Dot's Little Folk TO ALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23940, 16 October 1939, Page 11

Dot's Little Folk

TO ALL

THE WEEK’S POEM

The following little poem, children, about a boy who took plenty of time to school, but lost it all on the way, has a moral which you will all discover for yourselves. DOT

LOST TIME. Timothy took his time to school. '• Plenty ol time he took; But some he lost In the tadpole pool ' And some in the stickle-back brook Ever so much In the linnet's nest* K And more on the five-barred gate— Timothy took his time to school,

V But he lost it all and was late. Timothy has a lot to do— How shall It all be done? .Why, he never got home till close on 2, Though he might have been back by 1. There’s sums, and writing and spelling, tOO, ‘ * Vi: > And an apple trie to climb, Timothy has a lot to do—- « ’**ow shall he find the time? ■, Timothy sought dt high ami , low: J. ■i_He looked In the tadpole pool To sec if they’d taken the time to grow r : That he lost on the Way to school. Ke found the nest and he found the tree. And he found the gate he’d crossed. But Timothy never shall find (ah me!) ? The time that Timothy lost. , —Ffrlda Wolfe.

Dear Little Folk.—l nave liked very much the poems you have sent me about spring, and feel proud to think that among my Little Folk there are Bo many who have the gif t Of expressing in verse their appreciation of the beauties of this season of the year. The average standard of merit of these poems has been high, and the writers of the great majority of them have Shown that they possess a very good Idea of the rules of verse-making. These rules have been given in the page on previous occasions, but for the benefit of new members, 1 shall repeat them. First of all, there is metre. This is the beat that we hear In music—four beats to a bar in march time, three beats to a bar in waltz time—and metre is always present In verse, although it Is called “ feet ” instead of “ beats.” In regard to it you must not change from one type of metre to another In the same poem. Of course, great poets can take all sorts of liberties, as you will discover when you read their works, but beginners must keep to the rules, so if ycju commence a poem In a ballad metre of' four beats in the first and third lines apd three beats In the second and fourth, you must continue in the same way until the end. If you were to make five beats in one line you would spoil the pleasure one has in reading the verse. Beats and feet, are, of course, ,the accentuated syllables in the line. Next we shall take rhyme, which Is the recurrence of the same sound at intervals, and regularly at the end of the Use. Now, there are a number of different •' but*-w • you begin' bymaking, say, the first and third lines rhyme, ycu must continue to do this until the end of the poem and not Intro-* duce a verse in which the second and fourth or the first and second lines rhyme. This is a point that some of you seem to overlook. Now these are simple rules, but If yoU wish to write good verse, let alone poetry, you must master them. I would also recommend you to repeat ‘aloud any verses that you compose. You will then be able to tell from the sound If there are any faulty rhymes or metres. 1 hope that what I have said on this subject will be a help to you, and that you will continue writing poems.—Your loving DOT

LEHERS FROM TITTLE FOLK

\ Motto: %.We write for the benefit i’i'; of others, not for ourselves. FIRST LETTERS Deaf Dot,—May I join your band of Little Folk? ; I shall be 14 on February 8, land l arri iti Standard VI and hoping to pass for high school. At school we have a Rainbow Club meeting each week, and I am chairman. Standards V and VI go -to a township a mile away for manual training each Tuesday. I'am making a bookrest. We play cricket, rounders, and football. There are approximately. 50 pupils at our school. As I have no more new, I shalll close. BOUNDING BILL (Hakataramea). [You are welcome to join, Bounding Bill, but as your nom de plume has already been chosen. I have had to alter it. I should like to hear more about the RalnboVr Club.—DOT.] BEST LETTERS ' JUNIOR SECTION (14 years and unden Dear Dot,—lt is a very long time since I have Written to you., I am going to tell you about last Saturday. As I am a Girf'Cnide,, we all»went for; a picnic, and we-wvent tfli the'Pines. We met at the store at 20 mimitfes past ,10; - The St. Ann Guide* came , down; in the bus from Duttcdln, and the captain came in the bus. too;; ,0n our way up to the Pinea we saw a bull on the road,'but it did not chaSe us. It ran up the road jn front of us and Jumped over the fence; When we reached the place we were heading for we. got some sticks to light the fires. After. > the water was hot we had our dinner, fihd afterwards we cooked sausages and damper.' Then we packed our things and came down the hill. We had a very big day I shall close now. JILL'S PAL (Macandrow Bay) [I am glad you had such a nice picnic, Jill’s Pal. It must be great fun cooking over a camp fire.—DOT.] V * * Dear Dot, —Here I am again. It is a long time since I last wrote to you. Our pony Is getting rather fat. We have 13 pet lambs just now and three pups. Your family of Little Folk gets bigger every week. I quite forgot to tell you we have two heifer calves. If you were at Roxburgh or Coal Creek or Dumbarton you would see how lovely the orchards look up this way. Well. I had better close now. Love to yourself and the Little Folk. SNOW QUEEN (Roxburgh) [You will have to give your pony more exercise. Snow Queen. I wish X could see the orchards in your district just now. They must be very beautiful.— DOT.] ‘ !S ’ 1 * ;H< . Dear Dot,—Last time I Wrote you asked me" to ; tell you. about the book “Little FridaVl, Well, it starts with a little girl being *lbst in a forest. She was a German, sad to say, and her father was a violinist It was a woodcutter who found her. Her father died In another woodcutter’s hut.' I cannot tell you much of the story-, but she lived with the woodcutter until she grew up. She proved to be a successful musician, like her father With the aid of a locket she was able to And her grandparents. The name of the forest was the Black Forest Well, I shall close now. with love from CHARMING CHATTERBOX (Taiori) [Thank you for telling me about "Little Frida,’’ Charming Chatterbox. It seems to be a very nice story.™DOT.]

duly 16,1886, by th.e OTAGO WITNESS

Dot luvUvs letters of jmt.more than 300 words In length from her young friends throughout the Dominion on any matters in Which they are Interested, New 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. Otago Dally Times " Every letter must state the age of the writer for Dot’s private information The retiring age Is 21. after Wblcb Little Folk become Old Writers

Dor's Little Folk’s Badge, with pin, for use as a brooch, Is obtainable on application to Dot. ITlce 3s 6d, in stamps or postal macs.

Dear Dot,—i have recently received another letter from • my uncle in Australia. Tllis-was written on September 13. He says that spring has started. After having three months of cold, wet weather they suddenly experienced hot, drying winds and a shade temperature that we would consider a hot one, My uncle had sold 308 lambs the week before the letter was written, and he expected to sell 300. more in a fortnight’s time. Ho said that In the village In which he lived most of the people were shearing their sheep. Enclosed In the letter were some everlasting wild dowers. Most of them ■ have transparent petals In various shades. There is,one very pretty golden dalsv (lower. Another Wild' flower is the kangaroo paw. a‘ piece of which I am enclosing. It has purple-tinted petals shaped like the paw of an animal. BLUE-EYED BOOKWORM (Kelso). [Westerns Australia is noted, Blue-eyed Bookworm, for the number and variety of its wild flowers and their gorgeous colours. Thank you for the specimen enclosed with vour letter. It is apparently ;a rather remarkable flower, and must be very beautiful as well.—DCT.] ¥ ¥ ¥ Dear Dot.—As I pick up my pen to write you I am going to tell you a little about the war. In September. 1939, war broke out between Germany and Poland because Germany wanted Danzig and other concessions that the Polish people could not possibly consider. The Poles’ cause was right and lust, and, they being so much weaker than the Germans, it was necessary for them to get help. Britain Is also a lover of righteousness, and decided to go to the Poles' assistance, as also did the French, who are her allies, hoping to put an end to the tyranny that Germany intended to Inflict on the Poles. We are taught that righteousness exalts a nation, but tyranny brings It to a low ebb. The British base most of their laws on the Bible principles. The closer a government keeps to these principles the more harmonious the people are, and the farther away you get from these principles the more out of order the people become. We believe Britain to be the nation most loyal to these principles, ahd we. believe she will surely win. I shall close now. Love to all the Little Folk and your owrt Gear self. DADDY’S DEAR DARLING (Palmerston). [Belief In the righteousness of one’s cause Is,a great source of strength. Daddy’s Dear Darling, and, secure in that belief. Britain and her allies can face the future with confidence. —DOT.I ¥ ¥ ¥ Dear Dot, —Just a lihe or two, I am looking forward to going to the school sports to-morrow (Saturday). It has been a lovely week here, and I hope it is fine lor the sports The gardens are beginning to look like spring. The daffodils and primroses and other spring flowers are in bloom, and they look very pretty. With love to all the other Little Folk and yourself. BILLY THE RAT (Balclutha). [I hope you enjoyed the sports, Billy the Rlit. • Did you enter for any of the races?—DOT.) ¥ ¥ ¥ Dear Dot,—On Friday we might be going to Balclutha for a new car. It will be a Fortl 10. We have had an old Ford for four years, and we are going, to sell it. 1 1 told you once that we were going to ,get swings and see-saws put up at school.

and now we have two swings and two see-saws. I prefer swings to see-saws. Our kitten was covered in water and had mud on his face this morning when we got up, and we think he must have gone hunting. Once when I went into my bedroom he was on the mat washing his mud off. Cheerio. TINKERBELL THE FAY (Otago). lit will be nice to have a new car. Tlnkerbell the Fay, and you will be looking forward to riding In, It. I am glad !to heqr that you have got the swings and isee-saws at school,, and am sure -you ■will have lots of -fun on them. Your kitten must havelooked rather disreputable with mud on- his face ana his coat all wet.—DOT.] - • V > ■ , v ■„ i Dear Dot,—Last Saturday my sister and 1 went- to our next-door neighbours birthday party. She was 12 years old, and she has a little brother two years old. We had a good time playing games, and at 3.3) we went lnsl.de and had a birthday tea. There was a beautiful iced cake with 12 candles on it. At 4.30 a lady came down the paddock with a parcel, and in It there was a packet of peppermints for each of us. Every fortnight I go to Owaka for a music lesson. We have such a lot of daffodils and snowdrops at our place now. As It is time to go to bed, I shall close, with love to all the Little Folk, . CHINA BUD (Otago). Ll am glad you enjoyed the party so much, China Bud. It must have been very nice. I hope you are getting on well with your music. How long have you been learning?—DOT.) * V ■ V Dear Dot,—On Monday, September 25, mother and we three children went to the Melbourne Show, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. At the first streak of day Archie, who Is four years old, was up and moving abput. He first went to granny’s and woke them up. Then he went into uncle’s and’ got him out of bed, as uncle had, promised to run us over to the show,' two and, a-half miles away. We went through the cattle pavilion and saw a dear wee calf. Its mother was licking t all over I suppose she was washing It the same as cats do their kittens. Then we went Into the pig pavilion and saw all sizes and colours of pigs. It was lovely to see all the wee pigs fighting and scrummaging for their meal, and their squealing could be heard for chains away They were pushing and rooting at each other, and one would have thought that they were starving. We visited the Shetland ponies, and one had such a dear wee foal, the size' of a dog. Archie said it wag not nearly so old as he was, as it only came up to his neck. He meant not high as he was We went

into the waxworks and saw a lot of people—good, bad, and indifferent —and the sleeping beauty. Then we went into the arena and had lunch, and watched the different events. One lady rider galloped up to the hurdle and the horse stopped, but she did not. Sl?e went on without it and jumped the hurdle, and the horse galloped away. She did not get hurt, and I was pleased, Someone sitting behind us ■ said she should have put cobblers’ wax on the saddle, and then she would not have fallen off. We all arrived home safe, but very tired, after our pleasant day’s outing. I shall now close, with cheerio to all. HARRY FARRAR’S GIRL (Maidstone. Victoria).

[What an interesting day you must have had at the show, Harry Farrars Girl I Thank you for telling me about it. The little pigs and the Shetland foal would be particularly fascinating.—DOT.]

Dear Dot,—As It is some time since I last wrote, I shall tell you about a day I spent at a beach. A relative of mine took a party of us to Kaka Point in his motor car. Soon after we had left we noticed several tuis .on some kowhai trees, vhlch were laden with golden bloom. While travelling along we also saw many snow-white lambs racing and frolicking in the green meadows. When we arrived .at our destination some of us went down to the mouth of a river, where we saw people fishing for whitebait. After staying there for a time we walked farther along, collecting shells of various kinds and colours. When we arrived back at the car we drove along until we came to the track which led down to the beach. After lunch we went for £ splash in the salt water, Before

leaving for home we played in the sand. On our way back we went to the Nuggets, where we saw a fishing boat come in. When It had come in as far is it could, men took ropes out and had it pulled in by an engine. The fish were put in cases and were loaded on to a lorry, which took them away. While we were coming home we saw herds of cows going home to be milked. With kind regards to all the Little Folk and your own dear self. ROSEBUD GARLAND (Gatlins) [1 have r6ad with Interest, Rosebud Garland, your account of the day you spent at Kaka Point and the beaches adjacent to it. I know the locality well, and, given reasonably fine weather, I think it is an ideal place in which to spend a holiday.—DOT.] V * * Dear Dot,—l am going to tell you about the drill display that was held last Saturday. All the schools from surrounding districts take part In this big event that comes once a year. Running, jumping, skipping, basketball, and relay races are held in the morning, and it is very interesting to watch the children taking part in these events. In the afternoon the grandstand is packed to await the display. Soon all the children are running to take their places just outside the big gate. The piano notes strike, and here they come—left right, left right The girls look very smart in their gym. frocks and white blouses, long black stockings, and white shoes. The boys all wear white shirts and navy trousers. Each school wears different coloured armbands to distinguish it. They come marching up into line, and the teacher gives the order to commence. Turning and clapping is the first on the list, and then come the lunge, drive, and jumping jacks, and several others The audience gives them hearty applause, and then comes the presenting of the cups and shield This is a great moment for the competitors There would be about 600 children taking part in the display. It is a wonderful scene I think, don’t you, Dot? I shall close now, with love to all the Little Folk, not forgetting Porkie Pie and your own dear self CRIMSON BLOSSOM (Balelutha) (Yes, 1 think the display must have been wonderful, Crimson Blossom, and you have given a very good description of it.—DOT.] V V -V. Dear Dot,—This time 1 am going to tell you about the South Otago School sports, which were held in Balelutha on October 7. They started at 10.30 on Saturday morning. First, all the teams of the small schools lined up at one end of the field, where they waited for an hour until their turn came. Then the relay races began. The Benhar A team, which I was in, played another team, and beat It by about

one second. Next, there was the 50yds skipping. After that we had the 75yds sprint. The teacher then said it was lunch time, and as we entered the grandstand the loudspeaker began. The man said there were to be no more events till 1.30. After lunch I practised the hop, step and jump. Next, all the schools took part in the drill parade, which must have been a pretty sight from the grandstand. After the sports and drill were over the Benhar A and B team went home in a taxi and in the teacher’s car. It was a bright sunny day. and although we did not win our competition, we all had a lovely time. Love from SIR ECHO (Benhar). [You, also, have given a very good description of the school sports, Sir Echo, and I am glad you enjoyed them so much.—DOT.] BEST LETTERS SENIOR SECTION (14 and under 21 years) Dear Dot,—Clere is a poem that I hope you will like: NIGHTFALL. Clean silhouette of blackness against the blue night sky, Faint freshness of the light spring wind that softly passes by; Dark pines, upright and silent, above the sleeping hill, Like spirits of the evening, tranquil. aloof, and still. Below a golden star is glowing, vivid. burning, bright: A solitary street light in the blue heart of the night, A jewel upon the quiet hill, below the drowsy trees.

Quivering very softly in the fragrant evening breeze. A curled and dainty feather, the crescent moon awakes, Along the dark blue heavens her golden path she takes: No sound in this tranquillity, this haunted stillness deep, Even the little town itself seems to be fast asleep Love to all, including yourself. GREY-EYED BLONDE (Hillgrove). [What a versatile writer you are, Greyeyed Blonde! You never seem to be at a loss for a subject, and the poems you have sent in recently cover a wide range. The present one is well up to your usual standard, and conveys an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in keeping with the theme.—DOT.] V * * Dear Dot,—Once again i take up my pen, after several weeks’ absence! Although I am not a regular writer, I never forget to read every single letter which appears in Monday’s paper, and I do enjoy the serials. My budgie is talking now, and he is six months old He started when he was five months and 1 was thrilled when f heard him say “ Pretty Boy ” He says all kinds of things now. even puss, puss 1 put him outside and leave the door of his cage open and he comes in and out as he pleases I never shut him in, as there are no eats about this house. Joey just loves to Imitate the sparrows. But, Dot, it took weeks and a lot of patience to teach him There were times when I thought he would never say one word, but all the time he must have been taking it all in He also comes for walks up the street on my shoulder, and makes no attempt to fly away. Of course, his wing is cut and he can’t fly far, but he never tries to do so. Well, Dot, I must close. I could go on telling you lots of little stories about him. hut space is limited, and I don’t want to be greedy, so cheerio and love to all the Little Folk AN INDEPENDENT MISS (Mosglel) [You would be thrilled. An Independent Miss, when your patience and perseverance were at last rewarded and your budgie began to talk He will be a source of great interest and amusement to you. and I hope you will write again and tell me more about him. T am glad you enjoy the serials—DOT.] V Dear Dot.—The following are what 1 thought the most interesting of Arab customs in the district of Beersheba. When a man commits a crime of any nature at all the punishment and disgrace fall not on the offender, but on the tribe he belongs to. The reason for this is that in the deserts of Sinai and Trans-iordan

tlie criminal could always escape, and it might be months and even years before he could be found. They have therefore found it best to punish the whole tribe first, and then the criminals finally. 1 ■ belive these people do not really regard crime as a disgrace. Another custom that I thought was very amusing is that a man may sue his neighbour for having borrowed —not stolen—a sheep. It is the recognised law of the desert that, if a stranger appears at your tent door and your sheep are grazing far away, you are entitled, in order to fulfil the ancient laws of hospitality, to borrow a neighbour’s sheep and slay it In honour of your guest. A guest is allowed to stay in a Bedouin camp without question. During that time his life is sacred, and the man whose sheep has been borrowed must not ask for one to replace it. But immediately the guest departs the man who borrowed the sheep must, according to desert etiquette, present himself at his friend’s tent and say: “Here is a sheep in place of the sheep I took.” If not, he is allowed fourteen days to replace the sheep, and, failing to do this, he Is obliged to return four sheep. My kindest regards to all. FERNETTE (Dunedin). [Thank you for your interesting account of the Arab customs, Femette. Hospitality is regarded by the Bedouins as a sacred duty, and it is wonderful to what lengths they will go to entertain a stranger. —DOT.) ¥ * V Dear Dot,—Oh! the wonder of it, gorgeous puffy clouds floating round in a sunny blue sky, while the whole countryside is bathed in sunshine. It is truly a lovely picture, and also interesting and so refreshing to see hills, as it is mostly flat where I live, although the same hills failed to interest me much when I once lived in this district for a number of years. To the left are the Hokonuis, with Ship’s Cone—the highest peak—in prominence. It is an ever-popular one to climb, and 1 have big intentions of trying it myself next time I am here. It really does not look a great distance from bottom to top, although I am told there are about two miles of rather steep climbing, but it would be worth that I think to reach its summit. An edge of the Blue Mountain range (still with touches of snow) is visible. In the distance a curl of smoke is vising from a burning coal pit, and here and there are trees sheltering homely farm houses, where former schoolmates live. There are also one or two new houses in sight. On the nearby hills cattle arc grazing contentedly, while sheep and lambs are dotted on green paddocks’ right across the countryside. The willows on the flat, which are donning their new spring frocks, form a picturesque background to the horses, sheep, and lambs grazing there. Howpeaceful they look, their shadows adding to their beauty. Even the fences look artistic with their shadows. This. I forgot to mention, is what 1 see from the window, but 1 must surely make short stories long, as this will have to be a two-letter serial. ALLY SLOPER'S NIECE (Southland). [The picture you give of the peaceful countrlyside, Ally Sloper’s Niece, is a very attractive one, and you are fortunate to be staying in such a delightful place. Thank vou for the drawing you sent me. I like it very much, and shall treasure it.—DOT.] D.L.F. SOCIAL CLUB A very successful meeting was held on October 10, at 2 Forth street, when a large attendance of members and friends gathered to hear a programme presented by three friends from America, Messrs Grant, Lambert, and Wheelwright entertained us with songs, stories, and scenic descriptions of their native country. We are very much Indebted to them for their assistance, and they were accorded a hearty vote of thanks. Apologies were received from our patroness (Miss Ritchie) and Fernette.

Choir practice will be held on Tuesday evenings at 7.30 p.m. sharp, at Trinity Methodist Church Hall. As we have only engaged the hall for one hour per week, it is necessary that members should arrive early, otherwise a lot of time will be wasted. The choirmaster, Mr Andrew, has particularly asked for a full attendance of members and intending members next week. We are still anxious to hear from tenors and contraltos. Subscriptions of Is per year may *be sent to the secretary, 25 Durham street, Mornington. KILMENY OF THE POOL, President. CREAMY’S DAUGHTER, Secretary.

NEW MEMBER? Dot extends a special welcome to the following Little Folk who have written to the page for the first time this week:— Bounding Bill. VIRILE NEW ZEALAND DESTINED FOR GREAT THINGS {From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON. Sept. 13. Mrs Carter (Auckland) is in Yorkshire, visiting friends of many years ago, after having lived in New Zealand for nearly 60 years. She went out in a little sailing ship. Her father settled at Birkenhead and successfully went in for grape cultivation. In the course of an interview with the Yorkshire Herald, Mi’s Carter referred to New Zealand as a young country with every modern facility. Even in workmen’s homes they would not dream of not having a bathroom. New Zealand had work for everybody, but the Labour Government interfered seriously with capital and retarded development. The Labour majority was secured from the votes of young people who had not a full sense of responsibility. and though the Government gave many benefits with one hand they took them away with the other. Taxation was heavy, and the Government was getting to the end of its tether There was a serious shortage of houses, and rents were “terrific.” The Government was starting to build houses There was no encouragement for private landlords, and thev would not build. Since her return to the Old Country, Mrs Carter has noticed many changes, and the main comparison with New Zealand which strikes her is the slowness of business methods and the cramped nature of our houses. In New Zealand, she points out, practically every house has its plot of land and its sun porch. Mrs Carter loves the Old Country, but she is full of praise for virile New Zealand, and is firm in her conviction that when the country has shaken off its political trouble it is destined for great things.