BILLY BOY’S WORKSHOP

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1930, Page 24 (Supplement)

BILLY BOY’S WORKSHOP

HOW TO MAKE A BIRD SHELTER.

This little shelter, which is supported on a post driven into the .ground, provides a feeding table for your feathered friends in the garden 1 To make the shelter, you will require several lengths of one-inch by half-an-inch wood. For the back uprights,. A, cut two pieces,. each eight and three-quarter inches long, and saw the tops at an angle as shown. The front uprights, B, should be cut to a length of six and a half inches before the°tops are sawn to the required angle. Now saw olf two pieces, C, each eight inches long; and two pieces D, each nine inches long. The uprights and parts C and D, are fixed _ together by small brass screws as indicated. Saw two pieces of wood, each fourteen inches long, for the parts E.E. which can be fixed to the front and back uprights with screws,or fine wire nails. The base, which is fourteen inches lon<r by nine inches wide, should be made of fhree-eighths-ineh wood, and

screwed to the bottom edges of the parts C and E. For the roof, saw and roughly plane up three pieces of wood, each fifteen inches long, three and a half inches wide and a quarter of an inch thick. These are fixed by fine wire nails as shown in the second diagram, the lowest one, F, being nailed down first, allowing about half an inch of the front edge to overlap. Fix the middle plank next, and the top one last, allowing each one to overlap the one below by half an inch. • For the supporting post, use a one-, and-a-half-inch square batten, about six feet long. . Through the centre of the floor of the shelter make a hole and screw down to the top of the post with a long screw. Now obtain two little iron brackets and screw them on opposite sides of the post and to the floor, to hold the shelter securely in place. Before fixing the shelter in the garden, give it a coating of creosote —inside and out—and allow it to dry thoroughly. The post should also be painted with this solution before it is sunk into the ground. Sprinkle a few crumbs on the floor,' and your shelter will quickly attract ite feathered visitors. The Hut Carpenter. THE LEGEND OF THE DEER. Long, long ago, when the world was young, the great Red Indian spirit, Manito, used to walk in the northern forests disguised as an Indian Chief. Many strange things happened to him then!

One summer day he saw a man sharpening a knife, and he stopped and spoke, “Why are you sharpening that knife, brotiier ?” he asked.

Not recognising Manito, the man told a lie. He said he was sharpening the knife in order to cut willows to make snow shoes for winter, but at last, when questioned again and again, ho said it was to kill cruel animals.

“There are no cruel animals,” said Manito, “but you are a cruel man! I Manito, give you the animals for food, but not to kill for your pleasure. Now’ it is summer time, you have fruit in plenty, you are not hungry. You are o-ointr to hunt for pleasure, and not because it is necessary. 1 will change you into an animal and all your life you shall flee from man, who will hunt you for pleasure.”

Then the man knew for certain that this chief was the great Manito, who loved all animals though he allowed sufficient for food.

In his confusion, he let the sharp knife fall and it cut right through his foot. As he stooped to pick up the knife his arms grew into legs, and he raced away to hide quickly in the forest —for he had become a deerl

If you look at a deer’s foot, you will se4 'tltyt .it is cut through, or, as we sav. 'eleft.