FOR THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 24 (Supplement)

FOR THE CHILDREN.

PETER'S ADVENTURE. It all came about because the children vanted to catch the Christmas bee. The bee had been in the mimosa tree for days. •singing its loudest and buzziest, and ■cople who passed complained that it made their heads ache to hear the noisy little insect. Bat small blame to it, for it was enjoying the sun to such an extent that it could not help expressing its j">y. Luckily the tree was not too near the farmhouse, or there might have been trouble. At last it seemed that the fate of the bee was decided, for one morning when tvtf'rything on the farm was quiet in tl.j heat of the summer sun. the children nade their way to the old mimosa tree. Th?y were goirij,, to catch the bee and put it in a par.n'Tin tin. Then the noise if its buzzing would be much greater than before, arid everyone would be begging them to allow the insect to escape for the sake of peace. They laughed as they thought of the fun they would have with, the noisy bee in the tin. There were three of them Joan, who was Hist ten; Peter, who was eight; and Baby ! Boy, whose real name was Roger. When he was cross lift insisted on every one calling him Roger, but at other times he was quite satisfied with Baby Boy. When they reached the mimosa tree, which grew on the edge of an ostrich . amp, tho three lay down in the long [ lucerne, in the shade of its branches, and gazed up into the tree to find whereabouts i the beo was. For the Christmas bee is such a dowdy brown that it can hardly be told apart from the bark of the tree on which it rests, and it is only by mean? of its loud singing that it can be traced. But search as keenly as their eyes woulc 1 let them, they could see no trace of the rowdy little insect, who was making himself heard with such determination. Thej tried to find it by its singing, but without success. Although disappointed they did not go back to the house, but rolled on their backs in the lucerne, which was so beautifully cool, and lay gazing into the clear blue 'sky. The bee was droning in his loud tone all die time, and at last Baby Boy said: "Oh, let us go somewhere else, because this nasty bee is making; my ! head all dizzy." The other two laughed at him, but they also agreed that the bee was not as pleasant to lie and listen to as they had thought, and they wondered where they could go. Peter said that his head was also beginning to sing, and Joan declared that if she stayed there much longer she 'would turn into a bee herself. Then Peter had an idea. "I know where there are some lovely river swallows' nests,

It was stiff work climbing in that hot .eather. and as the. pebbles and stones lipped from under his feet, Peter could lave cried from the pain in his legs, but e was determined to prove his boasted jravery to Joan and Baby Boy, so he dodded steadily on. "Oh. dear." thought Peter a little later n, "am I never going to reach that lest?" He wondered in a tired way Ahat he would find in it. He- knew t would be in a dangerous position, and ie would have to be very careful, for lie hammerkops always build in ledges hat jut out and are then safe from being listurbed. At last Peter nearcd the top md as he rested for a while, he looked ip to see which would be the best way o reach the nest. As he looked up and hen down, be grew quite dizzy, for the :limb in tho sun had not been too good or him. He started his last climb, and then A - as just going to step on to the ledge A-here the nest stood, looking like a huge uindle of faggots, when be heard "Oh, *eter, do take care," shouted from what .eemed miles away. Peter looked down— mil slipped! The next thing be knew was that his ather, Joan and Baby Boy were bendng over him. Joan had big tears in her ;vcs, and Boy was yelling with fright. 3ut his father looked very stern. He told Peter that he might have been killed, instead of escaping with a sprained oot, and that he would be punished for lis disobedience. Peter blamed Joan for shouting at him, »ut Joan declared that she could not ielp it, for just as Peter had reached .he ledge, a large snake had slipped out >f the nest. So it was well that she had Tightened him by shouting, and thus ■aused him to slip down the hillside, for tad he gone on to the nest, he would lave been bitten. It was a quiet little party that made ts way home. Peter's mother did net want him punshed, as she said that the fright had jeen punishment enough, but his fathei iromised all sorts of nasty things if hi :limbed again.