing nearby

the chief struck him on the head with his war club and he fell senseless. Then the chief took his daughter to anothei part of the world, but she never forgot her young husband. Now, when the wind came to iris senses he was invisible, and lie had forgotten how to make himself visible.

Rushing madly round the world, he looked for the girl everywhere, and after many months he saw her in a boat with her father and swept down upon them.

“Take my hand, beloved!” he cried. “I will fly home with you!” At the sound of his voice the girl turned white as snow, but she could not see his hand because it was invisible, and in the struggle between herself, the wind, and her father, the boat was upset and the girl vanished. “Where are you?” shouted the wind.

Ever since, he has been’ asking the same question in every tone imaginable as he dashes about the world looking for her.

You see, the Spirit of the North placed the girl in the moon for safety, and there she is still, her lovely pale face looking down to earth, watching the wind, and hoping that one day he will look up at the moon and see her.

SWEET-MAKING CORNER UNCOOKED CREAMS Icing sugar is the chief ingredient in these creams, and it can be worked to a smooth paste with the white of egg, hot water, or lemon juice.

First roll the sugar until there are no lumps in it, then put into a basin and mix to a cream with one of the liquids, using a wooden spoon. Turn the mixture on to a board and knead it with the hands. It should not stick to the fingers; if it does, add more sugar. ® The cream may be used for covering nuts, pieces of preserved ginger, seedless raisins, or anything dry that you fancy. With a little peppermint, vanilla, or ginger essence kneaded into it, the cream may be rolled out with a cold bottle, cut into small rounds. and placed on a dry tin to set. It can also be sprinkled with coconut, which must, be rolled in, one half of the cream folded on to the other, pressed, and cut into bars when set. Part of the cream may be coloured pink with cochineal, or brown with cocoa, mixed in with the liquid, and all kinds of attractive sweets can be made in the different colours.

THE CLIMBING MONKEY An amusing toy for a child can be made chiefly of cardboard, the only other parts required being a fine rubber band and a few short round nails. Obtain a piece of stiff white cardboard, measuring five inches by three inches, and mark out one side into half-inch squares, as shown in the lower diagram. With a pencil, care-

fully outlined the shape of the body, arm and leg, then cut these out with scissors and a sharp penknife. Two arms and two legs will be required, so use those just cut as patterns marking out the shapes of the others on another piece of cardboard. In each arm and leg pierce four small holes, where indicated, for the nails. Fix the arms to the body with glue before pushing the two nails through. Pivot the legs so that they work freely, by pushing a small nail through them. Three other nails through the arms and leg's keep the string in the right position for working. The arms and legs are collected by a small rubber band which passes round two more nails, as shown in the first diagram. A piece of string will do for a tail.

Choose a piece of.fine soft string for working the toy, and thread it over and under the nails, as shown. It should work tightly between the hands of the monkey, but must pass freely round the two nails in the legs. To work the toy, hold the top of the string in one hand and pull the other

end with jerking movements. The monkey will quickly climb to the top of the string, and can easily be drawn down again ready for another climb. Colour the toy with water coloiu paints.

FAITHFUL DOGS Perhaps you would like to heai the : stories of three faithful dogs. One! was called Bobby, and he was a small j Scotch terrier belonging to a man named Grey. When his master died, Bobby waited fourteen years in the churchyard where his beloved owner was buried, leaving it only to go to a nearby house for food. Then the faithful little chap was found lying on the grave of his master —dead! Another dog who loved his master very dearly was Fox, a giant of a dog, whose owner was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment. For that time Fox waited outside the prison gates, and when his master was released he went mad with glee. A rich person was so impressed by this devotion that he gave the man honest work to do, so that Fox and his master were able to live happily together. The third faithful dog belonged to a Japanese who, like Bobby’s owner, died and left his pet alone. Day after day, for eleven years, the faithful animal trotted to the railway station to meet the train his master used to travel by, and day after day the poor thing was disappointed. Finally the dog died, and the people in the town made a collection and a monument was erected to the memory of the fourlegged friend who had remembered his master for eleven years without once seeing him. Now let me tell you the slory of the devotion of a man for his dog. He was captain of a tramp steamer and, when his ship was sunk by a German submarine, he swam towards the enemy craft in chase of his little pomeranian dog who had fallen overboard when the boats were being launched. Both man and dog were saved and their lives were spared by the submarine commander.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Solution to last week’s puzzle:— ACROSS 1. You take photographs with them. (Cameras). 7. A vehicle. (Car). 8. A month. (May). 9. A long narrow piece of anything. (Strip). 10. Not many. (Few). 12. Compass point. E.S.E.). 15. Hunt. (Chase). 18. Tatter. (Rag). 20. Metallic substance. (Ore). 21. He delivers the letters. (Postman). DOWN 2. Play a part. (Act). 3. Spoil. (Mar). 4. Boy’s name. (Eric). 5. Part of verb “to be.” (Am). 0. Secure. (Safe). 9. You do when you look. (See). 11. Sorrow. (Woe). 13 and 14. This is taken with 1 across. (Snapshot). 16. It is close (o 1’ ' ml (Arm). 17. Large body (Sea). 19. Depart. Go). Another'one which I think you will find interesting:— ACROSS 1. It grows in the ground and you often eat it for dinner; 4. A hrose. 7. A deep hole—tip back. 9. You use it when you listen. 10. Number. 11. Around. 14. One who watches others. 15. Past of 14 down, or a cutting tool. 17. Busy insect. 19. An ant could make this colour. 20. “Is smoke” —a change for these people?