Members' Own

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23009, 9 April 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

Members' Own

SENTINELS AT SUNSETI

Dear Anne Shirley,—l am sending a little drawing of "Cabbage-trees." We have a tree in our front garden, and ifcx does look a picture sometimes against the rosy sky at sunset. Its spear-like leaves never seem to be still, and often, at night, I have heard them softly rattling in the wind. This year we noticed how profusely the caobage-tree's crowns of flowers

Woomed. There is a saying that, when the flowers come iii large clusters as they did this year, it will be a very hot summer. it -has any scientific foundation or not, this tale has certainly come true this year. Well, 1 yiMgfr close, with best wishes, I atricia Millier (18), St. Heliers Bay. •

MY PET BLUE PETER

Dear Anne Shirley,—Do you like and own any pets? I do. Firstly, on account of his being my oldest pet, let me introduce Blue Peter. He is a large, half-Persian cat; "and will not allow even his owners undue familarity With him. He detests petting, never sits on chairs, and indeed is more of a visitor to the house than an inhabitant of it.

When, however, he desires admittance to the house, Blue Peter stands on his hind legs and turns the door knob. If no attention is paid to him he rattles the knob. He taught himself this trick.

! . Three other pets are budgies. The two youngest are as yet untamed, but the blue one is tame. ,He will sit on my shoulder. When I ,put a mirror in front of him, he tries' to bite his reflection in the glass, then runs behind the flass to find that other impudent bird, his budgie is an acrobat, preferring to eat his food when hanging upside down from his perch. A pet with a gangster-like name is Toughy. Toughy is (or was)'a chicken. A elucky hen, unknown to us, had an egg under her before we placed the Betting under her. The chick from this egg hatched about two days early. We

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♦ ; . Jn-.Training ... The high jump's what I've entered , for\ ■ . .' " At the i local sports, next yieek' Yoa chaps are helping me, I'm surei must practise, so to^speak'

placed this, chick in a sock, tjien r in ia box. Soon it was lively. We fed it'onjust imagine! tea and cake, and it throye. When strong we gave it back to its mother, but we made it a pet. The mite would follow my feet when I put it down. Indeed this was no doubt all of me it could see. "Chick! Chick! I would call, and the little chap would flap its wings and follow.me. It knew the difference, too, between feet. When left with Dad it would cheep dismally, running to me when I entered the room. We have now discovered Toughy to be a hen. Itupurt the 2nd is as yet too wee to be interesting. Rupurt the Ist was a wild rabbit, so is Rupurt the 2nd. Rupurt the Ist escaped. Rupert the Ist used to jump on to the settee where my father was, and if Dad was eating an apple beg for a bite. This he would carry on to the floor and eat. To my sorrow I have no dog pet. A dog friend is—as human friends are not always loyal.—Sincerely, Iris Reeves.