OUR OWN STORY-TELLERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18617, 12 July 1930, Page 12

OUR OWN STORY-TELLERS.

(Held over from the Birthday Page). A DREAM. Pitter, patter, down came the rain. “Oh, dear!” sighed Judy, sitting in the nursery, “what am I going to do now it is raining?” Run-tiddle-tum! —and the nursery had changed into a forest! Judy jumped up and saw a beautiful little fairy. Her frock was of pink gossamer and she wore a band of gossamer round her golden head. “You are in the fairies’ forest, Judy,” she said, and Judy Jumped for Joy. Then the fairy said politely, “Follow me.” Judy followed her and you would never guess, where the fairy took her to. She took her to the fairies’ hospital. The hospital was in the trunk of a tree. To get to it Judy had to slide

down a big slide, and then she w*as in the hospital. When Judy entered, a fairy nurse brought up a nice round toadstool for her to sit on. Judy sat there looking amazed at the long row* of tiny beds. Then she saw a little nurse flittering about from ward to ward, just like Florence Nightingale did. The patients called that particular nurse, “the quick worker.” Bump! Bump! Bump!—Judy looked towards the slide and saw, to her surprise, two legs, a little body, and then a little head. Well, who do you think it was? It was Peter Pan. The fairy said he came to play on a pipe every day at two o’clock to put sunshine into the hearts of the patients. She also said that they were never happy until he : came to play to them. After a while Peter Pan vanished up the slide again and the happy faces turned into sad ones. Before Judy could say another word she heard her mother calling her for tea. Judy was quite annoyed, as she thought she really had visited the fairies’ hospital. After a while she forgot all her troubles and went and had tea with father and mother. When she reached the tea table she saw a ! beautiful big doll dressed exactly the same as the fairy she had just dreamt about.

(3 Marks and a Merit Card awarded to “Chicken-Licken”—Rena Foote, Timaru, aged 10.) AN ADVENTURE AT SEA. On October Ist, 1805, Jack Herron was walking along* Plymouth Harbour, when, as he turned down a by-street, ■ he saw four men running towards him. J and before he had time to realise what j was happening, the press gang had seized him. Jack did not mind, beI cause he had no home to go to, and he | thought a life on the ocean would be I full of adventures. He was placed in I a cutter, a small sail was hoisted, and he was taken out to the straits, where he saw England’s pride and glory, HM.S. Victory. Jack had not been on bpard long when he heard the rattle of chains, and the officers’ voices giving orders for the sails to be hoisted. Next minute Jack felt the thrill of a large vessel under way. Just then an officer 1 stopped, and asked Jack his name. “Jack Herron, sir.” “You will be gunner thirteen’s powder monkey,” said the officer, as he strode away. Jack soon made himself busy polishing the cannon, and was surprised, when, looking out of the j gun-hole in the side of the ship, he • saw that they had joined the rest of ■the fleet. With the Victory taking the lead, they sailed down the coast of France, and, to their surprise, they found that some of the Spanish and French ships had made their escape from some of the harbours in which the English had shut them up. Then an exciting chase began, with the French and Spanish ships making for the West' Indies, in hopes that the British fleet would follow them, which would enable the other imprisoned ships to make their attack on England, j which would be left unprotected. This J plan would have succeeded, but for the swiftness of the British fleet, which ! came up with the French on October 21st, off Cape Trafalgar. Jack felt 1 very proud to be on the same ship as the Admiral, Lord Nelson, and as the I Victory came plunging through the | waves, between two French vessels, the j order was given by the officers, i “Every man to ‘ his place!” Lord [ Nelson stood on the bridge, and said I to his men. i “England expects that this day every man will do his duty,” which message was signalled by means of flags to the rest of the fleet. Immediately three British cheers rent the air, and at the same time the cannons began to roar. Cannon balls rattled against the Victory's tough oak sides, while rifle shots swept her decks. The Victory’s guns were not idle, for they poured their shots into the French 6ails, and broke the tall .masts. On the Victory’s decks, though the dead and wounded were lying all round him, Jack felt he was having the time of his life. Amongst the dead lay gunner thirteen, but, as he fell, Jack jumped to his place, and was reloading the cannon, when he heard a commotion behind him. Turning, he beheld Lord Nelson lying on the deck, shot through the spine by one of the French marksmen. Poor Jack’s heart almost failed him as he eaw his hero lying there, but he thought of the last words he had heard him say, “England expects that this day every man will do his duty.” So Jack kept the cannon firing, and, with another ringing cheer, the Victory sent her enemy to the bottom of the sea. and Jack’s joy knew no bounds when the Victory sailed victorious from the battle. (3 Marks and a Merit Card awarded to “Pixie” Geraldine Broadhurst, Gleniti, aged 12.) THE ANIMALS’ CONCERT. On Monday night the animals held a concert and it was so funny. The lion gave a solo and the tiger a piece of poetry. But everybody could not help i

laughing when brown bear and jumbo tried to do the highland fling. Firstly, they could not dance, and secondly, they did not know the least bit about dancing. The bull and the sheep sang, (or tried to sing) a duet. Piggy Porker sang a song called “Grunt Grunt.” The dog did some tricks, such as standing on his head, and walking on his hind legs. Mr Rhinoceros and Mr Hippo danced a Jig. Then there was a play in which Mr Hippo was a fairy and the elephant an elf. There were many funny Items and at last the animaig went home, tired but happy. (1 Mark and a Merit Card awarded to “Maori”—Elsie Rutherford, Peel Forest, aged 9.)