HOLIDAY LETTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 4 (Supplement)

HOLIDAY LETTERS.

THE BABY PENGUIN. Dear Miss Morton,—l thought I would write and tell you nbout my holiday. I was at "Waipu for a fortnight, the first week of which I spent at the Cove Beach. Tho weather was ideal for a holiday and I had a xnost enjoyable time. We went for three ewims each day, and we had such fun in the breakers. The pohutakawas were a glorious sight, for they were just scarlet with blossoms. One large tree stands alone cm a high bank and it was 'lovely to see in the eun with its burden of scarlet flowers. Almost every afternoou we enjoyed an ice cream, and how welcome they were oil those hot days. One day as we were strolling along the beach we found a baby penguin. Have you ever seen one ? I would like one for a pet. They are coloured just like ones in picture books, and it was so soft and silky about nine inches in height. It was very friendly, and as the breakers were too heavy for it to go out to sea, we put it in a pond away up the beach. IJere it proved most amusing for it would dive into

the water and wbuld come up triumphantly with a small fish which it would swallow and then dive for another. One morning it had disappeared and has not been seen since, Bo it must have gone out to sea once more. The last week I stayed with friends far back among the hills. To look out from .'the back porch of their home, ycu could see first of all a large bush in the nearby valley and on the closest hills, then some more hills, and last of all the sparkling, clear, blue sea, and the Sail Eock and the Hen and Chickens. Well my holiday came to a close all too quickly, and I hope those who are staying at the beach now are having as good a time as I had.—Your sincere pen-friend, Vera Hellier, Marohemo, Kaipara. JOYS OF SLEEPING OUT. Dear lliss Morton,—You could never guess ieie I am writing this letter to you, so I will tell you. lamin a hammock under the mucrocarpa trees in front of our house. I made this hammock myself out of bags and wire, so I have to be careful how I treat it, as it is rather frail. My sister has a hammock beside mine, and when the nights ire not too cold we sleep out in them. About a week ago we slept out and woke up in the night to hear thunder clapping round our heads, and soon big drops of rain came dripping through the trees on to us. We rolled up our bedding and after getting hooked up in tho barb-wire fence and tripping over a heap of posts. we arrived triumphantly on the front verandah, each witli a very damp bundle of bedclothes. It was pitch dark inside, so after colliding with a few chairs and scraping our shins on tho doorways, wo at last reached our room where we could listen to the thunderstorm outside in comfort. I think, after this experience, that I will sleep indoors when rain is about. —Your loving pen-friend. Helen McKenzie. (Age 14 years, .Railway P. 0., Maungaturoto. PICKING BLACKBERRIES. Dear Miss Morton.—lt is very interesting reading ho'.v other members are spending their holidays, so I will tell you how I spent this afternoon. My mother said she would like some blackberries for tea, so my small Bister and brother and I set out v'th a billy each. Arrived at a big blackberry bush we star'.e'd picking. Looking ii ! to the middle of the bush I saw sjine luscious berries twice tha size of the ones we were picking, so with great care 1 worked my way into them. Ow-wow! A blackberry had caught hold of my leg, but I bad reached the big blackberries anyway. For a few minutes there was silence, then a cry came from my sister, "Oh! I'm caught up and I can't get out." I rushed to her assistance caining a good many scratches in the af- j tempt, only to find that she was free. At length our billies were full and wo soon ! forget about our scratches in the joy of ! eating blackberries and cream.—From vour j eincero pen-friend, Ada Dratton, Bonny Glen, ; Te Kuiti. (Age 15.)

A CARPET OF FLOWERS. Dear Miss Morton,—l am sitting on the hillside above our shack at Merita Bay, enjoying the sunshine of a fine day. All around me is a carpet of flowers; the yellow of dandelions forming a bright contrast to the purple of the penny-royal and the delicato blue of the fragile wind-flowers. Tiny purple and fawn butter-flies, hosts of them, flit here and there, back and forth, among the flowers, pausing an instant, then fluttering on. There are big rollers coming in from the open sea to-day. They come rolling majestically in through the mouth of the bay, then crash with a sullen roar on the reef inside. Tho spray is thrown upwards for many feet, so a constant mist hangs above the rocks. A solitary gannet Rovers in tho air, then of a sudden dives swift and straight, sending up a shower of spray as it hits the water. _ Several solemn shags sit motionless on their favourite restingplace—a gnarled pohutukawa hanging precariously to the side of the cliff. Another is swimming, its black head and neck just visible. Most of tho numerous pohutukawas round the bay have finished flowering now, but here and there one can still catch a glimpse of unexpected crimson among the green of the hillside. Isn't it a unisance that you still have to cook when in camp?. But I suppose getting j-moke in your eyes is all part of the fun and naturally it makes one prouder of a good dinner when it is cooked under difficulties.—Yours sincerely, Joan Johnston, Mavis Bank, Kaitaia. PERFECT PEACE. Dear Miss Morton,—This year, we again visited Lake "Waikaremoana and stayed for two nights. One hot. sunny afternoon I climbed up the hillside to see again tho scene I had learnt to know and love. The wonder, majesty and beUnty'that lay before me, was too great for artists to paint, or for words to describe. Here Nature was revealed in her true colours, in all her primitive glory. Almost straight below; me was the camping ground, an old Maori pa, rich in fruit and colour. Tents were dotted here and there among the cherry trees, which were red with* fruit, and at the water s edge lav a few launches and dinghys. Then the water! It glittered, and shimmered like a precious jewel, rich in colour and depth. Now and again a trout would break its mirror-like surface as it snapped at a passing insect, but not another movement snoilfc its stillness. The perfect blueness of the sky was a reflection from tlie lake below. I drew my knees up to my chin with a sigh of enjoyment, and the words of an old hymn crossed my mind. " Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin." , „ Ah! and I had found it there! I\ot a sound but the song of tlie birds and insects broke the solemn, peaceful silence With a reluctant sigh, I rose to answer the call for tea. and wended my way downhill, marvellintr at the beauty and peace of nature.—Eunice Paul. Upr>er Richmond Street. Thames (age 16). Original.

HOLIDAY FUN. Dear Miss Morton,—l would like to tell you about my holidays. I have had a lovely time, my brother aiul I have been in the water nearly every day. We have great fun splashing one another, throwing a b<\ll and floating. We have both learnt to float this year. Wo went to the zoo 0110 day, and I,ad a rido on Jamuna; saw the baby hippopotamus; it is a funny looking littlo thing; it, was lying on its mother's back. Eric and I gave two monkey? a tobacco tin each; they could not open them for a long lime, when they did, they used them as mirrors. We had a lot of hay this year, and had a good time riding on the sweep and in the cart. Mummie is going to take us to Milfoid one day next week. We are looking forward to going, and will take our bathing costumes with us. —With love, Shirley Sugden, Whenuapai. (Age 7.)