WENDY HUT LETTERBOX.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1933, Page 7 (Supplement)

WENDY HUT LETTERBOX.

LETTERS io be Addressed; ' "WENDY,” Care Taranaki Daily News, Box 119, NEW PLYMOUTH.

Kathleen Slater, Mata: Welcome to the Hut, Kathleen, and Raby Margaret gives you a special welcome because you are just about the same age as she is. Yes; you. may have that pen-name, so do not forget to sign it, will you?

"Nikau;" Kiore: We are delighted with the snap-shots. We have a photo of Baby Eddie when he was nine months old and how he has grown since then! What a wise little girl to go and sit in the train when she was lost. Was there ever such a happy picnic! We heard the ( shouting and laughter right up at the” Hut. . .

“The Rats,” Kiore: Billikins sends a special message asking, you not to cage those little birds and he knows that he does not ask you in vain. He was very amused to hear of Alton’s escapade and says that he, too, has learned his lesson in regard to green fruit. Tinker Bell is going to arrange all the snap-shots in an album so that, soon, all. the Tinks that come into town may call at the office and see them. . .

“Peggy,” Riverlea: You will see directions for making that owl to-day or perhaps next’ week, if “printer-man” has run short of space this time! Tinker Bell and Baby Margaret, spend many happy hours making them and Hut dressmaker has hardly any buttons left. The poem is most beautifully “Peggy,” and is very pretty. -Your money-box must be very full after winning all those races.

Audrey Pearce, Mangamingi: We are so glad? to welcome you'as one of our members, Audrey, and we hope you will like colouring in the card that Tinker Bell is sending you. Are you fond of gardening? Baby Margaret has a little garden of her own and grows lots of pretty flowers in 'it; she has a little buttonhole dahlia out now, a pretty little red one. . ,

“Jack Frost,!’ Stratford: Baby Margaret liked the piece of poetry and said when She loses a .tooth she puts it under her pillow’ and' finds a penny there in the morning. A spider has built such, a pretty, web on the rose-bush outside my window and, in spite of wind and rain, .it remains quite perfect, lightly coated with' beads, of

“Fantail," Westown:, Both names next time, please, little Tink, for we really' are busy folk and it takes lots of time looking up names. You had a holiday op the farm, it seems, and we would not have been surprised to hear that you had brought back,a calf with you. Are we going to see that snapshot? . .

Renee Fetch, Toko: The flowers, for once, look as if they are really tired of the rain; the asters are drooping, because their blooms are so sodden and the pansies and marigolds and phlox look quite annoyed about it; the only flowers that seem unaffected are the tiger lilies and they are riding to and fro on the wind. How are the flowers? ’ Irene Saywell, Uru-ti: ' The wet has made everything so sticky and tb e paper as I write on it is quite moist! Billikins is in about your standard, Irene, al- . though nobody is sure since he is so hard to get to settle down to lessons. Thank you for the poetry; both yours and Olive’s are very nice. We are sorry but we cannot change your pen-name.

Rex Woodley, Mangamingi: Your poem was a splendid one, Rex, and will gladden the hearts of the Tinks when they read' it next week. Billikins thinks it is very sad about the plums, but he supposes the birds enjoy plums just as much as boys. He, hopes it will be fine for the school picnic.

“The Three Kittens,” Brixton: We found" some mushrooms this morning and so we had them for breakfast; it was a great treat and we are thinking of planting some on our lawn for next year! We missed you last week but, of course, school at the beginning of the year means lots of preparation in getting new books and seeing that stockings are darned and everything quite ready. Ronald Steer, Kakaramea: We are pleased to hear from you again and hope it will not be so long until next. time, f think it would be best fot you to write to Rennell; you know his address and I think you two would become great friends. Write at once or he may find someone else. The sketch is very good, and someday, after a great deal of practice, you should become an expert. “Waratah,” Tirimoana: What" golden treasure you discovered! Baby Margaret was very excited 'jo hear about them and is anxious lest any cats should find them. “Snuff” is sitting in front of the stove to-day because it is so very wet; “Cookie” is preserving plumS and, in her bustle, I think it is very likely that “Snuff” will’ become a sticky mass! Authie Perry, Whangamomona: It is a very long time since we heard from this little stranger" but, no doubt, she is a busy little person. Baby Margaret has a new little school bag to keep her books and slate in and she walks around the garden with it over her shoulder so proudly. You see, she does not go away to school, but Tutor teaches her in the school-room with Billikins. “Mother’s Fairy,” Uruti: Do you not think it would be a splendid idea to write to those Tinks yourself? I am sure they would be very pleased to hear from you. Your painting was quite good; you had spent a great deal of time in mounting it nicely, but the actual painting I think you had hurried because the paint was too thickly used. Try again next time, .Olive; you will be first yet! “Fairy Princess,” Mata: We are sure you must’ have lots to tell us, so we shall expect a long letter next time. To-day Baby Margaret is. learning to print and she hopes that she will soon be able to do it as well as Kathleen; she has already run in to show me how well she is getting on.

Marjorie Goodwin, Oakura: Have you ever seen a cuckoo-clock? I have known little girls (and big girls, too) to wait by the 'clock for nearly an hour just to see the little door in the clock open and the cuckoo pop on to the step and say, “Cuckoo!” Baby Margaret likes our old grandfather clock, and as a special treat, we open the door and show her how the little hammers beat on the keys when it is chiming. '

Esther King, Eltham: Do you think you would mind having “Moonlit” instead of “Moonlight” for your pen-name, as we have already one called by the latter name? You are climbing up the standards at school and soon you will have got through them all. Even when schooldays are over there are still lessons one has to learn but, because they are so new and interesting, one calls them experiences.

“Nightingale,” Ararata: Billikins loves to go and see every boat that sails upon the ocean, but often he has to be content just to see them at a distance. That holiday of yours must have been quite the most wonderful of all holidays, especially as you love the sea. You.wilL be missing the roar of the. sea and the screech of the seagulls in your country home.

Gordon Payne, New Plymouth: Yes, it is a long time .since- we heard of you, but we had not forgotten you, Gordon. We will be very proud of you if you learn to swim although this week has not been very encouraging to bathers. Hut Gardener “squelches” about in long gumboots, tying up drooping heads, gathering fruit and vegetables and feeding the fowls.

Betty Crockett, Rahotu: When Billikins was out gathering mushrooms this morning he saw a. hedgehog wending its way across the fields and into the vegetable garden; he was going off to get some snails and caterpillars for his breakfast, and when Baby Margaret went out with some milk for him she could not find him anywhere; he was probably asleep under a cabbage.

Veta Cole, Motunui: We have only guessed at the second half of your name, I hope we are right. What would you do if a big black beetle crawled out ■from under a book and sat down on the table where you were writing? I think I shall have to turn a tumbler upside down on top of him and wait until Billikins comes to’ take him to the woodheap.

"Waiter,” Kaponga: We are very pleased to know that you appreciate our pages, little unknown friend, and thank you for .your contribution. Could you give us any idea when that poem was published? Was it before Christmas', do you think? We wish you great happiness and success with your collection. Frankie Kovaleski, Tuna: Billikins and Hut carpenter are having a great time this wet day; they are making seedboxes out of old cases and the hammering noise is terrific! I cannot hear one bird singing in the rain, but the cicadas are making a great noise.. Our birds are very fond of cicadas. for dinner, are yours?

“Dainty Fairy,” Whareroa:. Baby Margaret says she has found a nice name for your kitten and it is, “Mitzie.” She hopes you like it and if you say it several times quite quickly you sound like a cicada. Alas! no beach to-day, for it is too wet, so we are all hoping hard for another peep of summer long. "Star Fairy,” Taurakawa: Oh, dear! The roof is just about blown off the Hut and thfe rain is running down the chimneys! It is a very stormy winter’s day and the Hut children are feeling very sad because they think that the lovely summer days have passed, put I really do not think they have, do you? Edna Riddick, Rowan: I wonder if you would please send us your birthday date and age, Edna? You sent it once but Billikins was probably too busy playing to remember it. As we were walking along one of the country roads one day this week we saw such beautiful sprays of red hawthorn berries, a sure sign of an early autumn. They look so pretty on our shelves indoors.