A BOY WHO ALWAYS WTANTED HIS OWN WAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18500, 22 February 1930, Page 12 (Supplement)

A BOY WHO ALWAYS W T ANTED HIS OWN WAY.

Christmas Eve had come round once more and little Billy Jones would not go to bed when his Mother told him. He said, “1 am not going to bed because I am going to wait for Father Christmas to come and leave me a bike.” At last his Mother grew very angry with him and put out the light and left him in the dark for a fs.w minutes. Then he screamed for her to put on the light again, and promised he would go to bed and be a good boy if she did. Soon all the fuss was over and he was snug in bed with a sugarsack at the bottom of it to hold his bicycle. When he awoke next morning he scrambled to the bottom of his bed and found the treasured bicycle there. Before you could say “Jack-Robinson !• Billy was dressed and away for a ride. He travelled for miles, not looking _*fc the roads he was taking, or anything else, until he came to a boy who wag going fishing. The lad stopped him nnd asked him if he would lend him his bicycle if he gave Billy the fishing line. Now* Billy was getting tired of riding, so he gladly accepted and went down to the river to fish. He h*d fished for hours without any success, when an ee: took the bait in his mouth, and pulled at the line so suddenly that Billy fell into the w r ater and could not get out again. Just as he had given up all hope of ever getting out. a dog jumped into the river, and, swimming over to him, caught hold of his coat and dragged him to the bank. When Billy came to his senses and realised what had taken place, he could hardly believe that a dog. a dumb animal, had saved his life. Then he began to wish he had not lent the bicycle for the fishing gear. He went on and chi until he found his bicycle lying on the ground beside the road. Not waiting to look round, he jumped on it and rode off at a great speed, until he went over a bump and landed in the middle of the road with the bicycle on top of him. The poor lad went further on and found that he was lost. Still worse was to come, for it was growing dark. He sat down for a rest, and just as he was wondering what to do. he saw something white appear, waving its arms and shrieking. At once Billy knew what it was (for he had not forgotten what his Mother had told him about ghosts eating up naughty littl# boys), and his fears grew worse. H# began to run, but the ghost ran after him. and had just caught him by the shoulder when a voice said, “Darling, are you still asleep? Why! We are going to start our Christmas breakfast! And look, Santa Claus has left your stocking full after all, even though you were a naughty boy last night.” Billy looked up and saw his Mother's smiling face beside his bed. “He has not left me a bike, has he, Mother? I hope not, for Ido not want one now.” And to his delight, he found no bicycle there. He for breakfast, and then told his Mother his dream. She told him it would teach him a lesson, if nothing else, but Daddy said, “Boys will be boys!” (3 Marks and a Merit Card awarded to “White Kitten,”- -Reta Waters, Temuka, aged 15).