THE SLEEPY PANTHER.

Otago Witness, Issue 4041, 25 August 1931, Page 69

THE SLEEPY PANTHER.

“Paul,” called Mrs Panther, “It is seven o’clock.”

“G-r-r-uin!” said Paul Panther, and turned over. His mother busied herself with breakfast, and then came back to say:—“lt is eight o’clock. “Y-um!” yawned her son. “Who cares?” It’s very comfortable here.” “No breakfast for you, then,” threatened his mother; but Paul made no reply to that, for lie was asleep again. “Are you feeling ill, dear?” asked Mrs Panther, beginning to be anxious; her son snored loudly, and she gave up questioning in despair. Presently Mr Panther came home from his hunting, and asked : —“ Where’s the young ’un ? ”

“ Er—he is still in bed,” faltered his wife, fearing lest he might be very angry with his son. “In bed, hey?” snorted Mr Panther. “ Well, since he is so fond of bed, I’ll see he stays there.”

He went out to a hut in the clearing, where he had noticed the door standing open, and presently returned in trinm-ih. dragging an iron-barred cot. With Mrs Panther’s help he placed it over Paul, tucking in his tail carefully. He put some tree branches on the top of • the cot to keep it down, and then he and Mrs Panther went out for a walk.

Much later in the day Paul awoke, feeling rather hungry, and started to stretch himself. He was surprised to find that he could not stretch very far, however, and when he realised that he was actually in a cage he felt greatly alarmed, and called for his mother. There was no response, and poor Paul struggled to leave his cage, growling and snarling. Finally, with eyes as big as saucers, he lay down again to wait until his parents returned. Mr Panther insisted on staying out until evening, though Mrs Panther, like a true mother, was feeling very sorry

for her son. When they returned, they saw that he had had more than enough punishment for his laziness. Ever since that time his mother has never had any tryuWe about getting him up in the morning, butause the cot still stands in a corner of tfie Al-ve-—and the people in the hut are still wondeTtllg M'bat bappended to it!—Exchange.

TO ALL. Dear Little Folk, “The essential in forming any good habit is that there shall never be any exception to it or anj- arguing about it (says a writer in a paper 1 was reading the other day). 'There is no such thing as half a habit or three-quarters of a habit. It is either a whole habit or no habit. For example, if you determine to attend church every- Sunday, you must decide in advance that that means with no arguing and no exceptions, unless, of course, you are literally- powerless to do so. If one exception comes in a year, then you have broken your habit entirely. Yet that need not utterly discourage you. The thing to do now is to begin all over again to form the habit of chinch attendance. “ A man once owned a car which, because of an accident, had its frame slightly twisted. As a result it was likely to skid on a curve unless a quick little turn was given to the steering wheel. After a while this turn of the wheel became so automatic that the owner simply could not help making it. even when he wanted to show friends how the car would skid without it. That is the way it ought to be with more important habits. We ought not to be able to break them, even if we want to do so.”

lon will be in the midst of your holidays now, and are. I hope, having the jolliest times and making good use of every minute of your time. You have written to me some splendid letters, and I have enjoyed them all. especially that of our Australian correspondent. Dot From Australia. Do not get into too much mischief before school begins again.— Your loving, DOT.