The WENDY HUT LETTERBOX.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1932, Page 17 (Supplement)

The WENDY HUT LETTERBOX.

LETTERS to be Addressed: "WENDY,” Cara Taranaki Daily News, Box 115, NEW PLYMOUTH.

“Waratah,” Tirimoana: Not . even the Hut gardener knows anything of that little plant so could, you tell us more about it next time? Icicles are very pretty hanging from trees and ferns but they break so easily that it seems a pity to touch them.fcWhat is Christopher Robin’s verso against your birthday,

Merle? Nancy Wilton, Omata: We are very pleased to include you in the Hut circle, Nancy; are your little sisters and brothers as michievous as our Hut family, I wonder? Baby Margaret thought Snuff, the cat, would like a bath so she put him in a tub full of water and had managed to half soap him before he scrambled away. Erlin Pennington, Mangamirigi:. I think Billikins must have been thinking of Merlin, the magician, who lived in the days of King Arthur, when he wrote your name down. Do you remember the story? Gordon must know what it is like to be hungry, but J? hope he will not decide to give dolly jam because jam is really very sticky stuff, isn’t it? Dawn Reeve, Inglewood: Baby Margaret is very excited to know that youshould have a Baby Margaret,, too. Is she very little and does she smile a.lot.' Of course, we should love you to be one of us, and. there are loud, cheers from, all the Hut family; oven Bouncer, the dog, is yapping as if to say, “Welcome!” .

“Brown Acorn,” Midhirst: I ant-sure the King would be very pleased to see all his loyaMittle subjects saluting the flag and wishing, him many happy returns. There would be many flags flying all over the world on June 3, ■wouldn't there? If you were snowed over you would be a snow-man; and wouldn’t that be chilly 1

“Christmas Lily,” Midhirst: Copkie makes Billikins put his feet in mustard and water when he has a bad cold, too, and he looks so funuy. Bernice, is a very nite sister to have when she can knit you those lovely slippers to keep you cosy. Do you not let puppy, run away with one of them, will you?

"Jack-in-the-Box,” Stratford: -The Hut folk put in the painting pictures, Pat, not the Tinks. The old clock is ticking away the hours and minutes very quickly to-day and already the birds are getting ready to go to bed; there are quite a number of excited little sparrows on the eaves, telling each other what they have been doing and what they will do to-morrow. Effie Edgecombe, Ngaere: One camellia flower has come out to-day; it is a pretty little piqk one and looks so bright against all the green leaves. The poppies are not coming out very much because they are afraid of the wind, but the seedlings are popping up so quickly and w6 can almost see tho.nl growing. Have you many red berries in your garden, Effie? Jack Coatsworth, Eltham: The sun is chasing across the sky so quickly and lyill drop over the horizon, and be beaming on old England in a very few minutes. Already Hut gardener is bringing in wood for our fire and there is another day gone! Goldfinches are pretty- wee things, but too fond of seeds to bo at all popular with Hut gardener. Jack Bailrett, Opunake: Wo shall be pleated if your young brother joins the Hut, Jack, so tell him to fill in thelittle form and send it. I think wo. must blame the wind again for whisking away your birthday because we cannot find it anywhere. 4- button is even smaller than a thimble. We think your eyes must be very sharp to find it every evening.

“Moonlight,” Kaimiro: Yes, you may send in stories, Olive, if they are good ones and not too long. We liked your poetry and jokes and if you do not see them in one week you must look for. them the next. We should love to. have Rita as a member, so please tell her to write to us next time. She was almost a Christmas present to you all, was she not?

Eileen A.shley, Ahititi: "Welcome,” cried all the Tinks when they opened your letter and saw that you were another new member. Do you four little folk all go to school on Biddy? Our horse’s name is (Bimbo, and Baby Margaret gives him carrots and apples sometimes; then she climbs up oh Bimbo’s back and he gives her a ride around the Hut paths. , ' "Bonnie Bluebell,” Aurda: We will certainly see that you g;et a birthday card this year, Esme. Tinker Bell will send you one for last year ,if you would like it. It must be extra nice playing with a brand new basketball and you should be able to win all your matches. Are there any flowers in your garden, Mistress Bluebell?

. Mavis Sheerin, Auroa: There is .an aeroplane up to-day and Billikins cannot keep his eyes on his lesson-books; they go looking out of the window instead and before long I think Tutor will put him in a corner, where he cannot See anything half so interesting as an aeroplane. Do you play with the new basketball, too? \

Miriam Jury, New (Plymouth; It was very clever of your little bantam to present you with one wee chicken and completely surprise you. You have had a busy time and I am sure you did not have much left in which to write to us. Baby Margaret is making herself another little garden, and this one is in a motor-tyre! She has filled it with earth and now she is going to plant somo seeds in it.

Jean Cochran. Oakum; Another little Tink for our family circle! Wilma must be a laughing little sunbeam because babies, even big ones, cry sometimes. Perhaps Peter Pan gave her the secret of smiles and how to scatter them over the world. Please tell us what you put in your garden, and we hope the snails do not hide in that tecoma hedge! Betty Bishop, Stratford: We have decided to christen you “.Evening Star.” Do you think you will remember to sign both your names each tin - you write? As you have read so many short stories I am sure you could find one to send us Billikins likes the poetry, but he says he would still like to be a. keeper at the zoo, only, unlike other keepers, he would eat lollipops. Elaine Hughson, Opunake: Someone else has the pen-name you wanted, Elaine, but would you like “Twinkle Toes” just as much? Tinker Beil’s toes twinkle when she is very busy or when she is out in the garden running from flower to flower to see what they are whispering. Sometimes, too,t she takes out her paintbox and painKs the leave® to help autumn get ready. 1

Irene Wilson, New Plymouth: You are indeed very lucky to get such, interesting stamps, and some day perhaps the Sydney one will be vary valuable.. A I'ttle fantail and two sparrows are dancing about on. a little shrub outside my window and I know that they are waiting for Baby Margaret to bring them their lunch of crumbs and Some fresh water for the bird-ba th.

“Apple Blossom,” Auroa: Do you ever make any of the little articles Hut Dressmaker tells you how to do? They are very easy and you could ipake something for Mummy and give her such a surprise. Baby Margaret is making Billikins a scarf out of scraps.of wool, but Snuff plays with it and Baby Margaret says she will knit him in it, too, if ho gets ui the way. Rex Woodley, Mangamingi: Yours was the 'first letter to tumble out of the bag this morning and therefore the first one we saw with the penny post-, age on it. “Postie’s” load win be even, heavier these days. The link® are very beautiful, are they not? You were very lucky indeed to'find balls because those little streams usually capture any stray ones that are about, and sometimes I think those sheep must eat them!. “Skylark,” Omoana: There is one of your little namesakes high in the sky, Ao high it is but a speck and would be unnoticeable but for its unceasing song. We think it has a little nest out in the paddock, but it is so cleverly hidden we cannot find it. Billikins finds that kites are difficult things to manage; they need some wind, and yet if there is a little too much they get quite “out of Terence Foley, Stratford:' Well, you are still a Tink if you do one kind act every day, Terence. It is not hard to find them io do, is it? Billikins is very pleased to hear from you again and expects that you are very busy playing football in all your spare time. He thinks it is a great mistake that lessons should come before football; do you? / Mavis Cox, Te Kiri: '.Baby Margaret is out in the garden this lovely morning, locking for flowers that have come up in the night. I think if she watches the buds of the narcissi she may find them opening out in the sunshine. Have you ever soaked wheat in water and grown it on a damp flannel? It grows so quickly that you can almost see it.

Thelma Cox, To Kiri; The pen-name you wanted is already taken, Thelma, but w6uld you like "Dairy Lass” instead? I can see a. bunch of yellow glinting in the sunlight and the Hut gardener tells me it is some of the first wattle in bloom. Tinker Bell will be watching for those fluffy little Wat-tle-babies swinging on its branches. "Eluffum,” Bungarehu: It is a. long time since we heard from you,-Claire, and in that time your writing has improved very much; look on the other page and see how much! Do you play centre” in the basketball team? A praying mantis has just popped in. at. my window to say, “Goodmorning” before he jumps on his way through the garden. »

Gordon Payne, New Plymouth: We notice a new address at- the top of your letter, Gordon, so will you tell us next time if that is where your cards are to go in future? Here comes Billikins, running along with an armful of chestnuts to toast in the fire to-night; he says he found them under the chestnut tree in the garden and the wind has blown so many down.

' "Clematis,” Midhirst: Did the "““up-the-roads” win their tennis match, Bernice? I am glad the young bull did not break into your garden because we are as interested as you are to hear: what flowers you have in bloom in the spring, after all your hard work. We have had the first scent of real'spring—the perfume of daphne. “Periwinkle,” Kaimiro: Thank you and Olive both for your contributions for our page, which you may see in next week. Are you able to see Ngauruhoe from whpre you live? Baby Margaret is picking up the pretty coloured leaves that the wind has blown down and runs in when she finds a specially pretty one to show me.

“May Flower,” Bell Block: Here is another little stranger come in this mail!-' Billikins • says someone must be very clever because you received your card even though it was addressed to your old home. He is wondering what to give you for puzzles this week aiid looks as if he is thinking very hard. I wonder if-you have guessed it yet?

Gertrude Huwiler, Te (Kiri:. Welcome to the Hut, Gertrude; you will find us all sitting in the sunshine to-day, toasting very cold toes and getting quite sunburned noses. Snuff, our cat, and Bouncer,, our dog. are enjoying it, too, and are far too lazy to run after the ball we throw for them to play with. Owen Sharpe, Rahotu: loti know the warmest place these days and night, although the sunshine to-day will bo beckoning to you through the window. We hope you. will soon bo well again, Owen, and can forget all. about the medicine. Billikins is begging Tutor to let him off his lessons to-day, but Tutor believes in work first and play afterwards, much to the disgust of Mr. Billikins.

Jim Sharpe, Rahotu: How is the patient to-day? Very well, we hope, and passed as being fit by the doctor. What a busy time -your family must ha,ve trying to keep you both amused! There is a, chance for you to write a. letter to the "Gardening Corner,” telling us what you have done and what you are going to do in your garden. R’dna Cuthbertson, Toko: I can guess what your kind action is every iSunday, Edna. The wind has blown off nearly every autumn leaf, but I can still see a few on the liquid amber tree; its leaves arc like fingers and in the autumn they are like little glowing hands stretching out to you as you pass.

“Shining Cuckoo,” Kohi: You are a very successful, fisherman, Myra, and you must, have been delighted to have managed to get Savage Mr. Crayfish. Yes, we think the name, you have chosen for pussy is very good, especially as he is so playful. Now that you are well and strong again we. shall, expect to hear from you quite often,