For the Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16583, 16 November 1921, Page 9

For the Children

A BOOK UPON A BEACH. e< AYell, tliis is queer I Look at these funny fellows,” said Chirpy Cricket, deep and shiny brown, almost black, standing with his forelegs upon the i page of the book left lying open upon the sandy lake shore.. “AY hat sort of fellows, Chirpy?” interestedly asked Chrysomela Beetle, who stood below him. Chrysomela : had the finest dull gold and black : striped suit on. ’ 4 Mhv, little black scra-wly chaps, j They are as flat as can be; they’re all 1 standing in rows and they don’t move. All sorts of ’em. Different shapes, j And they seem perfectly satisfied with it, too.” Chirpy Cricket clipped off his sentences and his words with clicks of his hind legs against the edges of his metallic sounding wings. ” A-.s small as our friends here?” asked Chrysomela. pointing with his antenna to the little Ladybird by the side oi the book, who was listening quite intently. 1 as me?” queried the Ladybird, eagerly. “ Lots.” said Chirpy Cricket, judicially, after scanning the page up and down again. “And others, not. You wouldn t believe that anybody could bo i «tiU and be stepped op at the same time, he concluded thoughtfully. Just beyond the clump of beach grass and tradescantia flowering in glorious purples and blues, under which this talk took place, the summer waves J a H° were breaking. As the Little Lady who had left the book now came slowly down the beach, she watched thg waves with interest. As they rolled up the long foreshore, there was a moment in which, just before the wave crest broke, the whole great rising curl of water seemed to stand still. After a trembling quiver in which they i seemed to decide which way they should fall, down they came: “ bo-o-om I” Then in a great curling wash S “swi-i-i-is-H-sh! hi-s-s-s-ss!” Up the . sandy -shore they swept, where they i rushed into crinkly little waves and i watery scallops. Here anil there they 1 spread with a sort of frollieking fun j that bubbled along the shore and among I the pebbles and rocks in a rattlingT , tinkling laughter until it ended in the ) furthest wet edge of venturing up the • beach. j Now Chirpy Cricket was a friendly j and inquisitive little fellow. So when the Little Ladv .sat down and went to j take up the book, he was not at all ( shy. but simply stepped off politely and | waited. “Hello!” the Little Lady i said. “ Are you going to stay and visit?” \ It is a strange thing to tell about grown-ups that most- of them are not at all coinfortfiMo when making the ac-

quaintance of little creatures like Chirpy Cricket air’ his friends. 14 Come along and be sociable.” invited the Little Lady, as she held out her hand. “ Ch-i-i-i-rr creik-creik!” ®aid Chirpy Cricket, and did not move. Now another striped beetle, brother to Chrysomela, came out of the grass, and standing, watched. He wiggled hi* antennas—his feelers, you remember — at Chirpy Cricket, and then at the Little Lady. It wa« as if he was encouraging Chirpy Cricket. Chirpy Cricket seemed to accept the invitation. AA’ith a short, swift run, he once more placed his forelegs on the open page of the book. He stared at the letters with his round and glowing eye*. Here Chrysomela. whose family name means “'as of gold,” suddenly opened his black and gold-striped wing cases, showing his lovely red wings under them, much like a boy who takes off his cap to let you know he is thinking, too, and said, AATiat’e that you’ve found. Chirpy, so interesting?’’ “ Chi-i-rr.” the Cricket answered. “These little black fellows are standing for something all right. I can see that. But what, I should like to know?” He waved his feelers, arching them tremendously. “ I wonder.” the Little Lady reflected. “if Chirpy Cricket knows they are telling me all about him and his family? Little Cricket,” she continued aloud, “ thev are just little symbols, as are you and I, telling me something* important about you. Yes, you are important. AY T hatever should we do without your merry song, in the house around the hearth, and out of doore?” Chirpy Cricket, almost as if he had heard and understood, with most elaborate bowings began a fiddling, chirping, rhythmically creiking song of joy. “ That’s a lovely high note you make with your legs against your wing edge?*. Chirpy,” said the little Stripe-’ Beetle. 11 Quite something to do, to make a rhythmic and cheerful sound,” agreed the Blue Butterfly, taking a drink from a drop of spray in the cup of a flower. The beetle spread liis wings. In tho low sun they shone like'red gold. As the Little Lady saw it with the azure harmony of Blue Butterfly, and heard Chirpy Cricket’s song, she said: “If vou’d come and visit with me every 'lay. I’d never bother to bring a book.’' She laughed to see them all eo close and friendly. “ Chi-i-i-i-r-r-r! ” happily gang Chiroy Cricket, while Chrysomela and hia brother. Ladybird and Blue Butterfly waved wings and feelers together as if in agreement with Chirpy Cricket and the Little Lady.