CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 13

CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT

Bear Bine-Birds,— - Zealandia is unable to answer your letters to-day, so you must wait patiently till next week. The Editor. WRONG SIDE OUT Jack was cross; nothing pleased him. His mother gave him tho choicest morsels for liis breakfast and the nicest toys, but he did nothing but fret and complain. At last his mother said, "Jack, X want you now to go up to yonr room and put on all yonr clothes wrongside out.” Jack stared in astonishment. "I mean it. Jack,” she replied. Jack had to mind. Ho had to turn his stockings wrong side out, and put on his coat and his trousers and his collar wrong side out. When his mother came up to hint, there he stood—a forlorn and funny looking boy, all linings and seams and ravelings—before the glass, wondering what his mother meant; but he was not quite clear iu his conscience. Then his mother, turning him around, said: "This is what you have been doing all day, making the worst of everything. You have been turning everything wrong side out. I)o you really like your things this way so much. Jack?” "No, mamma,” answered Jack, very shamefacedly. ■ "Can't I turn . them right?” "Yes; you may if you try to speak what is pleasant and do what is pleasant. You must do with your temper and manners as you prefer to do with clothes, wear them right side out.” * * * About 60,000 trees are planted each year by tho children of Sweden’s schools. What bird is in season all the year round? The weather-cock.

WHAT BABY HAS Two bright little eyes To see beautiful things. Two quick-little ears To hear beautiful things. - One wee little nose To smell flowers so sweet. One pink little tougru-e To taste things to eat. Ten dainty lingers small To stroke ICifcty’s hair— Pive useful senses, all Kept by Love’s care. CHINESE SCHOOL DAYS When children begin to learn lessons, the alphabet—if they are so lucky as to bo taught it—seems to have a great many letters in it. But fancy the dismay of the little Chinese child who finds that he has to learn, not an alphabet, but a separate and special sign for every word in the language. It takes him five years just to learn tho necessary number of these characters—five years before he can road and write. It is as if a child who began in our grammar school at the ago of seven would be twelve years old before ho could begin to study anything except his letters. Of course there is this advantage—the Chinese boy does not have to learn to spell. But fancy having to recognise a different character for every word we use! Fancy the mere labour of learning to copy out tho characters, to say nothing of knowing them accurately and surely enough to read and write themi Another queer thing about tho Chinese language is that the same word may mean a great many different things, according to the accent it has as spoken. Now tliis must complicate tho printed page yet more and make writing hard, oven after one has learned to speak the words properly.

SHEPHERD BIRD The yakamik of South America is, so far as . is, known, tho only "shepherd bird” anywhere. "We have all known, of course, of dogs that, unaided, may be trusted to shepherd a flock of sheep, but a shepherd bird, which will drive its charges to pasture, protect them from prowling animals and gather them carefully together at nightfall, is, indeed, a unique creature. The native owners of sheep and poultry in Venezuela and British Guiana are the possessors of this shepherd bird, and to the care of this species of crane —for to' that family the yakamik belongs—arc entrusted 1 sheep, and ducks and other poultry. Tho South American sees them depart for their feeding grounds, secure in ' tho knowledge that the crane will bring them all back safely. Any unlucky animal\detected by the yakamik while prowling about to steal gets very much, the worst of it. The bird savagely attacks the marauder in haste. A dog is -no match at all for the yakamik, says "Harper’s Weekly.” At dusk the bird returns with its flock, never losing its way, no matter how far it may wander, for its sense of location is extremely acute. When it arrives home the yakamik. rests upon a tree or shed near its charges, to be ready to resume its supervision of them when they are let out again in tho morning. * * * WORLD’S LARGEST ROOM The largest room in the world under a single roof and unbroken by pillars of any sort is in St. Petersburg. It is, 620 feet in length and 150 feet wide. ! By daylight tho room is used for mili- j tary displays and a whole battalion can | manoouver in it with ease. By night 20,000 wax tapers give it a beautiful ap- 1 pearanco. The roof is a single arch of iron, and the architecture is considered one of tho wonders of the world. .xt .xt •rt* *fir* Lulu was watching her mother working among the flowers. "Mamma, X j know why flowers grow,” she said; “they want to get out of the dirt.”

THINGS BOYS CAN MAKE *A boy oan make a host-of things To -furnish him delight, • Yet nothing greater pleasure brings Than, sending up a kite, ‘Unless it be to sail a boat Which h© himself has made. For he is prouder when afloat Than Icing in robes arrayed* A little house h© likes .to build, A cart in which to ride; A leather ball with woollen filled Much sport will oft provide. A spinning top he can cut out, , A whistle shrill to blow, A hoop to trundle all about— . He likeeJ each one. you know. A boy can make no end of things, s Of use, as well as toys. But what supremo enjoyment brings Is making lots of noise! —F.J.B., in Boston "Monitor/' LONGEST WORD, "What is tho longest word in tho English language?** asked Uncle Tom. "Valetudinarianism, I suppose/' replied James, who had taken a prize in spelling. "No/* spoke Susie; "its smiles, because there is a whole mile between tho first and last letters/* < "I know one/* said Jack, "that has over three miles between its first and last letters/* "•What word is asked .Uncle Tom. * "Beleagurcd/* said Jack triumphantly. "I know on©/* said Philip, "’that is longer than that. 'Transcontinental* has a whole continent between its beginning and ending/* " Tnteroceanic' beats them all/* exclaimed Elsie, "for it contains an ocean: and an ocean is larger than any continent.—"Lippincotts/* ijEt A When rubber was first discovered it was a plaything. The discovery was made during Columbus’ second voyage, when Herrera found that the natives of Hayti played a game with balls "made of the gum of a tree,**