BINGO’S BUTTONS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1931, Page 20 (Supplement)

BINGO’S BUTTONS

Bingo was thoroughly tired of being taught new tricks. He knew how to jump through a hoop, how to walk on his hind legs, and how to balance a lump of sugar upon the tip of his nose; but when Tom dressed him up- in a jacket of his baby sister’s and put one of her bonnets on his head, he thought that was too much.“Walk on your hind legs or you’ll dirty the coat,” commanded the young master; but Bingo turned and fled. The first person he met as he passed out of the house was the next-door cat. She stared, and sat down, and stared still harder. Then she laughed. Have you ever seen a cat laugh? Bingo had, quite often,.but never quite so impudently as this one laughed. He felt very silly' indeed, and very angry,' so he snarled and sprang at her. She vanished over the wall, leaving him with a long scratch on his nose. Hearing hie young master calling him, he ran on again and into the back lane. Here he met a terrier and a spaniel, friends of his; but they did not recognise him, and they laughed too. “I say,” barked Bingo. “You might help a fellow. Thank the stars that your boss doesn’t treat you as mine does me. Do you know how buttons work. I carft get rid of this thing.” ..Neither of them knew anything about undoing buttons, but they' offered to bite them off for him. Mimi, the spandel, kindly took him into her back garden, and Bingo stood upon his hind legs and latched the garden door—one of his pet tricks. , The buttons were not at all easy to bite off. Terrence, the terrier, swallowed one of them, because it came off unexpectedly; and Bingo suggested—- " Well, pull them. Tug at these wing affairs, and the buttons are sure to give.” Each of the dogs took one sleeve, and then they had a grand tug-of-war, with Bingo in the midst of it. The buttons gave—so did the sleeves—and both dogs rolled over on their backs. They took such a fancy to the bonnet as a plaything that they played tug-of-war with that, too, and soon it looked like something that had been dragged out of the. dustbin. The nextdoor cat sat on the wall, an interested spectator. You may be sure there was trouble when Tom’s mother looked for baby’s coat and hat. She punished him severely, but she did not blame Bingo because Tom had confessed what he had done. “You have taught him too many tricks,” she said. “Never let me see you dressing him up again.” Bingo rejoiced to know that he would be troubled with no more buttons. He does pity humans who have to wear them all the time. WITH PENCIL AND PAPER. One day when you are playing with some of your little friends, and you don’t quite know what to do, make this suggestion. See who can draw the best with the eyes shut. Oh, dear! it is so funny, and so difficult, too. The best thing to do will be to say, “Now we will all draw a cat.” The players all take up their pencils, shut their eyes and then try to draw a cat on their paper. Afterwards at a given signal all open their eyes, and show their drawings to each other. The pictures are bound to cause lots of laughter. Another day try drawing an animal by figures. You know what I mean—a six for a nose, and nought for the head, and so on. Make up your own designs and use what figures you like. It’s wonderful what quaint pictures you can make in this way.