Peter Pan’s Corner

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23318, 29 September 1945, Page 7

Peter Pan’s Corner

fi DEAREST LITTLE PEOPLE, H / hope you all read in our columns last Saturday about the H very special prizes that the S.P.C.A. are offering for their Poster j; Competition. As you know the S.P.C.A. aims al making life easier H for dumb animals—animals who feed us, guard us, cbothe us; tt who work for us and love us, and yet have no tongue to speak H and tell us of their needs. :: Just imagine how you woujd feel if you were bereft of speech! ♦; IChat aches and pains you ooulid not describe, what joys and sorrows t: you could not explain; what wealth of fun and thought you could H not share with others! § Most of you have your pets, and I’m sure you love them. But H do you always try to understand their thoughts and feelings? Can jj you tell what your pet is trying to say to you? Can you read the Jt message in the expression of its eyes, the lift of its head, and the •• angle of its tail? ;• If one studies them wisely, animals have a language of their H own. A rabbit will thump with its foot to warn its companions jj of danger; a mother duck has a peculiar cry that warns the g ducklings to take cover; and even Sparks my pony, has a special •• note in her whinny when she is in trouble. g I heard it early one morning—that insistent, high whinny, and Jj dressing hastily, went outside, to find her badly tangled in wire. She made a contented little noise when she saw me coming, and H nuzzled her head -under my arm, standing quietly while I dis- g entangled her. A wise little pony is Sparks, but how glad I was H that I had learnt to understand her language. It is fascinating, this language of dumb animals. Study it, ;• Little People, and you will find that there are many signs you have never noticed before. g This week we are having a Poster Competition of our own. Draw your pictures, particularly those showing how to be kind g to animals, and send them in by October 9. Our weekly prize will •; be offered, and all good pictures will be forwarded to the S.P.C.A.; g and I hope there will be some names of circlians among the prize g winners. ' Lots of love to everyone, g From your own PETER PAN. ::

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS September 23: Maxwell Haywood Aileen Elliot Maryrose Unwin September 24: Brian Wooding Heather Baker September 25: Sylvia Hartmont Gordon Alexander September 261 Lindsay Lee Paul Bames Margaret Lenihan Thelma Stuart Dorothy Woods Shirley Powell I September 27: Graeme Woolford Marjorie Mauger September 28: Dawn Lavers Marjorie Simmers September 29: Diana Richards Kevin O’Donoghue Mervyn Hall Mavis Johnson WELCOME TO Tom Cunningham, Claremont, R.M.D. NOTICE BOARD Best Spring Poem Georgina Clark, Fairlie. Very Highly Commended . . Rosamund Malthus, Cave; June Wylie, Taiko. ' Commended Pauline Rodgers, Pareora; Joan Banks, Tlmaru. Some excellent poems arrived for this competition. Well done, my little verse-makers! This Week’s Competition: BEST ANIMAL STUDY: All good pictures will be forwarded to the S.P.C.A. for their poster competition. Entries close on October 9. .. . Come on Circlians! Let’s win some of the S.P.C.A. prizes. SPRING IN THE GARDEN Winning Entry The snowdrop told the primrose The violet overheard, And told it to the daffodil Who whispered to the bird The bird sang to the mountains ’Twas echoed to the trees, They sighed and told the river Which murmured in the breeze. The sunshine heard the tidings, Smiled, and told the rain, All nature knew the secret SPRING had come again. (Georgina Clark, age 12, Fairlie) SPRING The pussies are all playing on the pussy-willow tree, The lambs are skipping gaily o’er the bright green lea, Golden daffodils are blowing in the fre«h spring breeze, And tne birds are sweetly singing In the yellow kowhai trees. The lovely green-tipped snowdrops are bowed as if in prayer, While pansy flowers and primulas are blooming everywhere, The plum-tree blossom sparkles and the busy bee, it tells A secret to the violets and the gay forsythia bells. The thrush is sweetly heralding in the fresh September mom, And pink-tipped daisy flowers peep through the grass upon the lawn. The skylark’s gaily trilling in the clear blue sky above, And forget-me-nots smile happily, their flowers we all do love. The flowering shrubs scent faintly the cool September eves And wattle trees are wearing golden blossoms ’mong their leaves And every bird and tree and flower is whispering as we pass, Can’t you see it, can’t you feel it, spring has come at last. (5 marks to Rosamund Malthus, Cave, age 13) SPRINGTIME In springtime when the flowers are out And all the lambkins frisk about, Tis then I love to laugh and shout Among the meadows green. The hyacinths in gowns of blue, The golden daffadillys too, All these things of lovely hue, In springtime may be seen. (5 marks to June Wylie, Tlmaru, age 9) SPRING Dear Joyous spring When the birds so sweetly sing Willows wear a robe of softest green And little skipping lambs are seen Perfume of violets fill the air And daffodils are everywhere. The orchard is a lovely sight For the trees are dressed in bridal A butterfly flits on gorgeous wings Oh! spring has so many lovely things. Pansies lift their laughing laces While cowslips bloom In hidden places Birds are working busily Making nests for babies wee. My heart with happiness does sing For I love the beautiful spring. <5 marks to Pauline Rodgers, age 10, Pareora West, MY BABY Hush-a-bye, baby Daddy is near Mother’s a lady And that's very clear. (Sent by Ada Dench, Waihaorunga, age 10.)

ANSWERS TO LETTERS Norma Turnbull, Waimate — The address you ask for is Marjorie Mackenzie, 13 Argyll Terrace, Fort William, Invemesshire, Scotland. Your G.M.C. has been posted. James Gilmore, Timaru— Parts of your poem were quite good James. Rewrite and send it again, and It may earn a merit card. Do not try to make a rhyme at the expense of fact. Roleen Watt, Bluecliffs— I like your Spring Poem Roleen. We were lucky not to fare so badly as you did, in the wind. June Castle, Umaru— How did you fare in the hockey tournament June. Your Spring Poem has earned a merit card. Georgina Clark, Fairlie— Congratulations on winning the Spring Poem Competition Georgina. Will you write in ink dear, and put “original” or “copied” on your contributions. Ella Darling, Cave— A nice newsy letter Ella. I hope some day to see inside that little church at Cave. Janice Jones, Hilton— A merit card for your neat little letter Janice. That hen sounds rather like my “Cocklie.” Joyce Andrews, Gleniti— How did the pikelets turn out Joyce? Peter Pan, dear, never grows old, so of course cannot have birthdays! Teresa Laird, Waimate— A well written letter Teresa! I used to be a good “hop scitcher” once—but we played it rather differently in those days. Maureen Tavendale, Waimate— Thank you for your painting Maureen. It is quite a good effort. Congratulations on your success at the Timaru competitions. Gabrielle Goodman, Timaru— Three merit cards for you this week little Gabrielle. Well done. June Gallagher, St. Andrews— Many thanks for the picture June. I am charmed with it and have it hanging on my office wall. Evelyn Alexander, Southland— Such a nice lot of sketches from you Evelyn! I hope you will enter for the S.P.C.A. Poster Competition. Tom Cunningham, Claremont— Welcome to our Circle Tom. Will you send the date of your birthday next time you write! SPRING TIME There’s springtime in the air That’s new and sweet and rare And lots of pretty flowers Which shine in sunny hours. There are many birds that sing And whistle on the wing They’re busy making nests. Where their babes will later rest. There are fat buds on the trees, Flowers opening for the bees, limbs skipping at their play, From moon till close of day. (3 marks to Mavis Johnson, age 10, St. Andrews). SPRING How lovely are the days of spring, When flowers are out and birds do sing, And little woolly lambs so gay Frisk and frolic all the day. And through the days so sunny and bright The trees bud out in pink and white And flowers in the garden grow, So straight and stiff all in a row. And so through all the days of spring, when flowers come out and birds do sing, '. The lovely spirit of the spring, Has entered every living thing. (3 marks to June Castle, age 14, Timaru) SPRINGTIME There’s a lovely feeling in the air 'Cos spring is at her best. Madam Daffodil looks very sweet In her pretty yellow dress, The birds are so very busy They never seem to rest With bits of grass held in their beaks To build their cosy nest. There are tiny lambs out m the fields Who frolick to and fro They are such pretty little things With wool as white as snow. Then there is the orchard With blossoms pink and white And a carpet green of sweet new grass Oh! such a lovely sight. It is really good to be alive With so many beautiful things I wish that all the seasons Were just one long bright spring. (3 marks to Roleen Watt, Bluecliffs, age 11) SPRING O wake up spring! The flowers are blooming The birds are singing, The sun is shining, The daffodils are blowing Their big yellow trumpets. The lambs are skipping Across the grass, And we’re glad spring Is here at last. (3 marks to Gabrielle Goodman, age 7, Timaru) RIDDLES What horse has no wings but flies all around? A dead horse? Fat man: “Have you heard the news?" Fat Man: “They’re not going tp have lamp posts any longer?” Wife: “Why?” Fat man: "They are long enough.” (Sent by Brigit Unwin, Timaru, age 11) Why does a thunderstorm gradually become less heavy? Because it’s lightning all the time. What arrives with a plane, goes off with a plane, is of no use to a plane and yet the plane can’t fly without it? Noise. (Sent by Bill Unwin, Timaru, age 9)