LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2089, 8 March 1894, Page 45

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

Deab Dot,— l am a little White Pussy Cat, and my name is Fluff. I have in my time been quite a traveller. I will tell you some of my adventures, and if you would like to hear the rest of them I will write again. From first I can remember I have lived in an old house and a pretty garden, being sent there as a present to a little girl named Maggie. I had been playing one afternooD under the washhouse, and I got out again and went into the washhouse, where there was an old- fashioned door leading into a yard. The stones under the door were worn a little hollow, and as the door was nearly closed, foolish little me tried to get under it, because I wanted to get into the yard. I got my head under the door, but my body was too plump, and I tried to draw back, and as I did so I pulled the door back too and I was caught. Maggie came to find me when she heard me crying, for there I was, a pitiful object, I am sure, with two paws and a little scared face sticking out. It seemed as if I would have to stay there, for alter Maggie and her mother tried all they could to move the door, it went back to its place and shut tight, but at that moment someone sang out, "The door will lift up. Yes, so it would, for it was only hung on iron hooks, and soon I was set free, to the joy of Maggie, who carried me off to give me some milk. It was some time before I got over my fright, and I never tried to get under a door again. Once another kitten and I went for a romp down a path that led to a pond. Now I knew I was not to go down there, but off we went harum-scarum. When we got near the pond we met a dog, who took no notice of us at first ; but when he passed us I looked round and saw him coming after us, and very soon he picked me up by the neck and threw me into the pond, and then he took up my companion and threw her in also. We set up a loud mew.

I felt I could not keep up, but Maggie, fortunately > came down the path to look for me, and heard us mewing, so she managed to get ua out, and you may be sure I did not want to go near the pond again. Dear Dot, may I write again and tell you how I caught a mouse ? Good-bye just now. — Yours truly, Fluff. Invercargill, February 21. [Yes, Fluff, that you may, for you have written a most interesting account of your adventures— don't you think so, little folks ?— Dot.] Dear Dot, — I am going to tell you about a trip that I and six others took to the highest peak of the Kakanui range. It is 10 miles from where we live to the top, and the mountain is about 4800 ft above sea level. When we were a good way up we came to a little stream and we boiled our "billy" and made some tea. A great part of the road is very 6teep and rough. We had a splendid view when we got to the top, especially towards the north-west and west. We saw Mt. Cook peeping out from among the clouds, which were very dense about it ; and we also saw Mt. Aspiring and several other peaks in the Southern Alpß that we did not know the names of. The Maniototo Plain looked so near that it seeaied as if w^e could run down to it in a few minutes, and we had a good view of the Taieri Lake. We saw the Dunstan range and some other ranges behind it that looked like clouds. The mountains round about were very steep and rough and bare, with very large slips in them. Towards the Bea was very hazy, and there were thick clouds over the sea near the coast, but we could see the sea beyond the clouds. If it had been clear enough we could have seen the sea from Otago Heads to near Oainaru. We saw what it was like to be above the clouds. The top of the mountain was very rocky, and the rocks were covered with moss and strange plants. The moss was about 2in long, and some was black, some white, some black and white, and some brown and white. We got a lot of mountain lilies and a little native edelweiss. Thero were a great many other plants, which I will not describe, but one was like a macrocarpa tree, and only grew 2in high. It took about four hours to get to the top, and three hours to come down. In the summer time we gather birds' eggs, and we sometimes get some very pretty as well as very curious ones. We have a goldfinch's egg just about twice the size of a grain of wheat, and a hen's egg the shape of a pipe, but very small. There used to be a white sparrow and a white starling about here, but they have nob been seen lately. I have no pets of my own now except a kitten, as all my hares, rabbits, mice, and cats have died, and my lambs have gone away with the sheep. My sister has a white rabbit, with pretty pink eyes, that she has had for over a year. In the winter she used to let him run loose, and he always stayed about (.the ■ house ; but, in the spring he got caught in a trap and got one of his fore feet taken off. — Yours truly, Elizabeth Miller. Green Valley, February 2L [Thank you, Elizabeth, for your very interesting letter. It must have been very hard work for you to get up so high, but you were evidently repaid for your trouble. You appear to have had a sad mortality among your pets, and under the circumstances it seems almost a wonder that your sister's white rabbit escaped even with the loss of a foot. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — I hare been in Dunedin since I last wrote to you. I went to see the circus, and I liked it very much. I was never in Dunedin before. Dear Dot, I am going to tell you about the lot of oats we have this year. A lot of it was lying down. We got a reaper and binder to cut it, and I liked to see it working. We are milking only two cowa now, as we sold three of our milking cows. We have a new teacher at Cardrona — Mr T. G. Stockwell. — Yours truly, Betsy Millek. Branch Creek, February 25. Deak Dot, — We have been having wet weather up ,here lately. Our school is not going to be examined as usual this year through sickness among the pupils. Only the Fourth and Sixth Standards are to be Gxamined. .' We have a cow and calf. I have three brothers, one older and two younger than myself. Their names are Nelson, George, and Jack. The boy's have named Jack ; do you think that name will do for him ? No more at present. — Yours truly, M. E. Young. Clyde, Otago, February 25. [Well, I don't know. Jack is a nice enough name for a boy, but John is pretty ordinary for a man, isn't it ? If Jack is decided on, why not call him Clyde also ? He need not use the second name when he grows .up if he doesn't like it. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — Will you please tell me if a girl should get the dux prize if another girl in the same standard took the prize for the best writer in the school and another prize for the best-kept exercise in the school ? By answering this you will greatly oblige , ' A Choydon Schoolgibl. [I have made inquiries, and I learn that. the rule is to give the dux prize to the best allround scholar in the school, and the fact that she did not get the prizes you mention would not- necessarily prevent h§r taking the dux prize. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — We had six weeks' holidays, and I enjoyed them very much. We have had very bad weather for the shearing this year. The people up here are very busy at the harvesting. There is to be a play here on. Thursday and Friday nights — the Lyons Troup. My sister's house has been burnt down. The fire took place last Sunday night at half-past 8. The mother had put one of her children to bed and left the other sitting on the floor. ' When she went back to the room all the ceiling was on fire. Nothing was saved;- and it took them all their time to get the two children and the baby out — Yours truly, Richahd Thujilow. Vulcan Hotel, St. Bathans, February 25. Dkar Dot, — I am going to tell you about my pets. I have nine pet lamb?. There are Disk, Bob, Paddy, Tom, Jack, Droopy, Lucy, Darkie, and Jennie. My brother has a pony and a little pup ; will you please give him names for them. Our school is closed for a fortnight for the harvest holidays, and we have another week to go yet. Father is harvesting just now. — Yours truly, Catherine Kearney (aged 8 years). Eweburn, February 25. [Call the pony Quickstep and the pup Trot.— Dot.] Dear Dot, — I am spending my holidays with my uncle at Forfcrose. I think Fortrose H the nicest place you could cv r wish tj live at. Please tell me if you have ever been down here. I was at Waipapa Point lighthouse on Wednesday, and it was very nice to be shown through the lighthouse. There was a book in the lighthouse in which I wrote my name, and then I went out on the balcony and saw a ship out at sea. I have a model yacht*at home ; please will you give me a name for it. I will now have to stop, as it is gettingiate. Please say if I may write again. — Yours truly, Fortrose, February 23. Gkorge Moodie. [Of course you may write again, George. No, I have never been at Fortjose, but if it is