Young Folk's Corner

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 14, 5 January 1934, Page 8

Young Folk's Corner

DAN TAKES CHARGE When summer came, and the town grew hot and dusty, Dan and Letty and Robin went to stay at the seaside for a whole month. Pebblebeach was a delightful place for a holiday. The little • streets twisted in and out of the white cobblestone houses, and the shops sold jolly things like spades and pails and sailing ships, great baskets of cherries and strawberries, or sugar pigs and funny little gingerbread men with currant eyes. The beach stretched for miles, firm and yellow, ready for cricket, or donkey-rides, or digging sand castles; the rock-pools were full of strangecoloured sea-creatures which delighted Letty; and the jolly brown-faced fishermen in blue jerseys were always ready to let the children clamber into their boats and to talk about the sea to Dan, who was going to be a sailor when he was old enough. One’ day Daddy had to go away on business, and the three children went to see him off at the station. “Take care of them all while I’m away,” he said to Dan, and Dan promised he would. That afternoon the children took their spades and Dan’s new cricket bat and ball and went down to play on the beach. “Come on and bowl for me, Letty, and Rob can fetch the ball!” cried Dan, when they were all tired of paddling. But young Robin had ideas of his own, and he soon wandered off and began to dig a sand castle with his little wooden spade. He had a plan in his head to dig a big castle quite by himsalf. It was hard work for such a little boy to dig round and round the big circle he had made. His face grew red and his arms ached. But he never gave in. And it was quite a fine big castle by the time Mother appeared on the cliff to call them to tea. Robin was first up the cliff path that day, he was so eager to get back to his castle before the tide came in. Mother had a lovely tea with strawberries and cream ready for them in a grassy nest halfway up the cliff. No one noticed that young Robin slipped quietly away from the party till Mother said : “Look, children, how quickly the tide has crept in. Rob will have to hurry up if he wants to stand on his sand castle.” “Why, he’s gone!” cried Letty, and Dan jumped up and ran to the edge of the cliff. Below on the beach he saw Robin dancing joyfully on his castle and clapping his hands at the waves. In his delight the little boy had not seen that a narrow arm of sea had crept round behind him, and formed a swiftly - widening channel between that stretch of the beach and the shore. “All right Mother, don’t be afraid!” shouted Dan; and he began to scramble down the cliff path like a mountain goat. Across the sand he ran, and just as he reached the water’s edge a dismal howl went up from Rob who had suddenly realised his plight.

“Don’t cry, Rob!” called Dan, as the tide beat against his knees. Seeing his big brother coming the little boy began to smile again quite pleased with the adventure.

“Get up on my back, Rob,” ordered Dan sternly. Robin thought this fine fun. “Gee up!” he cried, and Dam plunged for the second time into the fastrunning current. It was not so easy toget across with sturdy little Rob on his back and the water getting deeper and wider every minute; but Dan kept thinking of his promise that morning, and couldn’t help feeling glad that the chance had come to show Daddy that he could take care of the family. “Dan,” whispered Letty, when they were safe on dry land again, “you looked like Saint Christopher, who used to carry people on his back across the river.” “Rubbish!” said Dan. “I wanted to show Daddy that I could look after things while he was away.”

JACKO IS PUZZLED Mrs. Jacko was busy with what she called her autumn turn-out. Once a year she went through all the family clothing and sorted it into three piles, one for giving away, an- • other for mending, and the third to be sold to Mr. Tatters, the rag-and-bone dealer. This year Jacko was at home for the turn out, and he watched with great interest as the pile of things for giving away grew taller and taller. “When’s Dad’s topper going on?” he asked with a grin. “It’ll do fine on top for the chimney!” “Don’t be impertinent!” retorted his mother indignantly. Father’s topper was a standing joke with the boys. Each year Mrs. Jacko flung it on the pile and decided it must go, and each year she picked it off again, brushed it carefully, and put it back in the cupboard. But Jacko was bent on mischief, Presently he disappeared and came back wearing his mother’s best coat, with her favourite hat perched on his head. “You’ve forgotten these, Mater!” he cried, with a sly wink. This was too much for Mrs. Jacko. She determined not to have him at home a minute longer. Snatching up Father’s boots, she hurried downstairs and gave them to Jacko. “Off you go!” she ordered. “Take these to be soled, and don’t come back till dinner-time!” Jacko didn’t. It was Father Jacko who got home first and promptly started searching for his comfortable boots. “They’re gone to be mended,” his wife explained. Just then Jacko burst into the room. “There you are!” he shouted, flinging some coppers on the table. “Tatters says they aren’t worth a penny more.” Mrs. Jacko flopped into the nearest chair. “What have you done?” she gasped. Jacko looked bewildered. “Why ” he stammered. “You told me to take those boots to be sold, didn’t you?”

CAN YOU PUZZLE THEM OUT? Five Letters, Five Words Each missing word in the following verse is spelled with the same five letters. Tom’s wit was To he ne’er inclined ; Nor was the warrior’s More to his mind. He his fields O’erjoyed at their increase, Sits in his chair, And eats his in peace. Transposition A term for scheming, if transposed, A quadruped will be disclosed ; Transpose the same again, you see A term for sailors, bold and free Letters and words, of each, but three. [Answers published next week] Answers to Last Week’s Puzzles How Wide?—li feet. Backward and Forward—Level.