OUR OWN VERSE-MAKERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19959, 17 November 1934, Page 13

OUR OWN VERSE-MAKERS

EMBLEM OF SCOTLAND Heather, heather, Scottish heather, Your heart is in the Highlands, too; The wind-song on the heath is bringing Pibroch music back to you. Scottish birds are winging, winging, Overseas, with news of home, Scottish bees are singing, singing, “Bloom is on our heather—come!” In olden days Rome knew thy power, Thy native heath was hallowed ground; The Little People (Piets, Rome called them), Sang thy praise for miles around. Little people chanting, chanting, O’er a heath-fire, glowing red, Till Rome’s Eagle, stern, supplanting, Strews their heath with brave blood shed. (5 Marks and a Merit Card awarded to Joy Wooler, Christchurch.) TO PETER PAN Down in a woodland dell, The Pipes of Pan are calling; Graceful fern trees bow their heads, And to the skirling of the pipes The forest folk are twirling. Look at them gathered round, Gay little fairies in gossamer gowns; Elves and merry pixies, too, Dancing a gay little minuet, While Pan on his pipes is calling. Listen to the pipes a’calling, For daylight soon will be here, And softer the music grows, As homeward glide the fairy folk In search of soft repose. (3 Marks and a Merit Card awarded to Laurence Johns, Timaru).

est shoes; yes—and change into your oldest flannels.” “What! We’re going?” asked Frank. “We are—all three of us,” was the answer. “Why should we go walks only on sunny days?” Presently into the rain the trio went. They did the walk as the paper explained, and the rain did not stop. For over three hours they walked, and every minute was jolly. When the rain dwindled to a drizzle—well, it seemed like sunshine, and they stepped along merrily. When sudden downpours came and the wind lashed the rain all aslant they sheltered behind hedges and stacks, and laughed at the greyness beyond. They walked beside a little stream that bubbled with froth. They saw two water-rats. They watched a thrush haul up a fat worm, tie it in a knot, leave it, catch another worm, and then fly away with both together. They laughed at a baby rabbit that popped out of a burrow

THE LATE-COMER I ‘Come now, Joyce, it’s eight o’clock,” I Her mother called and called in vain; i “And don’t forget your old gym.-frock, For if you do it’s sure to rain.” At ten to nine away she ran, Her eyes were full of sleepy-dust, Hair unbrushed and shoes untanned. Get there at nine she really must. Time crept by; five past nine! Someone was waiting at the gate! She really did not know the time— Alas! A prefect lay in wait! Her name, poor soul, was grimly taken; Into her class-room she had to go, And then there was the explanation, That the mistress wished to know. To be there at nine is always best, This is the moral of my song; And see you’re always neatly dressed, Then interviews will not be long. (5 Marks and a Merit Card awarded to G. Helen Baker, Timaru.) QUEEN SPRING Queen Spring has passed this way, But Queen Spring has not come to stay. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes were blue, Her feet went dancing through the dew. Her hair was like the glittering gold; She kissed the wee lambs in the fold. Queen Spring has passed this way, But Queen Spring has not come to stay. (3 Marks and a Merit Card awarded to Doris Bailey, Rosewill.) j i

and, when it felt the rain popped in again. They met no one except an old labourer, who said Good-day! To which they replied cheerily, Good-day! They jumped pools in pathways, walked round squelchy hollows and had to find the path again beyond. They were wet, they were rosy, they were warm. So home they came at last, bedraggled and happy. “All change!” said their father, and the bathroom was busy for a long time. Tea seemed cosier than ever, and afterwards there were shoes to scrape and grease, and a promise of muddy flannels to be brushed next day. “Care to go out again?” asked their father. “In the dark?” they asked. Their father laughed. “Well, you’ve just enjoyed a rainy walk,” he said, “so one of these days we’ll find out if a night walk is jolly, and I think you’ll find ” “It will be!” they cried.