BOYS and GIRLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25030, 21 October 1944, Page 4

BOYS and GIRLS

Springtime Growth DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS,— Isn't this a delightful surprise to Have more space for your items? It really is a surprise too, for Grey Malcolm, for once, was a good cat and didn't breathe a word about it. But he did say to me wisely the other morning: "You know, springtime is growing time. The grass is growing, the leaves are growing and so are the flower buds and the baby calves and lambs and we should be growing too." So there it is—Boys and Girls has grown with the springtime. Aren't you all glad? Grey Malcolm is leaping with the joy of it, for he thinks there'll be more space for me to tell you about him—the conceited cat! But he needn't be conceited at present, for he is really—let me whisper it—he's a very scared cat! He is afraid to poke his inquisitive nose out of the house, for all the blackbirds in the district have heard of his meddlesome ways and they come swooping down like menacing dive-bombers on top of my poor frightened cat. "Twit twit, twit!" they cry in their loudest and most aggressive voices, and Grey Malcolm retires hastily to the safety of the house. Once or twice he has received some very vicious pecks from the sharp yellow beaks of the birds, so he thinks it's much wiser to disappear than to invite disaster. A cat's lives are not all joy, he told me confidentially the other day. He really meant no harm to the silly blackbirds, but unfortunately they had not forqottcn the wicked ways of his kittenhood. However, soon the fledglings will all be able to fly and then perhaps my pussy-cat will be master of the garden again. A joyous, long week-end of sunshine and laughter for you all • and love from CLj "'Fraidy Cat" Grey fjlM^ Malcolm and •

LITTLE GARDENER —Original sketch by Bernice Rowell (15), D.D.M.B.G. Toddy Went Fishing Dear Anne Shirley,—One night recently, just as I was going to bed, 1 heard a meowing outside-the door. It was our big black cat Toddy, I knew he had just come home from hunting so 1 went out to stroke him and tell him what a clever puss he was, because I thought lie had brought home a rat. When I got outside, what do you think he had? It was an eel, wriggliiiK and twisting on the ground. Toddy picked it up in his mouth, and it squirmed all round his face. It was about 12in long. Toddy was pleased to have fish for his supper, but I am wondering how he managed to catch it.—From your member, Claire Trewin (9), Mareretu Mrs Henny-Ben's Surprise Airs Henny-Ben was a fussy old mother. Indeed she had hard work to keep her four mischievous chicks neat and clean. One day she decided to go shopping. She called to her children, "Cluck, cluck, come along, I'm going shopping, cluck, cluck ' when stie arrived at the village all her friends started to laugh. Mrs Henny-Ben was very annoyed and she turned round to see what they were lauirhing at. What do you think she saw? Not four pretty yellow chicks as she had expected, hut little blue balls of fluff following her Near by there was the village water-pump and to the amusement of all the village folk she took one blue chick at a time, spanked it. put it under the water-pump, jumped up on to the handle and then hung them up on the line to dr ! Then she lurried to her neighbours and laughingly explained that she had had a tub full of blue dye and the chickens must have fallen in —Original, by Beverley Robinson (12) Bantam Chicks Dear Anne Shirley, —My brother has a bantam lien called Bambl. This year dad sat her on six White Leghorn eggs. The five which hatched out, are now six weeks old and nearly as big as their tiny mother. We have another bieger bantam named Speckles, who has a brood of ten chicks, one of which is a bantam. M.v hen Golrlie. who is sitting on five eggs, ruffles up her feathers when anyone goes near her.—From Kathleen Atwell (111 Ml Albert Cake Puzzle 1. A cake from the garden? 2 A cake you would give Satan? 8 A cake for playing boys? 4 A cake served to Her MajestyP 5 A cake from China? 0 A cake for a man who lives on his neighbours? 7 A cake tor the fairies in Heaven? (Answers elsewhere.) —Original bv Gladys FTelleur (13) ' Tongue Twisters 1 wonder if our Circlers can get their tongues round these twisters, if said quickly: Shirley sold Susie six shorn sheep at six shillings each Timothy tore Trixle's treasured trifles to tiny tatters Simon saw Sam's swan swim swiftly. Stanley slyly slipped six slippery sings into sister's short socks Percy put plenty of pennies In Patsy's purple tnir.se. Ruby ruefully roamed round rough rocky reefs —Original by Harry Gates (14) The Robin I have a little robin, Its nest is in ft hedge, And every morn It comes to slntr Upon my window-ledge. —Original, by Shirley Twiddle (10)