Autobiography of a Sixpence

Southland Times, Issue 22969, 15 August 1936, Page 22 (Supplement)

Autobiography of a Sixpence

— PRIZE — The drawing-room was dark and dingy. Except for the few coloured rugs on the floor nothing else looked very cheerful. The inhabitants of the drawing-room spent the weary hours in telling stories of their life. The grandfather clock, the china dog, the little lady with the bustle skirt (whose cheeks never seemed to look any the less rosy however much the others were unhappy), the vase with the painted birds on it, had told so many, they could think of no more to tell. On the evening of the Ist of August, when a chilly wind blew outside, someone mentioned the sixpence. The sixpence lay on the back of the shelf, dinted, bent, and entirely forgotten. You could never tell that he had been once in the Kings own purse, bright, proud and shiny. “You’ve never told us your story,” said the clock. “Do you care to hear it?” said the sixpence eagerly. “Of course we do!” they all cried together. . The sixpence began in an eager voice: “I first saw light in the .Royal Mint in England. From there, with hundreds of my brothers and sisters 1 was taken to a large building called a bank. Here I awaited my first adventure, which was not long in coming. , , , , “A woman in a black fur coat came in, and exchanged me and some other silver for a note. She put me in her purse and I found myself alongside a florin, who immediately put his nose in the air, and turned away. I was longing to get out and soon had my chance. The lady gave me to a shopgirl, who put me in a till with other money. “After many other similar adventures, I by chance reached the King. I was put in his silken purse, and soon was at the palace. It was a lovely place. “One day when the king was out driving in his fine carriage, he met a poor little boy. I then found myself pressed into the hands of the grubby little urchin, who with a whoop of joy ran to the nearest shop and bought a big tin of toffee. An old grumpy gentleman was my next owner, and you will all guess who he was. He put me on a shelf and there I was left, and forgotten. Did you like my story?” “Yes it was very nice,” they all said together. —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Ray McLeay (13), Otahu-Blackmount R.D., Otautau. — PRIZE — When I came from the mint, where I was made, I was bright and shiny, but I am still a bit shiny. We were taken to the bank, and then a parcel of us was sent to a cigar shop. One day a very rich man came in, and I was given to him as change. Pie thought very little of me, and put me into his pocket, little daughter, Rosemary, asked her father for threepence, but he said he had not one. He asked her what she wanted it for. She said she wanted it to put in her money box, then it would be full. He gave me to her, to put in her money-box. She put the money-box on the shelf beside the clock, and a salt jar. It was not lonely there, but very stuffy. The clock went tick, tock, tick, tock, and then it would chime so that it was not very nice. Every now and then, I heard another noise at the other side of me, and the salt jar would be taken down, and put up in the same place On Christmas Eve, I was taken down with a lot of other money, too. Rosemary took me and two shillings out of her purse, to buy her mother some powder. We were taken and put in a till. One old sixpence said to me, “You are an old silly. You are of no use here, so go away.” I did not take any notice of what he said, and turned my head’ round the other way, but he still jeered at me and called me names. Just then I heard a noise, and in a moment I was out in a lady’s hand, and before I could say a word, I was put carefully in a purse. On the way home, the lady had to cross a creek. The purse slipped out of the lady’s hand, and it went bobbing away down stream. Suddenly she gave a cry of delight, because the purse had stuck in a bit of wood. She quickly picked it up and went home. She did not know that I had fallen out of a hole in it. . . Just a wee while after that, a hungry duck came swimming up the creek. He saw me, and thought I was something nice, so he ate me up. I did not like down there in his stomach. It was nasty and dirty. One day, a man ducks and he shot the one I was in. When he got home, he said to ms wife, “Look at that beauty, we will have it for dinner to-morrow. Tell the cook to get it ready.” When the cook was getting it ready, she found me, and showed me to her mistress, who put me on the shelf. One day the cook went to get the sixpence, but it was not there. Do you know where I could have got to? That is a secret. —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Nanette Sumpter (9), 32 Alice street.

— PRIZE — Far back in my mind, I can recall the time when I was in the mint, being pushed, pressed, squeezed and bumped until I didn’t know which was head or tail, and began to doubt whether I had any body at all. At last, I managed to breathe freely, but not for long. Soon I, with my many companions, was packed into a large box, and hauled on board a steamer. Oh. the jerks end bangs during that voyage! Luckily we were packed tightly", and did not experience the full force of those jolts, but, to us, who had never left Britain before, it was bad enough, and we dared not think what it would be like on deck. Suddenly, one wet, boisterous day, we heard the dismal but frantic cry of “The rocks! the rocks!” The ship suffered a gigantic heave, and then there was a clamour of horror-stricken voices. The boat was sinking! I cannot fully remember what happened after that, but, for a few years, we lived beneath the wide ocean, expecting to remain there for ever. One day, to our great surprise, we heard sounds near us, and decided that some divers must have found the wreck. We were right, but, to this day, I know not whom they were, nor how we were raised to sea-level. Nevertheless, we eventually found ourselves once more on the sea, and steering for an island seen in the distance. We arrived on land once more, and by some device, I slipped through the half-broken box on to the rocky shore. How glad I was to be out in the fresh air! By this time, I was very tarnished but I was now destined to become green with the slime and salt water that came on that island shore. For many years more, I lay in a crack of a rock, but little washed by the sea. I began to long for the friends whom I had forsaken, even if it meant to be in the busiest parts of the universe. Then my island became popular as a resort for adventure-seeking people, and I was found! They looked at me strangely when they saw the date on my back, but one of them took me home to his little niece, with whom I have lived ever since. She loves me for the sake of her uncle who is now dead, and I am content to remain here for the rest of my life. —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Ruth Dowden (13), 11 Scandrett street.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED.— Click—Click—Click! “Oh, hullo! What’s this I’ve struck? —So this is the world. Is it? Well, it is good to be alive.” That’s what I thought, when I first appeared in the world, for although I am only a sixpence, it seemed to me that life was just one long adventure, full of joy and fun. Alas, that’s where I was wrong. As we all know, life has its sorrows, as well as its joys, and I really think I’ve had my share of both. As I lie here in this old rubbish heap, I think that I have come to the bitter end, for although I’ve been in all sorts of places, I’ve always been found, and used by someone. When I first left the mint, I was taken to the Bank, then life for me began. One day I was placed on the counter, with some of my friends and then given to a man who didn’t seem to notice me, even though I was by far the brightest. I soon learned to my joy, that I was very useful. As my ov/ner was a hard working man, I was one day used to buy him some lunch. How proud I was when the shop-girl took possession of me, and held me up to exclaim. “My goodness, what a lovely bright sixpence.” I didn’t stay long in that till. The next day, a little boy came in, and I was given in the change. This little fellow admired my shiny face also, and while he was walking along looking at me, someone bumped his arm. I fell on to the footpath, and rolled into the gutter. Although he searched a great deal, he did not find me, as I had rolled a good distance. About a week later, I was swept up by the street-sweeper, and looking

rather dirty, was put into his pocket. After his day’s work was over, the sweeper went home to his family, and proudly handed me to his little son, who washed me and took me into his bed. It was a joy to me to be able to make that poor child happy. However, when he awoke in the morning, he forgot all about me. When his mother swept the room, I was swept into the shovel with the dust, and put into the ash pan. It wasn’t very hot, but still the heat melted a little off the edge of my no longer shiny face.

When the ashes were taken out the next day, I was, of course taken with them. I spent -many dreary days and nights in that uncomfortable place, but was one day found by an old gardener, who had to bite me to make sure I wasn’t tin.

I was taken to the Bank, where I was no longer wanted, so with some other very old coins and rubbish, was put in the waste paper basket, and from there I was brought to this dreary place which is called a rubbish heap. Yes, I think this is the bitter end, for I am really good for nothing, but I can say I’ve done many a good turn in my time. Although I would like to go on and on making poor folks happy I’m afraid I’m of no use now.

An old sixpence, bent and battered, dull and tinny. Why, there’s not a trace of the beautiful pictures that once gleamed upon my bright face. Ah, yes, I am afraid my story has ended. I shall never be rescued from this heap, which I shall have to make my resting place. —3 marks to Cousin Mona Thompson (11), Gap Road, Winton.