THE GREAT ADVENTURE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18832, 21 March 1931, Page 12 (Supplement)

THE GREAT ADVENTURE

“I believe there’s something underneath me,” said Herbert the Hedgehog in a muffled voice from inside the ball he had made himself into. “It feels like a stone. It’s hard and—” he wriggled himself—“and it's sharp, but I think the noise came from there. Of course I don’t Know, but that’s how it seems to me.” “Well, if you could stand up,” said Wilfred, “we could see.” “Yes, said Herbert, still sitting firmly, “and what if it rushes at us when I do? I think it is better where it is —unless it starts to bite me, and oh! I believe it’s starting to!” and Herbert began to look a very unhappy Hedgehog indeed. “Well,” said Wilfred, “say you get up slowly while I look underneath, and if it looks fierce, you can sit down auickly.” So they agreed to do that. Slowly Herbert the Hedgehog opened out his ball and raised himself while i Wilfred looked carefully under him. I “Why!” said Wilfred, “It’s only a Snail! ” Herbert looked round at the snailshell and shouted, “If it isn’t my old friend Cedric!” A pair of little drumstick feelers came slowly round the edge of the shell and a little head followed. As soon as 0 Cedric the Snail knew who it was, he began waving hi funny little feelers about most excited ly—like a Pipe-Band drummer. “Herbert!” he cried, “I’ve been look ing for you everywhere. Whereve have you been?” So Herbert explained all about Wil fred and his troubles. “I was takini him to Mrs Cameleon’s,” he said, “bu it is such an awful long way.” “Yes, isn’t it?” agreed Cedric; “I’m sure it would take me a week to get there —but then I'm so awf’lly slow. That's what comes of being such a Very Small Animal,” he explained to Wilfred. “My mother used to say to me, ‘Ah, Cedric, you are going to be Small like all our family. You’ll never make much of a mark in the w r orld, I’m afraid.’ But I always say that, wherever I go, I leave my mark,” and Cedric giggled. “You mustn’t mind me. That’s just my little joke. Still, I sometimes think,” said he ■wistfully, “that I’d like to do Something Great in the world. Of course, it wouldn’t be Very Great, if I did it, because I'm so very Small. Still—Goodness! Here am I talking and talking and not trying to help you in your troubles a bit. Now I know a good hiding-place not far from here which will be Quite Safe. I’ll lead you to it in a minute—at least, when I say a minute, you know what I mean.” So away he led them. But Cedric went so very slowly, and left a trail so plainly marked behind him, as snails always do, which Mr Dog and Mr Monkey could easily follow if they happened to come across it, that Wilfred and Herbert became impatient to be moving a bit more quickly. And they became very afraid indeed when they heard a bark far

Written specially for “the Children's Page” by “Kim.”) CHAPTER IV. THE NOBLE DEED OF CEDRIC THE SNAIL.

behind them! Mr Dog had found where they had hidden in the cavern and was following Cedric's track! Cedric soon found that he was more of a nuisance than a help to his friends, since Mr Dog wou’d catch them before they could reach the hid-ing-place. But he had a Very Clever Idea.

“Look here,” he said, “you two run off that way and I will go this way. Mr Dog will follow me and by the time he catches me, you will be well away.” “But,” said Wilfred, “what if he hurts you?” “Oh, I’ll get into my shell and m be quite safe,” replied Cedric bravely. But he wasn’t quite so sure of this aa he tried to make out; and he was very nuch afraid as he set out all alone. But he kept helping himself on by 6aying to himself over and over again. “I’m doing Something Great at last. I’m sure this is Something Great. I’m risking my life for them, I think. So I’m doing Something Great I” And through the bushes and over rough stones he dragged his weak little body with its Shell-House on its back. And sometimes the stones hurt him and the thorns scratched him, but on he went. And all the time the barking of Mr Dog sounded closer and closer! And Cedric’s drumstick feelers waved excitedly to and fro as he felt his way along, and Mr Dog came nearer still. _ . . _ _ .. Sometimes he fell Cedric the Snail. from great rocks in his haste, and bruised himself badly, but he still hurried on and Mr Dog came closer still. At last, tired and worn and sore, he came to a place where the world seemed to stop! “I must be at the End of the World,” he thought in despair. He clung on with his tail and leaned as far over as he dared, and his feelers waved about, searching for something to cross over to—but they found nothing. And Mr Dog was very near now. . . .

Suddenly he burst through th« bushes and, seeing Cedric, alone, clinging by his tail to the top of the huga clifT. knew that he had been tricked. And, howling with rage, he leapt forward to seize'the brave little snail! But Cedric, worn out with his efforts, and hearing his enemy so close behind, could hold on to the cliff no longer, and fell to a certain death below, repeating bravely to the last, “I have done Something Great. At last, I have dope Something Great.” And so he died. And many years afterwards,, when Wilfred returned from many exciting adventures, he wrote this little verse for Cedric — At this spot died Cedric. Though small he was brave! For, to save his friends* lives, his own life he gave. He hoped to achieve * Something Great,” I recall, But the thing that he did was the Greatest of All. But many things were to happen before he wrote this. And just at present he and Herbert are running just as hard as they can with a very angry Mr Dog slowly catching up on them again. (To be Continued.)