THE CHILDREN'S COLUMN.

Thames Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 17660, 10 August 1929, Page 7

THE CHILDREN'S COLUMN.

Last week, you will remember, wo h)id Mummie Bodger Bear’s contribution to our magazine, “The Ark,” and I had to re-copy it, for her because she had written it on a slate and it ;was fart getting rubbed out. She was inclined to sit about waiting for the magazine to be printed, quite overlooking the fact that many of the other animals’ tales hadn’t come in, or even been written.

“Mummie Bear, ducky,” said Rosemary. “It's no use hanging about like this. Wo shall b© quite a week, shan’t we, Mummie?” I said we most certainly would, and that the magazine would come out exactly a week from that day. “In that case,” said Mummie Be-'r, picking up her tale with a swish, as she always does when sli© wants to be very dignified, “In that ease 1 shall lose interest! I might as well have a eup of caw fee and get home, thanks!” No one had thought of “cawfee,’’ and it certainly wasn’t the right time for it (except that, of course, Mum-! mie Bear drinks it al/L day and every I *

day if she gets a chance) but the mention of the word reminded me of something else I had in the* back of my mind—something which I hadn’t even told Rosemary. “I’ll tell you what,” I said, “we’ll have a- nice tea-party to-day week, on the day ‘The Ark’ is published, just to celebrate it. All of you shall come!” Rosemary danced with joy; Billy Mil Fluffy pranced round, waving their paws in the air wildly, and Mumlme Bear said she thought it was a “good idea”—which is quite a lot in tiie way of gratitude from her. She still insisted on her “cawfe©” before

A WEEKLY FEATURE.

A PET HARE.

j she went, however, leaving nothing to char-cc. Aho she managed to wheedle a few slate-pencils out of Rosemary. After the joy had subsided, Rosemary said: “Now I’m going to sit alone by myself without anybody else, ’too I’m ' going to write my darling monkey’s j tale.” I'll tell you what it was next j week.

I wonder if any of my little friends Jbjive a pet hare? (asks a small girl j who lives on a largo sheep station), j I have. One of the station hands ■ slipped him under m3' pillow and ho | slept there on my veranda bed nil night, and I did not know he w T as there til] next day, when making my bed. He was a dear little fellow, just out of the burrow. I wanted him so much for a pet, 00 I gave him some milk, and lie sucked it splendidly Then, as ho grew bigger, I fed him with a spoon. He opened bis mouth each time the spoon came near him. Ho used to have a bib tied round bis ■ neck, and I dressed him like a baby. He grew used to it all. I made him a lioitse with two rooms, which I called h's bedroom and kitchen, find when meal-time came round be always knew, and lie would scratch at his room door to get into the kitchen. I fed him on lucerne, grass, olover, -and sweet cake, and he-would beg for all his dainties like a dog. Strangest of all, he answered to the name of Bob. He would play round the table legs and kuew strangers at once, and would soon make friends, and sit up and beg. He was almost human, and was a great pet. He would not come to you unless you called him by linme. The station hand who slipped him under my pillow said that in all bis experience lie bad never seen a pet bare, and advised me to exhibit him as be was so intelligent. But I took him out into the country and left him there, as I was going to Ceylon on holiday. No one could have loved him as I did, and I left him in the paddocks with a very sad heart. Maybe when I come back I shall get one of Bob’s sons or daughters, and train a pet /.igain.

THE POULTICE. A small boy had run a splinter into his foot, and his mother expressed her intention of putting a poultice on’ the wound.

“I won’t have any poultice 1” he declared. “You will.” said bis mother. “Ob, no, mother!” “Yes!” chimed mother, and grandmother. firmly. Time dragged horribly till bedtime, and at last the hated poultice wa s reads-. Different signs and sounds warned the grown-un enemy that the attack might be a troublesome one, so it wan ammged that grandmother was to np)d\ the poultice while mother stood with uplifted stick near the bedside. The small boy was told that if' ho “opened his mouth” he would receive something that would quieten him.

“Hot! grandmother murmured, carrying the poultice so tint her own hands did not touch it. “It must be put on hot, or it won’t work!” And she put it on hot. The foot was. quickly jerked backwards. “You ” began the boy. “Keep stdl!” said his? mother, shaking her stick. Grandmother went oh with the good work. Once more the little fellow o'ened his mouth. “I ” But the unlifted switch mved him into silence, and the wrappings were put firmly in place. Ho was tucked in bed, and mother, with . grandmother, began a triumphant mure!) to the door, when a shrill voice piped from under tho bedclothes: “You’ve got it on the wrong foot!”

R 1 1) D L E S. Q.: What i, s it that people often take yet want t-o lose as soon as they have taken it? A,: A cold. Q.: Where are redskins often found in New Zealand? A.: 011 tomatoes, Q.: Why is an airman like a spider ? A.: Because he is fond of a Hy* Q.: What fruit grow s upon wires? A.: Electric currents. Q.: Why are cabbages cruel? A.: Because they have 1 1 arc! helirts. Q.: What flies yet has no wings? A.: Time. Q.: Why did the garden fence ? A.: Because it saw the water butt. Q. : Why is the letter E like London? A.: Because it i s the capital of England. Q.: Why. are deaf people always good ? A.': ' Because they never erred (heard) in their lives. Q.: How many foreigners make one •angry ? A.: Forty Pole/s make one rood (rude.) Q.: If a bear went into a draper’s shop, what would he require? A.: Muslin (muzzling).

Q.: What letter of tho alphabet does a schoolboy like best? A.: A capital T. Q.: What is the difference between noon. Sunday, and a railway ticket? A.: Noon is a niece of day, Sunday is a day of peace, and a railway ticket—well, that is what 3’ou always have to give up. Q.: Why should we always pity turtles ? A.: Because theirs is always a b)ird case. Q.: What is the difference between a rich man and (1 little dog’s tail? A.: One keeps a motor-car and another keeps a wagon Ga-waggin’). Q.: Wiry is a river like a watch? . A.: Because it does not go long without winding.

A WET DAY GAME. A waste-paper basket is plhced on the floor at the bottom of the staircase, the player places a bhll on the fourth of fifth stair, and from there he tries to get it into the basket by bitting it with a golf club or tho bundle of a walking stick. It is not •so easy as it sounds. He has six tries, and then the next player takes a turn, and so on. The one to get the ball in the b/isket six times wins.

A PINE TREE’S STORY. “Hello, young Lilac,” said the stately Pine. “I have been watching j-on for weeks and weeks, and noticing how last you grow.” “Good-morning,” replied the Lilac, looking toward the sky. The Lilac liked stories, and thought the Pine’s life story would be interesting, so she asked for it. “Very,well,” said the Pine, “I was once a seed, and a ro/an planted nie here. A s time went by I grew as big as you are, and a little girl planted a flower bed near me*; but my spoilt it. I felt rather mean, but the wind would blow and I had to have more room for young needles. Well, I grew and grew until I was big enough to have some of my arms cut off. I can tel] you it hurt a bit, and I bled a good deal. In a few more years a telephone was installed in the house, 'and some more of my arms were cut off to make room for the wires. I could see most of the scenery then; but I -can see more now. I can see a creek and pretty gujleys covered in wattle, churches, schools, shops, and sheep on the plains. Down by the creek a herd of nice cows are grazing on lucerne. Sometimes birds build a nest in my arms. It is nice to think they trust me. See this wire I am shaking? Well, it belongs to the wireless set in the house. I can hear lovely music over the. wireless

now. Now, little fellow, you havo hoard my story and you must go to sleep. Good-night.”

DO YOU KNOW? 1. The meaning of cwm? 2. What is the cause of malaria, the rover which men catch in tropical countries ? 3. What does the word Bible mean? 4. ’Why do cows dislike buttercups?

ANSWERS. 1. Cwm is a Celtic root, meaning a cup-styiped depression in the hills. 2. Malaria is caused through a bite from the spot-winged mosquito. 3. The word Bible means book. 4. Because they have a sour tViste.