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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20028, 18 August 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

«£♦ We cannot all be heroes and thrill ♦J» a hemisphere *■»* ♦l* With some great daring venture, ♦♦♦ *l* some deeds that mock out fear. *♦* V But we can fill a lifetime with V Y kindly acts and true —■ *♦* *J* There's always noble service for J , noble souls to do. ♦> —Sent by Jim Middlcton, Buck- V *♦* land (age 7). *♦*

Dear Boys and Girls: Dear Boys and Girls: Ycu will all be rejoicing to-day in the coming of the Springtide holiday, ever welcome after the grey skies and rainy days of winter. The bush will soon be starred with clematis, the river-banks golden with kowh.ii and acacia, while in the forest, the little green hooded orchids will be blooming among the ferns. A glorious time for children, the Springtide holiday, and I hope von will all enjoy it to your heart's content. Your friend, P.S.—"BOYS' OWN" next Saturday. Don't miss it!

WHERE SEABJRDS NEST. Dear . Miss Morton,--1 would like to describe to you a picnic to a place where seagulls' nests were abundant. It wa3 on a long peninsula called by the Maori word Pane Pane. On one side of Pane Pane was a channel, and on the other side was the ocean beach. We set forth on a lovely morning. Having rowed in a small dinghy to our launch we cut through the calm, blue water, leaving a trail of anowy foam behind us. As we neared our destination wo saw scores of seagulls. The scene looked lovely, the great, white seagulls against the nzure blue sky. We moored the boat out in the deep water, then rowed to shore in the dinghy we brought with us. Sitting down under a shady fir tree we had early lunch. After lunch m tmmy and dad rested while' wo looked for seagulls' nests. we fought our way through the tea-tree till we found a clearing. On the ground were about a dozen nests. The gulls, startled by the noise wt made, flew into the air, uttering harsh cries. The nests were constructed of sea-weed and sticks and were roughly pushed into the sand to stop them from .'coming to bits The eggs are of a greyish colour and are thickly dotted with brown spot 3. The afternoon came to an end. After gathering a few eggs we went home after a long, nappy .day.—From your sincere pen-friend. Sylvia Mary , Dale.' Bethlehem. Tauranga. P.S.—I am sending you a bit of a seagull's egg. (Many thanks for the piece of eggshell. It looked very pretty). OUR CAMP AT WAIMANA.

I would like to tell you about our journey down the coast. My father, with a party of men, we r© to go down to Taneatua to survey the place for the line which they hoped to put through 0110 day. First we went to live for a while at Taneatua, a sleepy little village between Opotiki and Whakatane, which hoped to thrive when the railway passed through there. After that wo went to stay in Waimana Gorge, not far out of Taneatua. As it was Christmas time, and very warm, we thought it would be lovely to cami>, as no houses wero empty to rent. The place was picked, and turned out very satisfactory. The river ran close beside us. Our tents were pitched on the river bank, just hidden from the road by a big weening willow. We enjoyed the short stay we had there, and were very sorry to leave. Every morning when we woke •we heard the birds singing, and a beautiful New Zealand b/jll-hird, for it was a reserve for nil birds, so you can imagine what beautiful birds we saw and heard. However, we soon had to leave all .this beautiful place and go oai to more little towns further on. We passed through two other little villages, and at last arrived at Opotiki. After three months there we-came back to Tauranga. Billie Lindsay, IMarsh Street, Tauranga (age 31). SEASIDE ADVENTURES. »

One morning during; the holidays vre decided to go for a picnic, and, after packimg up our things, we set off for Opape. vvhen we arrived there the tide was in and we were unable to go round the rocks. After we had had our lunch the tide went out and we took off our shoes to go round the rocks. Some oi the Maori 3 were diving for crayfish, sea eggs,' and other delicacies, ■while others came in with boats of fish. When we were walking by a large hole we saw something moving, amd, looking closely, I saw that it was a small octopus. 1 threw a stick into the water and the water immediately turned black. As we had been a long time around the rocks, the tide started to come in and the waves dashed against the rocks. 16 then time to go home, but we were pleased with our day's outing,-—From 3'our penfriend, Dell Moody, Tableland, Opotiki.

PAEROA. I suppose you know by now that I live in Paeroa,. Paeroa used to be a mining town, and is just recovering from the eSects of miming and consequent slump The main street particularly is showing marked improvement. 1 here are quite a number of really good buildings which have been erected within the last year or two, among them tne new post office and the theatre buildings. Modern houses, too, are being built on the outskirts of Paeroa, which are rather _ scattered, giving it the appearance of Deing much larger than it is. We are hoping soon to have the railway line through Poltkeno direct to Auckland, then Paeroa will be a very important junction, linking up the east const with the _ city.—l remain, your loving pen-friend, Nancy Jones, l>ennett Street, Paeroa, (ago 12). A DETERMINED PONY. Daddy has a horse named Belle, which is a great pet, though she i 3 full o! naughty tricks and has done n. great- deal of damage on the farm. Wo all love her over so much, and would not part with her for anything. Our house is very high at the back and at one place it is open where we once kept sacks of oat 3 and maize. At night Belle would come up from the fiat and try to open the garden gale. If sha could she would crawl under the- house, drag out the sacks, tear them open, and steal the grain. Every gate she could not open she would si amp her feet hard as she could to show that sho hated to be beaten. ghe would nearly always find one gate to open, and she would let all the other horses in. One day Dick, the other horse, slipped into the creek and Belle came up to the house and whinnied as niuch as to say. "My friend is in the rreek. Please come and get him out." These two horses were great friends and could not bear to be parted, although Belle would always boss Dick. When Dick died Belle pined" for him and would call out all day long as she never liked to be away from him.—With love from .Toan Barker. Wellesford, Tornarata R.D. (age 11). THE BEAUTIFUL POOL. On our farm, not far from our house, ?s a beautiful pool. In the spring the frogs Bing in it all day and night. '' When you go near this pool the frogs stop' singing and begin bobbing up and down in the water. I have often tried to catch them, but have not done so yet. When autumn conies the water lilies bloom, with their big grecm leaves and white flowers. They look ever so pretty, but I like the frogs better. The cows like to stand in this pool on a hot day to cool themselves. They make a very pretty picture standing chewing their cud contentedly. The horses, after their day's work, love to have a long drink from this pare water before they have their feed. Xear this pool is a toiara tree, where mamma loves to sit and do needle work. We have often had picnics in the shade under it.—From your loving pen-friend, Joan Barker, Wellsford. Tornarata It.D. THE MAIL-BAG. Bryant Boulton. —I will include your Dame in the next Pen-friends' list, Bryant. Q.C.L., Avondale.—No name or address nccompanied the " jumbles " so they can not be considered. Herbert Sharp.—Your badge has been posted, and no doubt you have received it by now. If your contributions are pub lished in the special page, you will receive an award, but not unless they are used. Given Kelly.—All the cards, tea-tree, rata and kowhai are plainly marked, either five, ten or twenty marks. I think you are confusing the mark cards with the certificates. Thelma Teague.—Your little cake must nave been delicious, Tholrna. I don't think I can remember my iirst, but I well remember many attempts at making toffee on wet Saturday afternoons! It was great Son. Jack Crippen.—No use sending-jokes that Jack j * n another paper so recently, •e; ■ P r arlane -~ lt delightful to sit by mt cold day - isri,t {t - It-is ? wnat about, caUing your kittens Pixie and st £. received from: >oa and Doreen Spencer,. Bunp