OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1648, 30 September 1903, Page 57

OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

(BY UNCLE TOBY.)

fLittlc folks are invited to send letters to ‘‘Uncle Toby” on any subject; and notes about their gardens and household pets will bo very acceptable.]

AIR. NOBODY.

I know a funny little man, ’As quiet as a mouse, Who doet; the mischief that is done In everybody’s house ! There’s no cno ever sees his face, And yet we all agrees That every plate we break was cracked By Mir Nobody.

’Tis lie who always tears our books, Who leaves the door ajar. Ho pulls the hot tons from our shirts, And scatters pins afar: Tiiat squeaking door will always squeak, For, prithee, don’t you see, We leave the oiling to be don© By Mr Nobody.

He puts damp wood upon the fire That kettles cannot boil ; His are the feet that bring in mud, And all the carpets soil. The pa.pcu.q always aro mislaid— Who had them last but he? There’s no one tosses them about But Air Nobody.

The finger marks upon, the door By none of us are made ; Wo never leave the blinds unclosed To let. the curtains fade. The ink we never spill; the boots That lying round you see Are net our boots' —they all belong To Air Nobody. * KING PIPPIN. Little King Pippin was up in a tree, Little King Pippin was smiling at mie, His- olieek wa.s so rosy, and smooth as an egg. And there, he hung swinging by one little leg.

A stone I throw up hit him right on the crown. But Little King Pippin refused to. come down, I shook the big bough to and fro, to and fro, But Little King Pippin would not let go!

A long-handled rake in the garden I found, And Little King Pippin I pulled to the ground ; I picked up tho poor little- hollow in haste, And Little King Pippin—how good lie did taste ! •—Sheila, in "Little Folks,” THE LITTLE SINGER. A little bright-eyed maiden, With unaccustomed air. She wondered ait the organ, And nodded during prayer, She listened to the reading And watched the people, toe. — For her first Sunday service Seemed very strange and new. And when the congregation Broke forth in sacred song, She stood upon the footstool And tried to help- along. She did not know their music, And so she chose her own— Of "Little Robin Redbreast”. She sang in cheery tone. All utterly unconscious Of many a smiling gaze, The childish voice rang clearly In this odd hymn of praise, And when the rest were silent Still those blithe notes were heard. Her last long stanza warbling Like some enraptured bird. And the gracious pastor waited Till the lingering echoes fled, With a touched and tender spirit Ere his loving text lie read, For he knew tlie listening Father Would accord the chant sublime, No dearer, worthier welcome Than that happy nursery rhyme.

A GAME FOR HOME EVENINGS

SHADOWS. As many as please can join in this game—the more the merrier. It is great fun when properly played. Chairs to suit the number of players are arranged at one end of a room, containing little furniture, and the lamp placed behind the chairs, so that if the pccupant of one should rise Ills shadow shall fall on the wall at the opposite end A single chair is then put in front, of this opposite wall, so that a person seated on it may have a good view of a shadow oil the surface of the wall. Two children are now taken from the party, one to be called tlie "guesser” and the other the "crier.” The remaining number of players scat themselves on the row of chairs. The "crier” seats himself where he can sec

all that takes .place, and now for a bit oi fun.

“Beg-in!’ he calls. One player rises, walks forward until her shadow is plainly seen on the wall, pauses a moment, then returns to her seat. All this time*, the guesser, who, by-thc-wiay, occupies the solitary chair, has boon eagerly trying to discover the name of the walker. “One, two, three!” calls the “crier.” “Who walked there ?” If the gucsser answers wrongly, he must answer truthfully any question put by the walker, but if he answers correctly he can claim ,an answer to any question, and t-h'o “walker” becomes the “guesser,” while the former guesser joins the row-of players- The same process is again gone through with the new guesser. Tho fun comes in in watching the antics the children got up toy for tho purpose of disguising their shadows. A boy may borrow a girl’s pinafore or may limp across before he takes up his position. Girls can bend down till their dresses touch the ground, etc. There aro plenty of such tricks. I wifi leave the boys to find out the questions most annoying to girls, anc£ I hope that all who try this game will enjoy it as much as I do.