BED-TIME STORY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1933, Page 9 (Supplement)

BED-TIME STORY.

• CHANTICLEER. (Sent by Merle Druce.) Chanticleer was a very beautiful rooster who lived in a farmyard in a little French village. He was an extremely handsome bird, and crowed loudly and clearly, his feathers were black and glossy, and he possessed a lovely red comb on top of his head. Every morning and evening Chanticleer would crow, he was as good as a clock for those wishing to rise early, for regularly at sunrise he would flap his wings and emit a loud “Cock-a--doodle-doo,” which would awaken every sleeper. Now chanticleer became very proud indeed, and he began to imagine himself the most beautiful bird in all the world. Nearby lived a cunning bld fox named Dan, who prowled about the farmyard at night, and this sly animal decided that he would capture the rooster and make a meal of him. Chanticleer was king of the farmyard, and he ruled the other fowls living there. When any of them wanted dainties which could only be obtained by visiting the forest, Chanticleer always undertook to procure them himself, so that the hens would not fall into danger. One day he was . busy Searching for insects in the woods, when Dan the fox came along. “Don’t rim away,” said Dan, “I am so anxious to hear you crow. I knew your father very well.” “Indeed,” replied Chanticleer, “and did he crow as well as I do ?” “He certainly crowed very well indeed,” said Dan, ‘but when he crowed, he would stretch his neck and close his eyes, and give all his attention to the sound he was making. I advise you to do the same.” ' Immediately Chanticleer stretched his neck, closed his eyes and began to crow. Quick as lightning Dan seized the rooster and ran off with him. Chanticleer, however, made such a noise that the farmer’s wife and most of the village was aroused, and people and animals gave chase to the wicked fox. Chanticleer hastily thought of a plan to save himself. “Tell them that it is no good chasing you,” said the rooster to Dan, “that you intend to eat me.” The- fox opened his mouth, to speak to his pursuers, and Chanticleer quickly saw his chance. Escaping he flew to the top of a high tree and remained there, until his rescuers arrived. He was taken home a sadder and wiser bird. IfflS WEEK’S BEST LETTER. A “WHITE-EYE’S” NEST. My brother and I went bird-nesting one day and we found such a pretty little nest. It belonged to a bird which was grey in colour, with touches of green; it had white ■ rings around its eyes, so we called it “White-eye.” The nest was made of tiny feathers and moss and lined with horse-hair. In it lay four light brown eggs with darker spots on them; we did not touch them for fear she would leave them. ( —Frankie Kovaleski, Tuna.

MYSTERIOUS WRITING. At one end of a dark room erect a screen to conceal you and your apparatus from the spectators. Upon a table behind this screen place a large mirror, such as can be found on any dressingtable. Put a lighted candle in front of this glass, placing the latter at such an angle that a large patch of light is thrown upon the wall before you. The screen must, of course, hide all this from the company, who will see nothing but the light on the wall. . To write your message is now a very simple matter. Dip a coarse brush into some lampblack water-colour, and, writing backwards, inscribe what you wish upon the face of the mirror. The message will appear legibly upon the wall, seemingly written by a mysterious hand. By dipping the . brush into clean water, and washing out what you have written upon the glass, the message on the wall will disappear as inexplicably as it appeared. RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS. (Sent by “Cookie.") Healthiness of mind and body, and the determination to*be hapyy. Amiability, which smoothes the rough bits out of the road and refuses to pick a quarrel. Patience, which is always a virtue, and can be cultivated. Politeness, which has y the sterling quality of making others polite in return. Interest in other people’s ways and .in one’s own work. The interested person is always interesting. Neighbourliness, and the ability to make friends. Eagerness to help others, which, incidently, always helps oneself to happi-, ness in return. Sincerity, which is the bedrock of happy living. Sweetness of disposition, which possesses ’also the power to forget unpleasantnesses and to remember kindnesses.

Happiness, which all the world is seeking, and which is spelt by the first letter of the above qualities.

COME TO LAKE ERIE. Erie is the most southerly of the Great Lakes of North America, and is bounded by the states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, and by the Canadian province of Ontario. In other words, Lake Erie helps to divide the United States of America from Canada. It is 250 miles in length, sixty miles at its widest part, and has an area of 10,000 square miles. It is very shallow, many parts being less than four fathoms deep, and the greatest depth being not much more than thirty fathoms. The harbours and exits freeze over during the winter months, but the body of the lake is never completely frozen. Ice-breaking car-ferries run across all through the winter, and general navigation opens as a rule in April and closes in the middle of December. Fishing operations are carried on extensively in Lake Erie, each state touching the lake having its own fishing regulations. The fish caught annually are estimated to be worth a million dollars, and are distributed by railway throughout the United States and Canada. Pike and white fish form the bulk of the catches. QUEEN METAL AND HER RIVAL. Gold has been called the king of metals and platinum the queen. To-day platinum is far more valuable than gold. But it has a serious rival, in the form of a new stainless steel which is very cheap to produce but is almost indistinguishable from it, not only in appearance but in its extraordinary resistance to atmosphere and any form of corrosion.-

The National Association of Goldsmiths has passed a resolution urging that in order to distinguish platinum from its rival it should have a hall-mark of its own. Hitherto platinum has been so distinctive that no such mark has been thought necessary.