The WENDY HUT LETTERBOX.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1932, Page 21 (Supplement)

The WENDY HUT LETTERBOX.

LETTERS to bo Addressed: “WENDY,” Care I Taranaki Daily News, Box 115, NEW PLYMOUTH.

Betty [Bridger, Egmont Village; Welcome to the . Hut,-. Betty, and thank you, and Margaret, too, for the riddles. Billikins could not guess one of them without looking •at « the answers, and he loves |

pears, too. Irene Scandlyn, KaimirO: A welcome to you, too, Irene. We did not quite know which name you would like us to call you, so we guessed this one. Were we right? A Billy Boy got in before you for the pen-name, but would you like “Periwinkle”? We love rambling through the Park, too. ‘’Sunny Jim,” Pa tea: We only hear from you in the “painting-seaspn,” don’t we? I know you are a ‘busy person now, especially with, a new member in the family to nick-name! Why do boys like you and Billikins never want to call anyone 'by his christened name, but must give him a Junny little short one of your ownlnvention? Edna Reynolds, Oaonui: After the rain this week the Hut family - put on gum-boots and went for a walk- through the bush, and everywhere we heard little streams gurgling and all the birds had come from their shelters and were singing so excitedly. I suppose Cliff and Pam are great pals, are they? : Dorothy and Rose Ay ton, Onaero: You will not mind sharing this time, will you? If your little brother would like to join the Hut you would help him with his printing,' wouldn’t you ? Baby Margaret says- that pansies and wall-flowers would be pretty in your gardens, especially if they have' bricks around the edge, 'because those flowers have brick-shades in them. Wendy-land has dried up a, little since last week. Res Woodley, Mangamingi: I guess you wished you could have beenlike a gypsy and lived in that motor-van, too. All the gypsies I have seen have all lived in caravans, wandering around the countryside by day and sitting over huge bonfires at night. Have you heard this little verse ? “'Time, you old gypsy, man, Can you not stay? Put up your caravan

For just one day.” Wally Winstanley, Awakinb: You did •not remember to sign both names, but we guessed it was you! Yes, I have seen the little school perched on the hill and have looked hard for you and Owen and Ronnie when I was passing. Billikins wants to know when Owen is going to draw him another motor-car. '

“Wattle,” Tongaporutu; Baby Eddy looks very serious and earnest over —is it a shanghai?—in the snapshot.-It looks as if he might bo aiming it at the Hut folk! Sharks are all very well : bn a fishing line, but I should hate to meet one when I was in bathing. Jean Corkill, Tututawa: Getting those presents was like , having Christmas all over again, wasn’t it? There is great excitement among the Hut folk to-day because we have found the first violet. I wonder who will be the first Wendy boy or girl to see the.second one? “The Three Kittens;” Brixton; “Three fishers went eeling, down in the creek,” sings (Billikins. He thinks that must be : great sport, but what do you do with, so many after you have caught them? Have all the weeds-grown in your garden after this warm soft rain? Ours have, and so Hut gardener, is busy with them before they strangle the 'young plants, which have grown quite big, too. Clemency Western, Bell Block: So school-days are over and you are a little house-wife. It is great fun, etspecially cooking; don’t you think sb? I see pineneedles falling thick and fast, just like golden snow-flakes, so I guess the south wind is coming to see if he can blow troubles away and spoil our gardens at the same time.

Elva Kibby, Waitara: I suppose you had lots of fun painting in your birth-day-card during the rainy week-end. We went for a ride on Bimfoo'yesterday, and as we passed along the country roads we saw such lots of hawthorn berries, and holly berries, too, and noticed how much more vivid the hollies were than any of the others. “Clematis,” Midhirst; Your garden-ing-notes are very good, Bernice, and I am sure there are lots of little Tinks who will enjoy reading your letter. I am afraid I do not know if your answer is correct as Billikins is out mushrooming. I hope he will 'bring lots home for tea to-night.

Joyce and Kathleen Copeman, Uruti: Here are two more little people we must ask to share a letter to-day. 'What lovely picnics you have had, and I almost felt I was with you when you told me about it all. Mount Messenger is very beautiful, with its fern walls, and sometimes I see little pink ferns among the green ones. when I pass. What New Zealanders do not love boiling the billy! Vere McMillan, Awakino: Your letter came in time, Vere, and. I knew, it -is-so difficult to remember all the rules with these competitions; isn’t it? A very bold thrush is sitting on a rhododendron tree, whistling for all he is worth. He looks so handsome in his .speckled suit. “Teddy Bear,” Hawera: Your letter looks very much as if it had been written with a proud fountain-pen, which always thinks it can blot and leak just whenever it wishes. The little picture of the mountain will fill in a space in the “rainy day” scrap-album. Lois Jordan, Stratford: Taranaki people are very fortunate to have the mountain even if he does bring cold and rain. We love picnics up there, and Billikins loves it when it snows and he can build snow-men and pelt us all with snowballs.

Mabel Smith, Tangarakau: Clever girl! Billikins did not know the difference between a porcupine and a hedgehog, so I will tell him that the porcupine is larger, with longer spines. What useful presents you are making. Have you tried knitting or crocheting covers for coat-hangers ? Joan Davy, Kapuni: Yes, weiwill send you some new cards, Joan. 'What great fun to be living in a new district and be making new gardens, too, perhaps, so you will be able to give us little bits for the “Gardening Corner.” ; Polly Surrey, Te Tawa: This is a surprise, and a very nice one, too! Why, it is so long since you wrote that I cannot remember if your name is Polly or not, but I guessed it was. What lots of kittens! Baby Margaret would love them to play with as Snuff is getting almost too lazy to wake up properly and have a game with her. . .

Mervyn Fabish, Kent Road: Thank vou for your nice long letter this week. You seem to be pleased that winter is coming, but Billikins thinks that it must be because of the football season! That is the only thing he likes about the winter time.-

Vera and Violet Newport, Rahotu; It is a very busy day at the Hut to-day, so we hope that you won’t mind getting your answer together this week. We were so pleased to have the pretty poem. Isn’t blackberrying fun? The Hut folk found some last week, but no jam was made because ttiey were all eaten before “Cookie” was found!

“Rapunzel” and Joan Gilmer, Puniho: Yes vou may have the pen-name, “Elian” but Tinker Bell is so anxious to know what it all means. There are some pheasants living quite near the Hut, too. Have you been, able to find any of their 'beautiful coloured feathers? It was ■worth. winning those races,; wasn’t it, Joan?

“Friar Tuck,” and Jack Elliott, Mahoenui: Yes, Jack, you may have “Little John” for your pen-name, and then vou and your brother will indeed be a merry pair. You, too, are asked to share a letter this week as I can hardly see out of my window for piles of letters. All the Wendy folk in New Zealand must have written to us these wet days, and we are so glad to hear from them.

Reg. and Colin Seamark, Bell Block: It was a great wonder that we did not hear you blowing your trumpets and whistles during Easter, after such successful “dips.” Billikins loves that slide, too, but it often means lots of patching afterwards! The sea looks rather cold to us now, so we put on big boots and go for tramps instead. “Lady of October” and “Aotearoa,” Cardiff: It was very nice to hear from two people we know are so busy. We are having a lovely autumn and now that tanks are full, we can appreciate the colours and tints that are slowly surrounding us. Baby Margaret is always bringing me in pretty fallen leaves to show me and searches everywhere for the pixie-man with his paint-box!

Noeleen Crosby, Waipuku: Then tan is wearing off now that summer and bathes are past, but Baby Margaret still has a mark where her little bathing suit came,. The twins brought us in two mushrooms this morning, and now all the Hut folk have gone out into the paddocks looking for others to add to those two for tea.

- Eileen Bryant, Tangarakau; If you tell us how you play that “wet day” game we shall be able to play it ourselves when it is raining. We have painted and printed and hunted-the-thimble so often lately that we cannot find any new hiding-places. Do you always look forward to sewing days at school ?

Nola (Petersen, (Brixton: As someone else is “Pink Rose” would you like to be ‘Tink Blossom”? Nearly all the roses have finished now and all the “hips and haws” are turning to gold, red and prange with the leaves and berries. It does not take the sea long to undo all the castles and tunnels that you have spent all the afternoon making, does 'it.?: .

Olga Rogers, Stratford: Yes, Baby Margaret grows just like the mushrooms, and soon her little curls will have grown long enough to plait into two little braidsj one each side of her head. (Billikins says you are clever to have solved the puzzle. and says he will make it harder next time. Beth and Patricia Cook, Huinga: There are such a lot of seagulls flying about inland, 'their white and grey feathers glistening in the sun. It looks as if the weather-clerk is going to send us more rain for the gardens, doesn’t it? Did Billikins muddle up the answers to the puzzle, the careless young fellow ? What a great game you had rolling thoSe eggs up hill and down dale! “Moonlight,” Kaimiro: I suppose “Micky” wonders where her old home is and what this new world, with a high hill, called a mountaifi, i$ called. Tinker Bell says she knows -where there are some pheasants, so she is going to look for their feathers down in the swamp.

“Red Berry,” Mokau: We thought the Tinks .would enjoy your letter this week, too, Molly. Have you seen it on •the other page? We loved hearing about your “travels” and we wondered if you collected any ferns or mosses on the way. .

Olive and Irene Say well, Uruti: Your letter was very good this time, Olive, and I suggest that, if you would describe your trip up the river again a little more carefully and fully, we print it, for all the Wendy folks to read, as it was so interesting and you describe well. ■ Would you like “Moss green” for a pen-name, Irene, as the one you liked has been taken? Your suggestion about the paintings is very good. “Brown-Eyed Susan,” Awatuna: It is a very long time since we have heard from you, Elva, and there was a great stir when we opened your letter this morning. Your pen-name has not been chosen by anyone else, so it is yours. We call those big marguerite daisies “Brown-eyed Susans,” but I cannot see any in the garden yet. Betty Wassvo, Bahotu: Those little mushrooms ..re what fairies and pixies use for buttons, Baby Margaret says. Our chrysanthemums are just beginning to flower, shaggy ye!l6w and white ones and trim, neat scarlet- ones. “'Ban Tim” and her family have been having a great time scratching for worms today. Has Mavis? Mamie Watson, Tangarakau: I think the’ “Red Dwarf” was right, don’t, you ? Although it is still daylight I see a little, boat-shaped moon in the sky, waiting for darkness to come, so that he can light us on our way. Tell Arthur we hope he will soon be better and able to write to us. Walter and Bernice Clement, Mangorei: Next time you write we will give you a letter each as there will not be painting competitions as well. The Hut gardener says that iceland poppies would be very nice for your new garden, .Walter, and those lovely waxy flowers called lachenalia, which grow so easily. Does Ivor wriggle himself about the floors now or can he walk?