I WISH

Southland Times, Issue 24448, 30 May 1941, Page 10

I WISH

—PRIZE— Marion and Joan were seated on a log under a large willow tree. A little stream went rippling by on its way to join the swift flowing river. Nearby grew a clump of silver poplars gently swaying in the breeze, while a little way further on a gorse hedge climbed up a hillside covered in yellow bloom which shone in the sunshine like a cloth of gold. Above, the sky was calm and blue with little white clouds drifting along. It was all very peaceful, and the two little girls sat very still enjoying the scene.

Suddenly they heard a droning and looking up, they saw an aeroplane flying towards the sea.

“That,” said Marion, “is one of. the planes which fly around the coast every day to see if there are any strange ships.”

“Oh!” said Joan, “it makes me feel so sad when I think of all the dear little children who are afraid because of the Germans.”

“It makes me sad too, Joan,” Marion replied. Just thex. a flock of white geese came sailing down the stream led by a large white gander. The geese landed on the bank, and after a great deal of hissing and gabbling the gander flew across the stream to the hillside. As he passed

over the girls a white leather dropped from his wing. Joan ran and picked it up and brought it to Marion. As they looked at the beautiful feather Marion said “Joan, I have such a lovely idea. You remember how Grandma used to say that an old Highland cook told them if they found a white feather which had dropped from a goose’s wing in flight and wished, their wish would come true. Now we are going to wish a great big wish together.” So the two little girls wished each holding the feather with her right hand.

“What did you wish?” Marion asked Joan when they raised their heads.

“I wished that God would make all the Germans sec how ciuel and useless war is.”

“Oh! That is just what I wished,” Marion said. “I am sure if the Germans did not fight that the others would not either.”

The little girls started off home, quite sure that sometime God would grant their wish. They told no one about it, but resolved to keep the white feather and to go to the willow every Saturday and wish again. —Prize of 1/6 to Cousin Noelene Holloway (10), 397 Herbert street. —HIGHLY COMMENDED— I wish I had a little pony to ride. I have never ridden a pony, so I would have to learn to ride first. I wish the pony was a black one and f had a nice blue riding outfit. I would like to call my pony Black Beauty, after

the horse in a play on the wireless. When I could ride I would like to go to the show and ride, like other children I know.

—2 marks to Cousin Ngairc Insall (8), 464 Tay street.

—HIGHLY COMMENDED—

I wish I had a big doll to play with. I would dress her in green satin. I would knit clothes for her nearly every day. If she was a celluloid one I would bath her every day and make little towels to dry her with. I also wish I had a teaset, then I could have some soft drink and pretend to give it to the doll to drink. I would cut some small slices of bread, and put them on a small plate with some cakes so that my friends would be able to eat them when they came over to play. —2 marks to Cousin Lorraine Black (9), Nightcaps R.D. —HIGHLY COMMENDED— I wish I could go to skating and learn to skate. I would like to learn to skate, to do all kinds of fancy skating. I wish I could learn to skate like Sonja Henie and wear some of the pretty frocks I have seen her wearing in the pictures. —2 marks to Cousin Zena Peterson (9), 420 Tay street. 1