DOT'S LITTLE FOLK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3396, 16 April 1919, Page 63

DOT'S LITTLE FOLK.

Dot invites short letters from her young friends throughout the Dominoon on matters of interest to themselves, the result of their observations in the animal world, descriptions of anything they are intcicsted in, of the district in which they live, of their school and home life, holiday trips, &c. The letters are to be written by the little folk themselves, and addressed "Dot, care of Editor Witness."

Dot's Little Polk's Badge with pin, for use as a brcaali, obtainable on application to Dot. Price, Is 9dpost free, in penny or halfpenny stamps. Auto. Cards are obtainable from Dot, Witness Office, Dunedin. Price,, 9d for 25.

LETTERS FROM THE LITTLE FOLK.

Motto:—We write for the benefit of others, not

for ourselves. No letter to contain more than 350 words.

Dear Dot,—l Jim now in Standard VI, and Golden Roaes is in Standard V. I ha*e just finished my homework JVIy mate and I go down to Gere every Saturday for lessons. There is going to bo a pro- ' cession for national prohibition in Gore on Saturday, April 5,~ and I am going. We have to be at the Town Hall at half-past 1 in the afternoon, then we have to parade the streets and come back to the hall again for luncheon. My father is away trappring now, and I feel lonely without him, although my auntie and uncle are here. He had 30 ferrets this year, 26 of them were young ones, and then ho had four older ones. I have three to pet and play with, and on election day my cousins and I are going ferreting. We have, two very nice school teachers up here now, and their names are Miss Watson and Mr Kinross. Miss ■ Watson teaches junior classes, and Mr KinToss the senior classes. Xiove to Sweet Violets, No. 5, Ata, Golden Roses, Smiler, and A Western Star, not forgetting yourself.— Yours truly, LOVDY (Balfour). Dear Dot,—-May I jdin your band of happy writers? I have just turned IS, and am in Standard VI. We have been having some very fine weather lately. Our school teachers took a number of school children to Monkey Island for a picnic on Saturday. It was a very fine day. We have started a football team at school. Love to all the L.F., not forgetting -vourself.—Yours truly, ; NURSE BOY (Orepuki). [I am very pleased to have you join us, Nurse Boy.—DOTj Dear Dot, —The last time I wrote I was staying at a Maid of the Mountain's place, but I am back home now. We have been having beautiful weather here lately, but it is cold at present. I have just come home from school and finished my homework. We are milking four cows in the morning and three at night.—Yours truly, BALMY BILL. [Would you pleasa remember to write on only one side of the paper, dear.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —It is raining here to-day. Harvesting operations are going ahead here now, but two of the neighbours have not ' started to cut their oats yet— (n fact, the crops are just beginning to turn colour. Most of the crop is cut on our place, but there iS" all the stooking to do yet. These showers of rain just came in the wrong time, as the neighbour below us got the thrashing mill yesterday, and he would have finished to-day nicely; but the rain came on and spoilt everything, and now he can neither thrash nor lead in for a day or so. It is a pretty sight to see all the crops—some in the stook, others, not cut, a beautiful golden colour, and others, again, grassgreen. Love to all the D.L.F., not forgetting yourself.—Yours truly, NGARETA (Horiot). Dear Dot, —It is raining here to-day. We have started cutting our oats, but as it has been rain/ing we have to wait for a couple of days till it dries up. We have eight hens, but we are only getting two eggs a day now. The days are getting very short, and the winter will soon be on. Love to all th<» D.L.F., not forgetting yourself. Dot.— Yours truly, RAMBLING ROSE (Heriot). Dear Dot, —We are'having beautiful weather just now, but it is a little cold in the morning because of the frost. The mills are going all over the plain, and so it is a busy time for the. {armors. Wo have a good deal of crop to thrash this year. Love to Icelene, Maggie Bell, Little Miss Muffet, -not forgetting yourself.—Yours trulv, SWEET BRIAR (Maungatua). Dear Dot, —May I join your happy band? I always road the letters to the Witness, and find them very interesting. I am 12 years old, and am in the Fourth Standard at school. I hove three miles to walk to school, but I don't find it very far, as the road is flat, and I run used to it. I have

an unole at the war. Fruit-farming is carried on extensively horo, so Fruitlands is quite a progressive little place. Thero are several new houses being built, so the carpenters have plenty to keep them busy. I am very fond of riding. I often go for rides in the evening. Rabbiting is in full swing just now, and the lorry conies out for the rabbits daily.—Yours truly, JOCKEY HENRY (Fruitlands). [You are very welcome to join us, Jockey Henry.—DOT.]

[lt is a good thing to see sport taking its place again, Broadway Bill—it is such a relief after the strain everyone has experienced —DOT.]

Dear Dot, —Wo have had very funny weather here lately. One wet day—one wet week. It is April, and there is very little harvesting done yet. Some of the farmers have their crops in stook and ready to stack, and some of them have not finished cutting thel'rs yet. I suppose by tho end of April if will be all thrashed; anyway, we all hope so. Since I last wrote to the page I have left my place, and I am at home. I have been home three months now. I am head cook and bottle-washer just now, and like it all right. I was at a dance last Friday night, and* enjoyed myself very much. It was for two returned soldier brothers. There has been quite a few welcome homes here lately. All the boys seem to be coming back. Love to Only a Pansy Blcssom, Pansy Blossom, A Bunch of Violets, White

Violet, Kitty Lassie, A British Lion, One of the Bulldog Breed, Little Vennice, Queen o' the May, not forgetting yourself, Dot. —Yours truly, ENGLISH LASSIE (Locl£el).

[ln the address book the names are entered under the initial of the N.D.P., dear, so it is impossible to comply with your request.—DOT.]

Dear Dof, —We have been having fairly good weather down our way lately, but all to-day it has been a drizzly rain, and ,not very nice either. The interprovincial cricket match, Otago v. Southland, played in Invercargill, was a very interesting one, and 1 am pleased to see the sport taken up once more. Otago won; but, all the same, it was a good match. Football will be starting soon, and then there will be some good matches. We are expecting peace any day now, and then we ought to have "some fun." The citizens are holding meetings all over the place, making arrangements for the celebrations, and they intend making a big affair of it. I think that most of our soldier boys will be back for the celebrations, and they ought to help to liven things up. ' I am still at school, and we will soon be having our term exam, about Easter some time. Love to all my correspondents, comrades, and yourself.—Yours truly, BROADWAY BILL (Inveroargili).

Dear Dot, —May I join your happy band? I always see the Witness and read its most interesting letters, and I thought that I would like to write also. I have quite a number of friends writing to the page. I was just speaking to Merlo and Powder and Patches, and Merlo was going to church. ! The weather here is not very nice. It is a beautiful night, only terribly dark. I see by the papers where the dreadful, deadly "flu" is going about again. It has broken out at ■ Dipton, and- is just beginning to break out at Mossbtirn and Balfour. So, you see, Dot, it is all around us. I did not have it last time, and I only hope that I do not get it -this time. There is to be a great dance in Mrs MacPherson's Buildings for the boys on Wednesday, the 9th, and then on the Friday following there is to be a dance held at Five Rivers. - Fondest love to ' Mario, Powder and Patches, and Cowboy, I more especially Hydraulic and your own I dear self.—Yours truly, A CROW (Lumsden). [You are very welcome to jdin us, dear. — ; DOT.] Dear Dot, —Since I wrote to you last I have changed my headquarters from Southland to Auckland. I arrived here on Saturday by the Monowai. We were exactly a week getting here. I had a day in each ' of the following towns: r—Dunedin, ChristI church, Lyttelton, Wellington, Napier, . Gisborne, (Auckland, and about two. hours in Hamilton. To-morrow I am making for Rotorua.. It is fairly hot up tbiis way, and there, are grapes growing all around the house I'm staying at. It's a pity they were not growing round the house at Five Rivers when I was there. Kind regards to all my correspondents, not forgetting your own dear I self.—Yours truly, I MARCONI (Auckland). i [There are no L.F. at Hamilton that I can think ■ of at the present moment, Mar- | ooni.—DOT.] Dear Dof, —A few weeks ago we went for a picnic to a distant station situated in the "back o' the beyont." Our' way lay through a rocky mountain gorge, and on every side rugged -mountain scenery was depicted. Instead of following the main tourist road through the Lindis Pass, we followed up the course of the Ahuriri River, and sought those wilds traversed by few. The road wound in and out, following .the vagaries of the river. The mountains rose sheer -on either side. "And on the north, through middle air, Ben Avon heaved high his forehead bare." At intervals the prevailing bluey grey tinge of the mountains was broken by huge slips of shingle, caused by avalanches of snow in winter time. The blue sky formed a. fitting background for the snow-clad summits, and served to emphasise their splendour. At length we came to the so-called Bos'un Rocks, and paused to view the river more closely. The name seems a misnomer, for no craft could possibly sail on those waters, and although the rocks are plainly evident, "Bos'un" seems sadly out of place. After tumbling over several falls the water is . confined to a narrow channel by a peculiar i formation of slaty rock. The current is | very swift, and although the water is of no I trifling depth, it is so clear and lucid that -the bottom- is plainly discernible. When one stands looking up the stream the effect is striking. We pushed on and soon came to a steep descent and Deep Creek. The : course of the creek is marked by a Line of verdant green and large ■matagouri, veronica, and other native shrubs flourish on its brink. The water is spanned by a modist bridge, -so we do not have the usual manoeuvring to cross it. - The car slowly grinds up the slopes on low gear, and soon we are on the level again. Until we reached ! this pdint the road has been a gradual j asceut. The gorgo now takes an abrupt turn to the right, and almost imperceptibly I begins .to descend. Ben Avon is now on j our left, and although the intervening miles I are many in number we can see our destiI nation. What a picture! The snow-clad peaks showing up plainly against the blue , sky. The lower slopes dark and sombre with their covering of birch bush. In the foreground the river spreads out into great swamps, in which cattle and horses are grazing. The gorge begins to widen out, i and the road is separated from the river flat i by a series of terraces. A flat, tussocky I plain stretches between the hills and the I river. Among the terraces ie a favourite I resort for deer. All eyes are on the lookout, but we aro disappointed. However, we see a small herd a few miles away, across the river, in the Ribbonwood Vale. The surrounding country has a greener and fresher look than lower down, and an old hand informs us that much more rain falls. As we progress up the flat, for dt can no longer be called a gorge, we are struck by the absence of trees. Excepting a little scrubby totara and the birch bush farther up the gorge, the absence is marked. We bump through Waterfall Creek, which, as its name implies, descends from the heights to the river by a series of cataracts. A few miles farther on we pass Ben Avon Homestead, ! nestling under the shadow of the mount and j surrounded by English trees. The road is j now no more than a rough track; "And oft both path and hill were torn Where wintry torrents down had borne And heaped upon the cumbered land Its wreck of gravel, rocks, and sand." It leaves the level, for the gorge is narrow at this place, and winds around the brow of the hill. Below us, what a sight 1 The swamp stretches right across from the hill to hill. Below the roads are large lagoons, on which all manner of game, swans, ducks, eto., aro floating about. A breath of wind throws a ripple across the surface of tho nomadic dignity by the approach of the

water, and the swans are ruffled out of theiir nomadic dignity by tho approach of the car, and sail about like offended deity. A mob of ponies feeding- in tho swamp aro startled, and gallop away to a safe disianco where they stand and favour us with a calm store. "Wo round a point and come on a mob of deer so suddenly that they know not whither to fly, and stand looking at us in consternation.

"At length we come where, stern and steep, The hill sinks down upon the deep. Here Ahuriri in silver flows; ■ ' There, ilidgo on ridge, Ben Avon rose."

Our destination.—Yours truly. WAYBACK

[What a delightful drive, Wayback! Your description makes me wish to experience for myself its beauties.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —I was very pleased to see my last letter in the Witness. We have not started to do the garden yet, as it is too hard to dig. My little brother was two years old yesterday. Dove to all the D.L.r., not forgetting vourself.—Yours truly, " DOROTHY PERKINS.

Dear Dot, —The weather has broken, and we are getting a good deal of rain. It makes the place so muddy and dirty I can't keep the house clean. It is annoying to see a dirty floor, but one can't always be washing the floor. Every time I go outside I fetch in more mud. Daisy Fern has been very ill with appendicitis. She was too weak to be taken to the hosphta.l, so she is still at home, but I am pleased to say she is improving. I was at a welcome home at Slope Point last Friday, and saw most of my old friends. Little Miss Neday Coat, Fir;?fly, and Niagara Larrikin were there, also Buffalo Bill, who was placed' on the stage as our musiciian. A girl friend of mine (from Palmerston street) and I went for a ride last night to see the lighthouse. I very seldom go for a ride now. Best lovo to Link of Love -and No. I.—Yours truly, THARLERIE (Otara).

Deai- Dot, —We were dipping sheep yesterday, so my sister and I went down in the afternoon, and I got the job of dipping the sheep. Some of ihem do fall into the water with a splash, and I think by the time I was finished dipping their heads down one would think that I had been through the dip too. We intend to be harvesting next week, so I hope it is fine weather. Some of the crops are late about here this year, for we have had such a lot of bad weather. There -is to be a social to two returned' soldiers in this district next Friday night, and I /intend going. The Kaikorai Band is .to be in Milton next Saturday night, and I would like to hear it, but I don't know if I can get or not, as it will be two late nights running. Shiniing Light was down here the other day, and we had good fun; we went down to the creek for blackberries. Can you pick fruit without eating lit, Dot? We didn't that day, anyway, there were far too many big juicy ones to pass without eating some. I am going to Milton this morning. Best wishes to yourself, Shining Light, Peter Pink Weasel, and all the other D.L.F. — Yours truly, GRACE. FISHER,

[There are some fruits I could pick without being tempted to eat, Grace; but blackberries do not belong to that class.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —It has been raining here lor the last two days. My mother, went into Dunedin last night, so I am housekeeper again. I rode the pony down to Grace Fisher's place the other day. Grace Fisher and I went picking blackberries after I got there. We rode part of the way, and then went away up a gully and through a lot of fern. We got a good few blackberries, though. When we were starting away I fell off the pony, and I can tall you it wasn't very nice feeling my head coi-2 in contact' with the ground. Coming home Grace Fisher rode my pony, and I rode her horse. It was dark when I got back home at night. We got word the other day that one of my brothers is coming home with a troopship due to arrive in New Zealand about the 17th. My other brother was in Scotland on leave when he last wrote. We expect him home about the end of thiis month, so, of course, we are all very excited. There i 3 a dance to be held in this district next week, also a welcome home to returned soldiers, but we are not going to either of them. We cut our crop the other day, but have not led in yet. I was cycling into Milton the other day when the front tyre of my bicycle burst. I got such a fright, I thought it was a gun going off. I had to walk and wheel the bike then, and it was about three miles or more. I got a new tyre put on when I got down there, so had a good ride home. Best love to Grace Fisher, Silver Shoe, Erotaka, and all the other L.F.—Yours truly, SHINING LIGHT. Dear Dot, —We are going to have a fulltime school here now instead of a half-time one. The teacher that is here now is leaving, and it will be a full-time school after that." None of our family -attends school now, as my youngest brother has.not started, and the rest of us have left. We are busy harvesting just now. The harvest is rather late this year, but the weather has been bettor of late, and nearly everyone round here is harvesting now. There was a welcome home to two soldiers a little over a week ago. It was held in the Quarry Hills School. A lot of people were present, and the school was hardly large enough to hold them all. I was there, and stopped to the end of the dance, when the two soldiers were carried shoulder high round the room. My eldest brother went fishing to-day, and caught 15 fish. Wc had a school pEcnic and dance here last month, and I had a good time at it. Tho worst of going to a dance, though, is that you feel sleepy next day and don't want to do any work. One of my uncles lost two of his children with the influenza. Ho lives in Wellington, and it was very bad there. He was very ill himself, too. He got the "flu," and went back to work too soon and got a chill. Dad was the only one of us that had the influenza. The rest of us were luoky enough to escape it. Love to all the L.F., not forgetting yourself.— Yours truly,

ROID (Quarry Hills).

Dear Dot., —On Saturday afternoon Dady Carfax and I went to th© pictures, and wo enjoyed them very much. I thought tho D.L.F. page_ in the Witness was very interesting' this week. I have written to a lot of D.L.F. this week, and I do hop 3 I will get a reply from them all. We are not having the best of weather now hy any means. Love to Lady Carfax, Surprise Packet, and yourself.—Yours truly, AUSTRALIAN GIRL.

Dear Dot, —It is too windy for lis to walk to Sunday School to-day. This lis our Minister's last Sunday in this district, so he is holding a harvest thanksgiving service, although tho harvest is not finished. Some of our neighbours were going to stack today, but th© wiind is too strong-. W© are in. our new school now, and w© have new, up-to-date desks, and they ar© only big enough for two. I like the new school very

much. We had our school picnic in the school grounds on April 2, which we onjoyed very much. I came in second last in one race, and got nothing, and I camo. in fifth in another race and got a penny. My youngest brother came in first in a race, and got 6d. My other brother camo in third in a race and got Id; he camo in second in the sack race and got 3d. My youngest brother went tin the sack race, but he tumbled down. —Yours truly, RED CHEEKS (Waimumu).

Dear Dot,—l think I will begin by telling you all about our picnic, which was held on Wednesday, April 2. Tho picnio was supposed to be held before. Christmas, but it was put off because of the /influenza. We had races, and I came in second, and got ■6d I ran in a sack race and cam© in second, and got 6d also; and then I ran in the thread-the-needle race and came in third, and got 3d. Tho boys had a rabbit race, which caused great amusement; another race which also caused great amusement was the obstacle race. The boys and girls both had a potato race. W© finished up in the hall, giving out the certificates, which" were to be given out last year, and a few special prizes. The prohibitionists had a procession of school children in Gore yesterday, in which Red Cheeks and I took part. We marched to the hall in the afternoon and had a free concert, which was very good- We all went home very tired, but we enjoyed ourselves very much. We are all very glad that we are in the new school, for in the ha.ll it was not very pleasant on cold mornings and windy days. We have new-fashioned desks which will fit only two, the seats go up when we stand up, and when we sit down they go down too. They are very comfortable, and I like them very much. It has been blowing very hard all day, but it has gone down tonight. W© are milking only two cows at night now; but we do not milk any -at all on Sunday night, because they do not glive much milk now. —Yours truly,

GRANDMOTHER'S GIRL (Waimumu). [I am glad you had such a nice time at the picnic, dear. —DOT.] Dear Dot, —May I join your band of L.F.? I am nine years old, and in Standard IV. I have three brothers, and one sister. I am learning the piano, but do not like practising very much. We have seven horses and two p'igs. My sister and I have a flower garden of our own. My father finished leading in our oats yesterday, and he and my brothers are away helping our neighbours to-day. It is bad harvesting weather. I had some cousins killed at the war, and one cousin was a prisoner in Germany for a long time; but he is in a hospital lin England now. Love- to you and all your L.F.— Yours truty, PEARLS AND DIAMONDS ' (Waikour-.).

[You are very welcome to join us, dear; practice is .hard work, but think how nice it is to be aHe to play well.—DOT.] Dear Dot,—Just a few lines to ask you if I can join your happy band of Little Folk. The weather has been very good hero so far. I am 11 years old, and in Standard IV. We are milking a lot of cows now, •and sending the milk to the dairy factory. We have been harvesting every day this last week or so, and now wo are harvesting at our neighbours. We have a phonograph and 60 records. I, have two brothers and two sisters; my brothers have left school. My eldest brother is learning the violin, and my other brother and my eldest sister are learning the piano. Love to you and all the L.F.—Yours truly, THE MISSING LINK (Waiikouro). [You are among the fortunate ones to get your harvest finished.—DOT.] Dear Dot, —I was ill in- the winter, as many of the L.F. were. We are now staying at Cashmere Hills, but I think we will soon be going home to Roxburgh. The- flowers on the hills have been beautiful this year. Love to Pearl Blossom, Apple Blossom, and yourself.—Yours truly.

PEAR BLOSSOM (Cashmere Hills),

Dear Dot, —Since I last wrote wo have cole brated the armistice. I had a great time that week. Soherzo and myself went into Tima.ru the Friday before under the. impression that there would be great doings that dlay. However, when we got there we found that it had quietened down after getting the news that the rumour was false. We went in again on the real day, and hed a great time. I went in again the next evening to see the bonfire, but did not see much, as we> were too late arriving. My sister and I cycled to the station, but missed the train, so we cycled right in. It is 10 miles. Were we not silly, as. we were in town only about one hour before we had to start home again. After the armistice there was the influenza. It did not seem anything to be frightened about until the week after the celebrations*, and by the beginning of that week it was only too real. There were not many cast* close hero. Of course, it is a fairly scattered district, but one was frightened to go out all the same. We lost my oldest brothel the week after the celebrations. He died in Hastings. What a number of mem are returning now! I have no relatives over thei* now. I had some cousins in the British army, but they are back to their homes. My brother did not go. He was in the King G-eorge V Hospital, Eotorua, for about six nioii'ths'. We thought before that he might havo to go on a hospital ship, but ho did not. He has his discharge now. They have a little- daughter now. I went to a party given by the Timaru L.F. 'Club last Wednesday night, and enjoyed myself very much. Scherzo and I went in by the last train tut night and out by the first next morning. We have a half Persian kitten, and it is such a pretty little thing. It is just big enough to play with cotton reels, etc., and is very amusing. With kindest regards, to yourself, Alison, Nurse Molly, Strawberry Leaf, Bonnie Mary o' Argyle, and all the rest of my corrcspondente and friends.—Yours truly,

MISS LOU (St. Andrews).

[I hope you will not forget us altogether, Mies Lou —a.t least we will expect to hear from you one© a year. —DOT.J Dear Dot, —Hero I am at a Hastings sett' eido resort, a nice little- gravel beach not far from Cape Kidnappers. Th© beach is a bit rough, but all the same it is an ideal place to come for a holiday, and our favourite pastimes ar© bathing and fishing, especially th© latter, wh«n yesterday afternocoi. after fishing for three hours at the mouth of the river, we managed to catch six herrings between seven of us, two being caught by myself. The other morning two of us went cut very early. and caught 21 between us in no time. Our next move is a trip out to Capo Kidnappers to see the gannet. I wish to apologias to Plain Bell for expressing my opinion of a person unknown, mistaken for Plain Bill, by Gwen and I. Having had the opportunity of seeing him since then I'm sure we were mistaken. Well, Dot, this is th© following night, so I'll have to finish it to-night. Last night w© heard someone throwing etones at our little house,