THE YOUNGEST GUEST

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21380, 24 June 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE YOUNGEST GUEST

Janet was very happy as tomorrow was her eighth birthday and she was going to have a lovely party. Mummy was making her a beautiful cake with eight candles and her big sisters were making her sweets and all kinds of good things. Next afternoon at two o’clock, the ' guests began to arrive, bringing gifts of all shapes and sizes for Janet. Natalie Johnson, who brought with her, her younger brother who was only two and a half years old, was the last to arrive. Tony, who had the honour of being the youngest guest, also brought a small present for Janet. The afternoon com- I menced with all kinds of games in- i eluding “blind man’s buff,” “hide | and seek,” and "puss in the corner,” i which they played in an old shed, i Next came the competitions, and I before long many little girls were the proud possessors of cakes of | chocolate. After the competitions came the ' most exciting event of all—the | treasure hunt. In every corner- were ] girls, hunting under trees, in fences I and every nook and cranny they ■ could think of. Tony, who was too young to understand and had not taken part in the games and competitions was happily playing on the lawn making daisy chains out of tiny white daisies. When he had picked all the daisies he could see,

he lifted up a box to see if there w'ere any daisies hidden under it. 1 Much to his surprise, however, instead of finding more daisies he found a large brown paper bag. Thinking it something that had 1 been lost he proudly trotted in with it to Janet’s mother. “Why!” she exclaimed, “it’s the hidden treasure. < Well done, little man,” she said j patting him on the head. When Tony opened the bag his little face , lit up with delight, for it contained all kinds of fruit, chocolate and a shining sixpenny piece. After tea when the children were playing games Tony was again suc- | cessful. This time, not by finding ; a sixpenny piece, but by finding a I large bowl of ice-cream which was j to be divided between the girls before they went home. Tony ate | and ate, and when he was missed they found him busily eating the : delicious sweet. Mrs Rogers was rather concerned about him, but ■ next morning, on inquiry, he was i found to be none the worse for his 'i feast. , Daphne Hopkinson. Temuka, The teacher asked a nigger boy ’ to make a sentence with the three 1 words, “defence, defeat, and detail,” ' i and this is how he did it: “De cow I ! jumped over de’fence wid de’feet , ■ before de’tail.”

“THE POPULAR PAPER" Christabel Anne has puppies two.

She's very glad she has so tew. For into mischief they're always getting. In spite of smacking and of petting. Now Chris was doing her tasks you know, How very tired you sometimes grow. But Saturday's work had to be done. Before she could go and have some fun. She didn't really want to play For this was the “Paper’s” twelfth s birthday, And she longed to read the good things there, Sent by Cirelians dark and fair. The work was done, she cut a caper. And went to get the "Peter Pan Paper,” She heard a bark and saw in dismay. The puppies had taken the paper away. ' Christabel ran and told them to i stop, ' And the cheekiest puppy let his end drop, Which made shy brother whose eyes w'ere shut, Fall headlong into the water-butt. I’m pleased to relate the paper soon dried And Chris enjoyed the goodies inside. While those two pups, as the “Paper”

is read, Try to be good, shut up in the shed. Naomi Kellie. If I were a cobbler, it would be my pride, The best of all cobblers to be; If I were a tinker, no tinker beside, Should mend an old Kettle like me. Great minds have purposes, others have wishes. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them. --Washington Irving. SKATING I love to go a-skating Tire cold air my lungs inflating, When the frost has covered all the countryside. I love to go a-twirling And fast and faster whirling, As swiftly o'er the frozen lake I glide. 3 Marks to Agatha O'Leary.