Dots Little Folk

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23886, 14 August 1939, Page 15

Dots Little Folk

THE WEEK'S POEM .This week, Children, 1 have chosen a poem for you by Katherine Mansfield, a New Zealand writer, of whom we should all be proud. She Is best known for her short stories, but she h* - : also written some charming poems, of which the following is an example. I think you will like it. DOT. OPPOSITES The Half-Soled-Boots-With-Toecaps-Chlld Walked out into the street And splashed in all the puddles till She had' such shocking feet. The Patent-Leather-SHpper-Child Stayed quietly in the house And sat upon the fender stool As still as any mouse. The Half-Soled-Boota-With-Toccaps-Child, Her hands: were black as-ink; In* would! come running through the house. .And begging for a drink. ' The Patenft-Leather-Sllpper-Chlld, Her hands were white as snow: She did not like to, play around, She only liked to sew. The H»lf-Soled*Boofs-With-Toecaps-Child ■ hast hair ribbons galore' She dropped them on the garden walks, She dropped them on the floor. The Patent-Leather-Slipper-Chlld. O, thoughtful little girl! She liked to walk quite soberly, It kept her hair in curl. Th#H*U^Soled-B6ots-With-Toe<:aps-Child. When she was glad or proud, Just flung her arms round mother's neck And kissed her very loud. The Patent-Leather-SHpper-Chlld Was shocked at such a sight, •he only offered you her cheek At morning and at night. o; Half-Soled-Boots-With-Toeeiips-Child Your happy laughing fac<> , Does like ■» scented summer rose Make sweet the dullest place; —Katherine Mansfield. TO ALL > Dear Little Folk,-—The snow still, seems to be very deep in the back country, and letters continue to come in telling me about it. It has been, a memorable time for the children, but it is and to read about the losses the sheep farmers have suffered, and to think of the poor animals lying buried in the snow. Spring seems to be long In coming this year, but when it does it will be doubly welcome after the rough weather we have been experiencinig\ YOu would, all be sorry to see that the meeting of the P.L.F. Social Club, Which was to have been held last week, had to be postponed owing to the serious illness of ■ Kilmeny of the Pool's father. Z would llku to express to Kilmeny of the Pool our uympathy with her in her anxiety, and our hope that the Invalid will soon be restored to health. The meeting of the cliub is now to be held to-morrow evening at 7.15 p.m. at the home of Miss B. Whittington, 312. High street, and I hope that there will be a large attendance of members and friends, I would like to draw you!' attention to the notice regarding the souvenir jubilee booklet. Ivanhoe still has a number of copies on' hand which he is anxious to dispose of. This is a very interesting publication, and contains ■■, a complete history of Dot's Little Folk's page during the first SO years of its existence, so I hope that any of you who have not' yet secured •■ copy will doi so now.—Your loving -.,■.,,■ v -_ DOT. LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLK Motto: We write jor the benefit of others, inot for ourselves. FIBST LETTERS Dear Dot,—May I join your happy band of Little Folk? I am going to call myself Brown Eyes v Primrose! Blue. I am nine year's old, and am in Standard I. I am always ill and not able to go to school. I have three dolls, and I call them Betty, Joan, and Bluebell. There is still some snow left on the lawn. May Flower is my cousin. I shall close now, with love to all the Little Folk and vour own dear self. , BROWN EYES (Owaka Valley). [You are welcome to Join, Bl'OWn Eyes, and I hope that you will find reading the page.and writing to it a great interest to you. I am very sorry to hear that you are ill and not able to go to school, write soon again, and tell me more about your dolls. What pretty names they have I -DOT.] ,* ' '•. **. . •.'* Dear Dot,—May I Join your, happy band of Little Folk? I am nine years old, and in Standard! 11. I have, four ulsters and six brothers. We used to have two young cats named Peter and Paul, but Paul died, and Peter ran away. One day when we were coming home from church he ran up in front of us. We called him. but he waild not come. We never saw him again. We had a lot of snow, and had great fun sliding down the hill at school. I have started to collect stamps, and I have about 30 of them. We have a big lot of bush on our place, and on r dry days we often go in for a walk We walk one and a-half miles to school. The road is muddy. Last Tuesday when we were coming home from school we saw a hole In the side of the road over the culvert. This is the first time I have written a letter in ink. I shall close now. to you and your Little Folk LILY OF THE VALLEY (Owaka Valley) [Welcome to the page, Lily of the Valley. How nice It must be to have so maty brothers and sisters, and what fun you must havel. It was unfortunate that one of your cats died and the other ran away. i Stamp . collecting Is . very Interesting hobby. You have managed to write in ink very well indeed.—DOT.] ..;■£.•." . if- '-*";.' * ; Dear Dot,—Please, may I Join your band of Little Folk? I am seven years old. My birthday is on May 14. I have a little brother nearly three and u wee blueeyed baby sister. We had the biggest snowfall I have ever seen,.and our school was closed for the week. What fun we all had throwing snowballs and building snowmen. My little brother did not like it very much though He kept falling down in the deep snow, and this made him cold and wet. I am in Standard I May Flower is in the same class. Now the daffodils are beginning to grow, and lovely white buds of the pussy willow are coming out. 1 do love spring., don'l you? Love to you and the Little Folk HONEY BUNCH (Benhar) [You are welcome to Join, Honey Bunch. You also evidently enjoyed the snowstorm, but I do not wonder vour little brother did not like it. Write and tell me more about him and your bab> •lster. Yes, I too love the spring.—DOT.; * # * Dear Dot—May I become a membei of your merry band? I am nine yean old, and in Standard 'I at school. Dur< ing the snowstorm two weeks ago, 1 made three small snowmen. On the second daj I 1 had two rides down a steep hill on t

Inaugurated July 16,1886, 0 by tKe OTAGO WITNESS Dot Invites letters Of not more than 800 words In length from her young friends throughout the Dominion on an; matters in which they are Interested. . Now members must enclose their name and address. These will not, be published, and are for registration purposes only. Little Folk should write on one side of the paper only, and In Ink, and should address their letters " Dot, care of Editor, Otego Dally Times." Evsry letter must state the age of the writer for Dot's private Information. The retiring age Is 21. after which Little Folk become Old Writers. Dot's LlttU Folk's Badge, with pin, for use as a brooch, Is obtainable on application to Dor. Price 2s 6d, In (tamps or postal note*.

wooden sledge. There were three boys who had a sledge of their own. It was good fun throwing snowballs at people when they were not looking. Love to Dot and all the Little Folk. SIR ECHO (Benhar). [I am very pleased to - have you as a member, Sir Echo. You evidently thoroughly enjoyed playing in the snow. —DOT.] BEST LETTERS JUNIOR SECTION (14 years and under) Dear Dot,—l have three sisters, two younger and one older than myself. One of my younger sisters was nine years rid on Friday, and my older sister was 15 years old on July 31. Our puppies' names are Rough and Tip. I read your page every Monday. As that is all, I shall close. • Love from BRIGHT BLUE EYES (Ettrick). [With three sisters, Bright Blue Eyes, you will will always have playmates, and I expect you have good fun. The puppies, too, will keep you amused.—DOT.] ** . * Dear Dot,—Once again i pick up my pen to write to you. We are experiencing some very wintry weather here at' present. Altogether we had approximately IS inches of snow last Week. The men are busily clearing roads, which have Snow 5 to 6ft deep in some places. Today Is the first of spring, and there is snow on the ground. Did you see the picture, " Marie Antoinette," and did you like it? I saw it, and I thought it very good. 1 think " Donald Duck" is very amusing, and I'm cuve the tiny tots took forward to Monday's paper to see Donald and, of course, your page. I think spring Is beautiful, Dot, don't you? It is lovely to set! the daffodils and narcissi blooming. Soon the tiny, white lambs will be frolicking in the paddocks, and the farmers will be busy with the sheep again. Now I must close, with lots of love to the Little Folk'and your own dear self. A FRIEND OF THE ANIMALS (Pukekoma). [I did not see " Marie Antoinette," A Friend of the Animals, but I believe it was a very fine picture. Spring is a beautiful season, and its flowers are always very welcome.—DOT.] * * * Dear Dot,—Well, we have started school again after that gold snowy week. The •other day . was going down the avenue and saw little boys building a huge snowman. Having an old cap on, a red nose, and i. pair of glassless glasses, he was looking very jolly. But this morning when I was going to school he had melted down to about the size I make them. Love to you and air the Little Folk. BLUE BIRD OF HAPPINESS (St. Clair). [The snowman will have Jisappeared altogether by this time, Blue Bird of Happiness, but he must have looked very jolfy.—DOT.] * * * Dear Dot,—How are you getting on? I hope you are not snowed in. The snow is deep here, and it is 21 feet deep on Mount Cargill, We were at school for one hour on Tuesday, but we have not been since. No trains or cars can get through here yet. We have not had a paper to read since Tuesday, so I may not see Dot's Little Folk's page on Monday. We like to see the snow, but there is too much of it/ We haven't had any mail since Tuesday either. We enjoyed having a snow fight, and we also snowballed the cat. I must close now, with love to all the Little Folk and yourself. MIGNONETTE (Otago). [I hope that by this time, Mignonette, you are getting your mail. We certainly nave' had much more 'snow' than we wanted. Poor pussy I Did he like being snowballed?—DOT.] > ■.'.'» i * * Dear Dot,—Just recently I have read a very interesting book called "The Modern Encyclopaedia for Children." The first part tells of the way our .earth was made. It also describes how stars were made. There is a collision between two revolving heavenly bodies. They each give a little of themselves, and thus a star is born. An astronomer drew a picture of what it must look like on the planet Mercury. Here the poles are the hottest part and the equator the coolest. It is said that the barren rocks are so hot that even tin would melt if placed upon them. The next section tells of the wonderful prehistoric , animals, and how man developed to his present-day stage The part dealing with travel describes all modern ways from the coming of the iron horse to aeroplanes, underground trains, and submarines. The science section tells of the workings of modern inventions, such us electric bells, pianos, and vacuum cleaners, Then there are a great many folk tales of all nations. In' the history section entitled "People Who Did Big Thing:]," are related stories of the lives of Oliver Cromwell, Horatio Nelson, and Cecil Rhodes. " Seven Wonders of Olden Days " describes some of the marvels constructed by the Greeks, Babylonians, and Egyptians. The section dealing with animals is illustrated by many photograph:;. Some of the writers described in the section on "World Literature" are Homer, the blind Greek poet, Dante of Italy, Cervantes of Spain, and Tolstoy of Russia. Besides these there are many other interesting sections. BLUE-EYED BOOK WORM (Kelso). [The book you mention, Blue-eyed Book Worm, is full of valuable information on a great variety of subjects, and you have given a very good summary of it.—DOT 1 * * # Dear Dot,—l am going to warn you that II have made a solemn promise to write to your page every week, so now you can prepare yourself for avalanches Talking about avalanches, it is a wonder we are not all under one at the present time. It was the worst snowstorm I have experienced, and, indeed, it is reported to have been the greatest storm for. 60 years. I woke up on Tuesday morning to a white world. Everything seemed so dreary; our faithful friend the sun, refused to shine. Yes. there is something sad about our white visitorsomething invisible and overlooked by the average person Only those who understand fully the nature of our country can appreciate the beauty of the snow and the magic it unfolds to us. The trees really looked fairy-like with their branches drooping gracefully under their starlike, glittering burdens. At the far end of the garden the snow had drifted against the fence, forming fantastic shapes, but the picture was partly spoilt by the fact that some early riser had been more interested in the depth of the snow than in the unusually beautiful Scene it made, and had gone to investigate—leaving his footprints. In contrast to the delicately formed snow they looked clumsy and out of place, and it was just as if some giant had disturbed this sleeping fairy kingdom I gave a smile as I noticed some other tiny footprints Evidently mistress pussy had ventured forth. Perhaps she was the fairy in quest of the giant, or, better still, a goblin who had intruded on this magic scene at the sinister hour of midnight Who knows? However, 1 spent three blissful days in the snow, and now you enthusiastic snowballers, could you give me a hint In regard to this particular sport in case we have any more unexpected falls of snow? Kind regards to all. DRYAD OF THE FOREST (Otago) [I hope you will keep your promise, Dryacl of the Forest, and write often, , although you may not always be able to do so every week. You are evidently one of those who thoroughly enjoyed the snow, and you have given a good description of it.—DOT.]

Dear Dot,—l am going to tell you about the snow. In drifts it was about 2£t 6in deep. On Tuesday we went up to the station and had a snowfight, but unfortunately I got a snowball in my eye. Dad rhsde us a sledge or Sunday. We are sledgin c at school, and have the most lovely .fun. Our school teacher bought her sledge in town. Only, three can get on it. Last week I did no go to school, because there was too much snow and no trains. Well, I must close, as it is bedtime, and mother is calling me. Kind regards > to all. LITTLE MISS MARKER (Parera). (You must have had great fun in the snow. Little Miss Marker, but it would not be very pleasant getting a snowball in your eye.—DOT.] %■ • H- * Dear Dot, —We have a lot of snow vv> here. I have finished my wool picture. We have a lot of fun sledging and skating. Marchmount Laddie is away to Oturehua competing in the big ice carnival. Black Jack McCready could not go, as he has a very bad cough and coughs all night, but he goes with me to skate when it is warm. There are 10 of us going to skate and ride on the sledge on Sunday afternoon. I am going to town with mother and two others on Monday by car, so I hope we do not get stuck in the Pigroot. We have had three weeks and two days' holidays, and the snow is still deep. It touches the engine of the car, so I don't think we will start school till it has all gone, as nearly all the children have a long way to go, and teacher is away in Cromwell. We could not ride our bicycles, as there is only the wheel mark of the car in the snow for two miles before we'get on to the main Dunedin highway. I shall close now, as it is nearly bedtime. Love to you and all the Little Folk. SHIRLEY ANNE (Oturehua). fl am interested to hear, Shirley Anne, that you have finished your wool picture. What kind of work are you going to do next? You will have plenty of time, as you cannot go to school. I hope the snow will soon disappear, and that you will manage to get through to Dunedin without much difficulty. I hope. Black Jack McCready's cough will soon be better. —DOT.] •Dear Dot,—Here is just a little story. One night, when all the world was asleep, she came in her gown of glittering white —that queen of splendour. And then when day came children and grown-ups alike, tampered with her gown. But still she stayed—stayed for several days. And then came that most depressing bachelor —Mr Rain. He had marked that queen for his own. But she was vanishing as quickly as possible. And now, all that is left of her beautiful gown is a few rags here and there. Can you guess whom I am alluding to. Dot?—Madame Snow. Is she not beautiful before anyone tramps her down? It does seem a pity to see the snow ruined after rain, but it must go sometime. I suppose we all have heard in our childhood the story of the Old woman in the sky who plucked her duck's feathers once a year and the ones which fell down were snow. There was another story, where the old woman pounded her mattress once a year, and the fluff which flew off it was snow. Surely Grimm—or was it Andersen?— who wrote these fantastic tales, could have invented a better one than these for the children. Saying this without flattery to myself, Dot, I think I could do better. Well, Dot, one could write so much about snow if there was room, but I shall close now, with love to yourself and all the Little Folk. LITTLE GIRL BLUE (Balclutha). [That is a very pretty story of yours about the snow. Little Girl Blue. Do you write many fairy tales? I should like to see more of them?—DOT.] * * * Dear Dot,—l am writing to tell you about the sports we are having here. As there was 18 inches of snow we get sledging andski-ing. To-day a lot of men and women went to the hills skl-ing, but, as many of them didn't know how to handle their skis, there was a good deal of fun. There had been a roller to flatten the snow, but the ski-iers went farther than the part that had been rolled, so all the children had to stamp it down with their feet. When the snow started melting tney had to go somewhere else They Chose a hill at the back of the town where few sledgers were enjoying themselves. Another sport is roller skating, which passes away the evening. ROBIN OF SHERWOOD (Arrowtown). [The winter sports, Robin of Sherwood, must have given a lot of fun both to those who took part in them and to those who merely looked on.—DOT.] * * * Dear Dot,—lt is a long time since 1 wrote to you, but here I am again. On Saturday I went down to Alexandra to see the skating. It is one of the chief winter sports up here, and 1 am just learning Some boys of the town have built a small skating dam by the river side, and. although the weather Is cold just now, everyone is enjoying this sport I am very interested in reading and stamp collecting—the former being my chief amusement. At school we have a library, out of which I have had 10 books I read all my school books as soon as I get them, especially my history book, which I like best of all Stamp collecting is very Interesting, but 1 have not very manv stamps, as 1 started only a little while ago. I went to " Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and I thought it was very clever. I am interested in the " Donald Duck" series on your page Well, I shall close now, with love to all the Little Folk and yourself. OTAGO POPEYE (Cromwell). [You will have great fun, Otago Popeye, when you have learned to skate. You have two splendid hobbies, and they will prevent you from ever feeling dull. I am glad you like the " Donald Duck" pictures.—DOT.] * * * Dear Dot,—This is the second time 1 have written to you. Now I shall tell you the names of our dogs. Darkey Is the oldest, then Scot, and Guy. He .s my brother's puppy. He got him jn Guy Fawkes nignt. We have three cats called Tom, Dickena, and Harry Dickena got her leg caught in a trar and is lame now. I have a.little cow called Susie. I go to school in a bus. I shall close now, with love to all the Little "'oik and vour own self. POPPY PANSY (Balclutha). [What a number of animals you have, Poppy Pansy I You are well off to have a little cow of your own. I am sure you enjoy going to school In the bus.

Dear Dot,—Again I pick :p my pen to write to you, and I am going to tell you what we did on Sunday. In the afternoon three of our friends came down with their sledges, so we decided to go sledging. There were nine of us, and we had four sledges After we had finished we went up home, where we had an apple each As I - have no more news, I must close, with kind regards to yourself and all the Little Folk from BONNIE DLUE BELL (Arrowtown). [Sledging is great fun, Bonnie Blue Bell, and I am sure you enjoyed it immensely I —DOT.J V * # Dear Dot,—lt was good to see my first letter in print, and I meant to have written again before this. You will have had snow in Dunedin the same as we have had up here. There is still a good deal of it lying about. Thi. is the heaviest fall I have ever seen. It is a very pretty sight on a moonlight night, as it seems to glisten so brightly. My brothers and I have had such sport snowballing, but we shall be glad when the snow melts away, so that we can play football again. As my brother and I are being allowed to stay up later than usual to listen-in to the wrestling, and it Will soon be time for it to begin, I must now say good-bye. with best wishes to you all. THE MOUNTAIN KING (Queenstown). [Queenstown must be very beautiful at present. The Mountain King, and I wish I could see it. However, everyone will be glad when the snow disappears.—DOT.] * ♦ * Dear Dot,—Since I last wrote to . ou we have had more nice cold frosty mornings. I now like them, as the days are beautifully bright and sunny, and it is also nice and warm in the middle of the day, but in the shade it is very cold and damp. My schoolmistress asked our class to address an envelope to our head teacher and draw a stamp in the right-hand corner. I was the only one that could do it, and. I, too, would have been uninstructed if it had not been for writing to you, Dot. We were also asked to start a letter, and I again got 100 per cent, of points, as I was also acquainted \ with letter writing through the D.L.F. page, so writing to the page is instructive as well as a pleasure. I am improving in health every day. Grannie took me down to her place to stay, so that mummie could look after Archie, who is still in bed, but is on the mend. We are all pleased, as the poor wee chap has now been in bed for two weeks. I shall now lose, with love to all the D.L.F. and yourself. HARRY FARRAR'S GIRL (Maidstone, Victoria). [I am very glad to hear that you are better now. Harry Farrar's Girl, and that your little brother is improving. I am very glad, also, to learn that you find that the experience you have gained in writing to the page so useful in vour school work, and congratulate you on getting 100 per cent, for addressing an envelope and beginning a letter.—DOT.] * # * Dear Dot,—lt is a long time since I wrote to your page, although I take a great interest in it and read it every week. In this letter I am going to tell you about the weather we had last week. During the past three weeks the ground

has been covered with snow practically all the time. Last week we had a very heavy fall, it being Ift deep on the flats and sft deep in some of the drifts. This week we have been having some hard frosts, and the snow was good for tobogganing and ski-ing. The ponds have also been frozen hard enough for skating. We have had rain lately, which has melted all the snow, and bare ground is now to be seen. Kind regards to all the Little Folk and yourself. GOLDSTREAM LASS (Waikolkol) [lt is fortunate, Goldstream Lass, that the snow in your district has disappeared so quickly. It is still very deep in many other places. Did you do any skating? -DOT.I * * *' Dear Dot—r is a ljng time since I wrote to you, so I thought I would tell you about my pet cat, Smoky He is a lovely big cat of a smcky-grey colour. He meets me at the gate nearly every night when 1 come home from school. Not very long ago when I was sick. Smoky came and looked In at me. I am sure he felt sorry for me At home we have an ornament of a cat. One day I took it down and put it in front of him. What a fright he got at seeing such a funny looking cat. He backed away anl looked at :t. I shall close now. with best wishes to vou and all the Little Folk. THE SECRET GIRL (Taleri) I Smoky must be - lovely cat, The Secret Girl, and you will' be very proud of him. It will be quite all right if you send stamps for the badge, and be sure to give your correct postal address as well.—DOT.] H- * * Dear Dot,—lt is a while since 1 wrote to the page. This time 1 am going to tell you about the snow. When I reached home on the Monday night the ground was becoming quite white, and when I awoke ... the next morning I was overjoyed to see that the snow was from 2in to 4in deep. vVhen it was time to go to school I put on my coat and bag

and set off. When I was almost at the station I heard a call, so I answered it. On reaching the bridge I met Rosebud Garland, who was also on her way to school. While we were going down the road we made tracks through the snow. When we arrived at he store we were told that there would be no school. However, we took the milk over to the school and watted for a while, but no one came, so we went back to the store. The grocer gave us a ride home, as it happened to be his day for going up to Tawanui. On the Wednesday I decided to go down to play with r-y schoolmate, but it became very stormy, so I changed my mind. Many enjoyable times I had in the snow, but I am certain the poor birds and animals would feel it. I had to feed Dodger three times a day. The only thing I was not keen about was tramping up the hill. Well, as we have a visitor to-night it is not very easy to write, so I shall close, with best wishes to all. TOMBOY DOROTHY (Catlins). [The poor birds and animals, Tomboy Dorothy, must have had a hard time during the snowstorm, and, although you enjoyed it so much, I am sure you would not be sorry when it was over.—DOT.] * * * Dear Dot,—We have been nearly a month in our new home, and we like it very much. The house has been newly papered and painted inside. There is a hut which serves as an extra bedroom, and has an electric light and a heater point in it. The house has five rooms, and the hut Is a short distance away. The see-saw is on the front lawn, and my sister gives me a rough time when she is on the other end. My father is busy getting the garden ready for the vegetables and seeds. The man who was here before us was very fond of gardening, and had the place nicely laid out with borders and rockery; We were all very sorry to hear of the Illness of Kilmeny of the Pool's father, and hope he will soon be better. Tx>ve to you and all the Little Folk. IVANHOE JUNIOR (Burnside). [I am very interested to hear about your new home, Ivanhoe Junior. The 'rooms will be very fresh and bright with their new papers, and I am glad that you like living there so much. The garden must be very nice, and it will be interesting to watch the flowers coming out. —DOT.] * # * Dear Dot.—We have a gramophone, and my brother, Graham, and I often dance to the records. Our favourite record is " The Dance of the Firebird," by Stavinsky. The music always makes me think of a dark, gloomy, silent forest. All crocodiles and slimy creatures are crawling about. Now and then birds are chirping. This goes on till halfway through, when the Firebird suddenly comes out. I can tell when the Firebird comes out, because the music suddenly stives a sort of flash, and then goes ""on to wild dances. Graham is the crocodile and I am the Firebird, and Judith, my baby sister, is a little bird. The Firebird is all bright colours, and it frightens away the crocodiles. I will say good-bye now. FAIRY BERRY (Dunedin). [Thank you for telling me about " The Dance of the Firebird," Ferry Berry. It must be a splendid record, and you will feel excited when the music tells you that the Firebird has corn" out,—DOT.]

BEST LETTERS SENIOR SECTION (14 and under 21 years). Dear Dot,—Here is a poem that I hope will help spring on its way SPRING SONG A hundred thousand violets smiling at the sky Are welcoming the dancing Lady Spring— A hundred thousand song-birds gaily singing, fly, Their messages of Joyful waking bring. On, willow by the water, raise your bending head, What can you find to weep about today? For Lady Spring is here—grey winter's chill has fled, So cease your weeping, willow, and be gay! A hundrea thousand ripples—oh, listen to them singAre laughing as the creek flows on its way. A hundred thousand bush elves are dancing in the spring, For joy has come into the world to-day Lovt to all. GREY-EYiJD BLONDE (Hillgrove) [Thank you. Grey-eyed Blonde, for your charming little poem. I have enjoyed it very much, and its gaiety is infectious. Thank you also for your private note. I am glad to hear that you are still gaining certificates.—DOT.] * * * Dear Dot,—l must apologise for not writing sooner. The snow has nearly all gone now, but I think everybody will long remember it. We were very lucky, as we had coal and food in plenty. The children were the worst off, as they had to stay inside most of the time. Dad and Jack could not go to work, and as Lai and Peg were also at home, we played monopoly quite a lot; in fact, three times one day. which rather tired us of it, so

Jack got library books. I tried to get a film for my camera, but the shops shut the first day, so the snaps do not show very much snow. Jack said he could have got me good ones up town, but at the time we did not think of that. The first day people seemed to expect transport to drop from the skies, but by the next day the.V could be seen setting off for work, trudging cheerily through the snow, with an occasional pause to return an opposing snowball or to step nimbly sideways out of ones path. A car would try to travel up the road and stick; then its occupants would, with shovels etc., turn it back and try to make it go on the tracks made by the grader. Even the novelty of watching this sight soon ceased, so one afternoon after the children had been snowballing they brought me in a big tray and heaps of snow, and we did have fun, excepting for Marigold, who thought me mad playing with snow. Did I forget to say that she was terrified of the snow? The final result of the snow was a snowman, which Lai snapped. Dad thought I was joking when I said I made the snowman, which came out well in the snap. It was only about 15in high, but very broad, with an acorn pipe, but the kiddies were thrilled with it. Well, I must now close. Love to all the Little Folk, Friend of the Fairies, and yourself. LAUGH YOUR TROUBLES AWAV (Otago).

[I have missed your leters, Laugh Your Troubles Away, and am glad to hear from you again. The heavy fall of snow will certainly not be forgotten In a hurry. It is curious that Marigold was terrified of the snow, but I suppose it was on account of the strangeness of it.—DOT.]

Dear Dot,—l have written the headings, and now I am gazing into the fire wondering what to put into the letter. It is a wood fire, and will soon be in need of replenishing. The logs, in the centres, are glowing a reddish-orange, and tiny, golden flames rise and fall among the embers. Near the ends of the logs the wood is black, and, in places, It is hardly touched by the fire, with the unburnt bark clinging round It. As I gaze, the thin, black point of the poker comes into view, and someone turns the red-hot, glowing side of the burning log outwards. The poker continues poking—an uncomfortable habit, is it not?—and tiny, dancing sparks fly up through the Chimney. Suddenly the whole log collapses, the unburnt wood is pushed into the centre of the fire, and the poker retires at last, satisfied! I am so glad, as its blackness is quite out of place in the picture. Then swiftly, long tongues of flame lick out along the wood. , They curl almost caressingly round the new prey, and then dance playfully up the chimney. Perhaps I shall see more pictures in the fire! But, no. By my side comes again the ominous clang of the poker, the wood is pushed down, and new, fine chubby logs, just crying to be burnt, are piled on. My picture is gone; the fire loses suddenly its companionable warmth, and, well, I must hurry and write that letter. So, Dot, you can decide whether the poker or the poor fire is responsible for this rambling, disconnected letter. Before I close, I must send hearty congratulations to the winners of the competition. Cheerio. DECEMBER ROSES (Taieri). [Studying a fire, December Roses, is a pleasant occupation on a winter evening, and your description of the changing pictures you saw in it makes a cheerful subject for a letter.—DOT.] # * * Dear Dot,—There has been 18 inches of snow here in Arrowtown, and some of the residents have been out skl-ing on a small slope at the back of the town. Last winter I told you that I was roller skating with a friend of mine, and we are skating again this winter. It was starting to freeze before the snow came and there was a bit of ice about, but now the snow has spoilt it. A bulldozer and three graders are going round the district clearing the snow off the roads, but they did not put the blade down far enough to take it all ofT, and it froze a little last night and made the roads slippery and dangerous for wheel traffic. My young sister volunteered to snowball our nextdoor neighbour, and when he threw a snowball at her she said she had to go for dinner. THE MECHANIC (Arrowtown).

[This winter will long be remembered, The Mechanic, for its record snowfall and the opportunities it has given for indulging in winter sports.—DOT.]

Add Best Letters (Senior) —- Dear Dot,—Let me continue my letter. After the pigmy secured the vine to the tree the worst part of his job was oyer. Others from the other side of the river carried the end of another vine across. They seemed to be quite expert at crawling across the single vine. The first vine seemed to be a long way above the water, but we were soon to see the reason. It took the pigmies a week to build the' bridge. They were not in any hurry. They had nothing else to do except roam the jungle. When the bridge was completed it was only a few .feet frbm the river. They formed it like a trellis work. When they finished it they were very happy and pleased. It seemed to be like a new plaything to them, and they jumped up and down on it and crossed it all day long. At the end of the day they were tired, and they slept pretty soundly that night. Next day they crossed the bridge,' and it was left there

for the next flood to wash away; It had served Its purpose and the pigmies went on their way. One day the film producers brought two lorry loads of pigmies into their camp to give them a treat. They looked like any ordinary full-sized person until they were seen standing alongside the white man. It was then that we realised how small they were. The camera man gave them sugar, which was a thing they had never tasted before. They were almost mad with glee when they found out what it was like. The pigmies enjoyed themselves very much that day, and they seemed to be reluctant to leave when the time came to depart from the camp. Love to yourself and the page. THE PRIME MINISTER (Dunedin).

(.This is a particularly interesting letter, The Prime Minister, and I have enjoyed reading it. The pigmies are evidently very ingenious.—DOT.]

Deai Dot,—Here I am again just nome from an enjoyable week in town, touring factories and other interesting buildings. A party of about 4* went down, and we went through the Roslyn Mills, the Dunedin North Intermediate School, Evening Star, Observatory, and Wax Vesta factory, and a section of the Museum. The most enjoyable trip I thought was tht one to the Evening Star. It was very interesting, and the whole trip will remain in our memory always. Our mouth organ band went to Dunedin, too, and we were given a wonderful reception We visited the Strand Theatre and 4ZB, and played over the air. Our trip concluded with an exciting game of basketball for the girls, while the boys played football with Otago Boys' High School. Although we both lost, we had a good sporting game and saw many points we did not know Never mind, we will try and beat them next time. Well, Dot, I must close, with kind regards to you and also Laugh Your Troubles Away and Blue Feather. DAPHNE DELIGHT (Middlemarch): |I am glad you had such an interesting and enjoyable week in town, Daphne Delight. You certainly made the most of your time.—DOT.] w * * Dear Dot,—l have sometimes thought to myself at school, while listening to the various reasons why two triangles would be equal if such and s ch a condition existed, that it would be rather pleasant to have lessons at home for a change. Now, however, when I am forced to stay at home for a week or two, with a certain amount of school work to do, I am afraid that I do not find it so pleasant after all. I don't seem to be able to settle down to any work—or, rather, I settle down too much in an easy chair. It seems to me as though our hard Wooden desks are essential after all I But I miss, too, the general tone of things In a schoolroom I also miss someone to talk to, and to discuss the idt> syncrasies of certain teachers. There is no smoky chimney, no one in front of me to annoy by kicking her chair, or otherwise maka general nuisance of myself. There is no window behind me ' eithei to turn round to at the sound of a tram or car, and be caustically asked by my teacher if there are 10 or 11 carriages on the train to-day? You see, our school is situated very inconveniently, for teachers at least, right beside the main north

road, and the railway line and everything that goes past is sure to attract someone s attention. Our mathematics teacher once worked out how much time we wasted each year as a result of the trains, but I'm afraid I have forgotten the actual figure—perhaps he has too. However, instead of all these things, I sit facing the window and gaze upon a very deserted countryside. It is a beautiful sunny day after all the bad weather, but there are still a number of snowdrifts in the hollows and by the banks. The whiteness of them shows up the green of the grass, and makes the blue sky appear even brighter. The blueness of the sky reminds me of piece of sky I can see through one of the side windows at school. One of my friends and I always look at a certain period to see if it L as blue as the first day we noticed it. Well, Dot. this has been a rambling letter, I'm afraid. I have just been writing things as I think on them. They will be doing French at school now, and I should be too. Kindest regards to all. MERELY MARY ANN (Palmerston).

[I see you have discovered, Merely Mary Ann. that school has many advantages. There is no doubt that its atmosphere is an incentive to work, in spite of occasional distractions such as you mention, and the company of others adds zest to one's tasks. I hope you will soon be able to go back.—DOT.]

Dear Dot,~ln a moment of mental aberration one offers to enter ah essay competition. At this stage of entering, it is surprising with what calmness the arrival of the event is awaited. One thinks philosophically that it can do no harm to enter for it, and, in fact, it will probably be very good for the brain. The prospect of the prize, too, is rather enticing. But as the days draw near to the dread event, this calm vanishes, and a dim foreboding develops- into frantic nervousness. What if the subject is one which one knows nothing about? All sorts of ways and means of withdrawing one's candidature suggest themselves, but no! Once entered, the essay must be written. Finally, comes the day itself; more doubts as to om's sanity in offering to attempt so foolhardy an undertaking then assail, the mind. The periods can not lag enough. And then comes the entrance of the supervisor; the moment of writing the subject on the blackboard. Everyone gazes earnestly at the words gradually taking form, trying to turn over in his own mind what the next one may be. At this crucial moment, varying degrees of surprise and dismay are reflected on everyone's feces. Some few optimists smile cheerfully, and others, including myself, just gaze blankly at the subject. But something must be done. At least two pages of that foolscap must be covered with essay. The introduction is begun without the faintest idea of what is to follow. Inspiration, however, must come at last, poor though it may be. At the end of an hour or so, one sits back thankfully; something has been written, even if it is pretty bad, and to have written anything at all is quite an achievement. But as the papers are handed in, one vows: "Never again! no, never again!" POSSUM'S FRIEND'S DAUGHTER (Brighton).

[You have given a vivid . picture, Possum's Friend's Daughter, of the state of mind of a great many of those who enter for a competition. To anyone who is in the least degree nervous, it is a great ordeal, and the lucky ones who think nothing of it are to be envied.—DOT.] NEW MEMBERS Dot extends a special welcome to the tollowing Little Folk who have written to the page for the firs) time this week:Lily of the Valley, Brown Eyes, Honey Bunch, Sir Echo. NOTES Princess Florlnda.—l shall be pleased to enrol you, dear, if you will send me your own name, in order that I may enter it in my book. If you will let me have this at once, your letter will be inserted next week. Faith in New Zealand.—Will you kindly send me your address, as I have a letter here for you. DOT. OVERSEAS CORRESPONDENTS Little Folk wishing to correspond with residents overseas should write to Miss M. A Vernon, c/o Dot, Otago Dally Times, Dunedin, enclosing stamped addressed envelope for reply, and stating age. hobbies, and requirements, and also in which country correspondents are desired. D.L.F. SOCIAL CLUB The meeting of the above club, arranged for August 8, will be held on Tuesday, August 15. at 7.15 p.m. Through the kindness of a friend of the club, Miss- B. Whittington, the meeting will be at her home at 312 High street. The same programme will be presented, and it is hoped that as many as possible will attend. Little Folk are asked to bring a cup and a small donation for supper. Any members desiring to do so/may meet the president at Jacob's corner, in the Stock Exchange, at 7 p.m. sharp. Miss Whittington's home is Just above the Chalet Hosoital. within easy reach of the Exchange. All Old Writers and friends of the club are cordially invited to attend, and we hope to see several new members. The annual subscription of Is per annum may be sent to the secretary, 25 Durham street, Mornington. I would like to thank all the Little Folk and Old Writers who have conveyed sympathy and good wishes to us concerning the illness of my father. We appreciate their kind thoughts, and are encouraged by their good wishes. Thank you. KILMENY OF THE POOL. President. OLD WRITERS' NOTES At the Old Writers' Association meeting on August 7 it was resolved to write to Kia Ora, Invercarglll, re the proposed combined picnic to be held early in the year and, if possible, arrange a meeting on September 30, the date of the return football match. We hope to include North Otago members, also, if transport can be arranged to suit. Further eports are hoped for at our meeting on September 4. Annual subscription has been received from Andrewina, also a donation. CLARA. Hon. Secretary. 128 Union street, Dunedin. SOUVENIR BOOKLET For some time past sales of our souvenir jubilee booklet (price 2s, post free) have been at a standstill. At last meeting of Old Writers' Association J resigned from the executive, but have consented to carry on my endeavours to quit unsold copies of the booklet. With this end in view, I would appreciate the co-operation of all Old Writers and present-day writers. As only 500 copies were printed, it naturally follows that in later years this souvenir will be enhanced in value, commemorating as it does 50 years of endeavour In catering for not only the young writers to the D.L.F. page, but Old Writers and interested readers at home and abroad. Orders sent to the address given below, or Dot, will receive prompt attention. IVANHOE. c/o Green island P. 0., Dunedin, 5.W.2.