The WENDY HUT LETTERBOX

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1930, Page 25 (Supplement)

The WENDY HUT LETTERBOX

LETTERS to b® Addressed; “WENDY.” Carr Taranaki bally Wm, Box lIS. new Plymouth.

Doreen Williams, ICltham. — Welcome, Doreen, and also well done! Your crossword puzzle was done quite correct' ly. We wonder whether any of the Tinks ever get' them out. We had great fun doing them too. We hope to have a letter from you soon.

Sylvia Manning, Tariki. —Why did you not fill up the two pages of the block Darcy gave you? We have to watch Baby Margaret now because if she finds the children’s school books she puts crayon or scribbles all over them. Now we have to keep the'books in a high cupboard, where she cannot reach. • She is becoming a little mischief, so I am wondering if she is taking after Billikins. If she is lam sure she will turn my hair grey. Billikins was > such a handful, and I cannot imagine going all through it again with Baby Margaret, although I do not expect she could be quite so bad.

‘Canterbury Bell,” Matapu.—Do your kittens play hide and seek? Snuff invited a little friend of his here the other day and they had a marvellous time, hiding in wardrobes, under couches, and springing out at one another’s tails unexpectedly. Then Snuff got tired of it. and tried, to settle ..down to -a good rest, but do you think he could get one? That little puss simply worried him to death until Snuff got so tired of it that he ran outside, followed by the kitten, and must have sent it home because he came straight in and went off to sleep.

Winnie Wright, Rahotu. —We remembered your writing some time ago to us and wondered what had happened to you because we had not heard from you for so long. Horses are my favourite animals too, my very favourite. I like dogs, but homes come first every time/ Can you ride? I ride Bimbo sometimes, but he is really too slow. I think we shall have to- buy a new pony for the Hut as well, and we will ask the Tinka for suggestions for names. I saw a pretty black one pars not long ago, and I think one like it would be splendid. Billikins can ride 60 well now that even if it is frisky he will be able to manage it. “Heather Bell,” Kupe.—Good girl for coming second in gardening. I am sorry to say that Billinkins’ garden has a number of weeds in it. Of e, purse he blames the rain we have-had. Did you know about our new boat? Well, we moored it to the bank, and at about 9 o’clock on Friday morning there was a scream of delight. 1 had told them there was a surprise somewhere, but this was beyond all expectations. So on Saturday Cookie packed us a hamper and off we went up the river for a picnic. You should have heard Baby Margaret’s squeals as she dragged her toes in the water over the side of the boat.

Ivy Hollis, New Plymouth—Thank you for the poetry, Ivy. When are you goina to think of a pen-name? Gooduess°me, a number of your “Little Drops of Water’’ decided to go for an outing last week-end, did they not? Billikins was boasting that he could count anythin<r so Pam asked. “Bilikins, can you count rain drops?” That caught him! I hope you will write a longer letter next time and tell us all about what you are doing. Miriam Jury, New Plymouth. A very sweet letter, Miriam. At Sunday school on Sunday we had the story of Lot and his wife. After we were talking of how she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt, Peter said in a contemplative tone, “I ’spose they would eat her then, wouldn’t they, Wendy? What do you think ? Do your brothers tease you too? How many have you? Fancy your violets being out so soon. The brave little dears.

Donald Woods, 'Pukcngahu.—Well, you are a funny boy! You pick mushrooms for fun because you do not like them! You made our mouths water terribly. We have been watching, but I think it is too cold for them to pop up here. Yes, lam afraid Billikins does enjoy pillow-fighting—much more than I enjoy mending the pillow slips. Did you watch that skylark rise higher and Higher singing as hard ae it could? I love to watch and hear them. They seem to fly right up into the blue sky. Just imagine if you could do that, what a time you would have!

“Billy Bobtail’? and “Kia Ora.” —What a pity" you missed the competition. Goodness me, there were some pictures to choose winners from. When Billikins was a wee chap I had unexpected visitors for afternoon tea and Cookie had not baked that day so I had very little cake. I told Billikins he. was not to ask for any until the visitors had finished, so he evidently thought it w as not worth while staying, long, but he was very good until a little head peeped into the door and whispered audibly, “Please, Wendy, may I have the crumbs?” I hope you two never did such a thing.

“Moonshine Fairy,” Stratford. What kind of work-basket do you want' to make. Eileen? Do you want to do the basket kind with a material top or one make of all material? The latter would be easier for you perhaps, and much quicker. Do you like sewing? We have finished our winter clothes at last. I think one gets more tired of winter ones than summer, don’t you? We cannot have so many winter ones to change into as summer ones. One thina is, however, that there is not so m uch washing and ironing, is there? You did your kind deeds by milking the neighbour’s cows. That was very noble of you, we think. “Fairy Rose,” Stratford.—l am glad you are getting on well with your music, Rose. You will appreciate jt more and more as you grow older. What a pity the waterfalls were not so beautiful for the visitors. Now, I suppose they will be bounding and noisy again. We have a. tiny one in the garden and in the summer time when, we have our bathing costumes on we sit underneat i and let it splash and trickle all over us* Even Baby Margaret sits ’unaerneath and looks like a baby water nymph, all smiles and gurgles.

Ivy Stevenson, Puniho. —I am glad you enjoy reading our children's pages. Do you have lots of bees too? We have a bush of Michaelmas daisies and there 1 are hundreds of bees buzzing all over it. ! Billikins suggests that we ‘put a hive : over it and then we can get honey for ' breakfast. Baby Margaret keeps away now, since she got the sting in her foot. Once Peter came running into the house ] from the orchard and said that some bees .were having a big fight I ran out and found that a swarm was just about to settle, and so the Hut Gardener made us a hive and we kept them for a long ’ time, until one day when Billikins was ! small lie disturbed them and they, chased , him, so we got rid of them. i “Clematis,” Midhuist. —Picture all j members at the Hut around the fire with : thinking caps on trying to work out i your arithmetic puzzle. “Too deep,”* i murmurs Tinkerbell. “It beats me,” i sighs Billikins. “Perhaps you will ' dream eof the answer,” suggest the I twins. No wonder no solution came i when you stated it wrongly. - We did ' laugh. Next time .perhaps we shall be i able to work one out if you tell it ■ correctly. ! Doris Ayson, New Plymouth.—A big ■ welcome to you, Doris. How do you : like New Plymouth after Auckland. • Not quite so busy is it? lam sorry you .do not like school very much, I used to like it when I was young: Pam and

Peter, our twins, still think it is wonderful, but, of course, it is very I hard to keep Billikins hard at work. I He looks most attentive, but 1 think j half the- time his mind is working out. I some plan of mischief to be done as ' soon as lessons are finished and shoes I and stockings are pulled off. However, ' he is getting on very well really,, so I i suppose it doos not matter sb much.

“Silver Wings,” Eltham. —No; Billikins docs not go away to school. We have a school house in the garden with great big windows, and a tutor comes to teaeh° the children. I am afraid if Billikins did have to ride Bimbo he would always be late, or else start very early in the morning. He has not—a bicycle yet, but it is in the air as a suggestion for next birthday. He cannot°milk, but he says if you leave a cow with him for two hours he guarantees he will be able to get all its milk. Thank you for the poetry. Bell Lepper. Tuna.—To think that your letter to imj, waited for a whole month to be finished. It must have thought it was never going to reach the Hut at all. You will be a useful little maiden, being able to sew and knit- so well. I like sewing when I feel there is nothinor eke I should be doing, and even tiien I do not like sitting too long over it, do you? What colour is your doll’s dress? Baby Margaret dressed her Teddy up in some very baby clothes of hers, and Teddy did look so funny with his little brown bear face poking out from under the bonnet, but he looked as if he liked it.

“Shadowland” Okato. —Your letter must have been lost last year, we did not receive it. I am so sorry and now so glad that you have .written to us again to become a member. Call your kitty “Flash.” Are you too old for your dolls? If not you could make sonie pretty clothes. If you are tired of them try making bags. What made you think of ghadowland? Do you like shadows? We do when we are all together, but I think they are weird when one is alone. Moonlight shadows are the most mysterious because the trees are so dark and lonely. Grace Warner, Bell Block. —Have you any autumn leaves out there? Ours are beautiful. The garden is very sheltered from the wind, 'so the leaves stay on for a long time. The colours arc glorious. Dear old oaks changing the colours of their leaves, and the poplars and the shumach all in differcent shades. Tlie poplars are golden and the tops are green just like a. dainty fl inge on a frock. Then when a rustle of wind comes, down they flutter and nestle on the path. The Hut Gardener is not sweeping them up because they look no picturesque. ' Ellie Lepper, Tuna—All the Tink.s seem to have won such a lot. of races at the sports. Peter is a great dreamer, and I said to Pam, “Please tell Peter that he must wipe his boots before he comes in.” Pam likes to use grown-up words and-phrases so she. said, “Wendy, it’s no use trying to tell him anything. It’s Hke pouring water ' off a ducks back* it o-oefi in one ear out the other.” Funny little thing, she thought she had it quite correct. However I managed not to smile at the tune because'she would have felt very hurt.

Joan Morgan, Rahotu.— “Buttercup” has been chosen as a pen-name, Joan. Yes. you still belong to our club because once you arc enrolled it is for as loim as you wish. We shall not cross you off. Thank you for the poetry Poor Hugh did come a crash. We tried roller skating once, but it was very hard. Our legs seemed to run in diffcrent directions and we had no control over them at all. It needs practice, and then one can skim around anywhere. It j s a great sensation. Do not forget to think” about another name.

“Hyacinth, Inglewood. —Yes, I can do shorthand now, Jean, so 1 will be able to read your letter if you write in shorthand. It will be good practice for you. Congratulations on winning a first prize for writing. I hope sometimes you will not be in a hurry and will show us how well you can write, because I would like to show it to the children, Billikins especially.. He always puts one third of the ink in the well on his book as writing, one third as blots and the remaining third all over his fingers. We tell him he will never be any good at business if he keeps his books like that, bo he ie trying harder now to be neat.

Edna Reynolds, Oaonui. —We find it hard to jump out of bed these mornings too. The best thing to do is to count ten, and will yourself to jump out before you cay “ten.” Billikins is in standard IV. now, dear. Yes, Baby Margaret can talk quite a lot. How old is Cliff? I think our. baby is a little older than he. Yes, our Hut has a number of trees around it. Not too close to shut out' the sunshine, and yet big enough to make our Hut look a very beautiful home. Melva Reynolds, Oaonui. —I can see how well you are getting on with your letters, and you can remember to put your “w’s” up the right way. Peter and Pam nearly always put them up. the wrong way. What' they do now is to turn their slates up side down to do them when the -tutor is not looking. Thank you for the picture of Cliff : and Baby Margaret. I wonder how . much Cliffie has grown since the watering. “Red Shadow,” Tataraimaka. —Yes; we have passion fruit, but only just enough to be plural. We-. haye one plant with two green little'balls on .t. The plant took such a long time to get a 'start, but now it is shooting up splendidly, so next year—well, we can sec hundreds of big crinkly fruit hanging and just asking to be eat-tfn. The children are playing ping-pong in the nursery and I can hardly think what I am writing, there is such a terrible noise. Eric Brown, Stratford.—What have I you made with your Meccano? BilliI kins used to have one, but I think all i the parts must be lost by now because i I used to find screws and wheels all ; over the house. Once he 'made a windmill and took it out into the paddock to play. About a month later the Hut Gardener found it in the grass all rusty, because Billikins had forgotten to m-ng it in. You were a good lad to get the wood and coal ready for the winter. If it keeps as cold as this you will have i a busy time keeping up the supply.

THE SECRET OF THE SHAWL. The old house would have to be cold — there was not the slightest doubt about it. Grandfather Jones had said, aa he spent his money recklessly, there was plenty more to be had Yet when he died his son found only debts, and a piece of paper saying that hie father had hidden a small fortune away. But there wae no clue as to where it was.

Little Peter. Jones, the old man’s grandson, had often heard his father say that his father had repeated over and over again that there would always be plenty of money for them, and that the secret of where it was hidden was known only to him and grandma. Grandfather Jones had never revealed the secret, and Grandmother Jones said she could ..ot remember. It was somewhere 'in Cue house.

“Yes, we shall have to eell the house and live in a much smaller one,” said Mr. Jones to Peter. “You won’t hate such a lovely garden as this, but I sha 1 ! ask whoever buys the house if we may have the right to buy it back if we ever become rich again.”

“When I’m a man I’ll buy it back L r you,” said Peter; and Mr. Jones sm.led sadly. He knew it would take a lot of money to do that. That afternoon Mrs. Jones started to “turn out,” and Peter helped her. There was a large trunk which had not been turned out for many years, and Mrs. Jones wondered if by any chance the piece of paper with the secret on it had been tucked away in a dress or shawl lying there. “What a lovely shawl!’ exclaimed Mrs. Jones as she undid a large parcel, the paper covering being yellow with age. “I can remember your grannie wearing it. Look at all these quaint letters embroidered round the edge. Here is an h and there an o. I wonder if we can make any sense of it. Let s take it down to daddy’s study, for we have done enough turning out for today.” For some reason Mr. Jones came home from work early that evening, and he found two terrifically excited people on the hearthrug. Peter was dancing with excitement. )} “You won’t have to sell the house, Mrs. Jones cried. “Look! We have, discovered the secret of the treasure. She held up the shawl and spelled out the . words embroidered on it. but embroidered in such a cunning manner that one could easily mistake them for flowers and scrolls.. The three of them immediately went to the chimney-piece and there touched a certain brick. With a creaking noise the brick moyed back and what a mass of gold and silver was there! “What a funny place to write a secret!” said Mr. Jones. “If we had sold the shawl we should never have discovered it.” BLACK MONDAY! So many misfortunes befell a little girl in Ashburton the other day that when she got home she was fully re-cio-ned to one more! She went up the river-bed for a bathe. A companion threw her shoes across to her, but they struck a willow and were carried down by the stream. She returned to her bicycle, left among the trees, to find that a cow had chewed the celluloid covers off the handles and had eaten her straw hat. She set off for and her cardigan caught in one of the wheels, with disastrous results. On arrival at her home she found that her mother was out, so she sat down to wait the arrival of what she was convinced would be a bad reception. Mother arrived with th© < greeting, “Hullo, darling, how are ypp?’’ The little girl replied: “Well I’m>alj...right, now, Mummy, but I don’t, tliyik, j, will be a 'darling’ very soon!’’