For the Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16625, 6 January 1922, Page 9

For the Children

THE TABLES TURNED. Mr Hare and Air© Hare were very nice sort of folk, but just a little too haughty and fond of snubbing others. And certainly upon one particularly lovely day, a© they strolled in the meadows and sniffed the air, their manner was very proud when Air Froggikins ventured a humble “ Good-day.” Air Hare quite glared, as if to say, “ How dare such paltry peopl© address me or my wife?” Airs Hare, too, gazed proudly down on Airs Froggikins, who begged to be aDo wed a friendship— *■ For,” said she, “ on© never knows what use a friend can be, with advice and kindness.” This was met with loud and scornful laughter from All* and Airs Hare- “ We might be useful to you, but really we cannot think that your advice would benefit us. So pray relieve u© of your croaking, for it tires our ears and spoils our pleasure. Walk on, walk on, and leave us to rest upon tliis tempting seat,” they said haughtily. Air and Airs Froggikins looked quickly at each other. A plank of wood was balanced evenly across a portion of the trunk of a tree which wa© lying in the grassy meadow. “ One moment, pray,” said Airs Froggikins. “ Let me advise ” But Air Hare turned and ©aid to his wife, “ Be seated, my dear.” And as she eat down at one end of the seat, he at the same instant seated himself at the other. Th© next, moment Airs Hare was shot up, and her husband nearly fell off. Then down came she, and up went lie, while they gasped with fright and giddiness. But the other couple cried, “ Ha, ha! Ha! ha!” holding th©ir sides with Laughter. “ Oh, stop I Please stop !” cried Airs Hare, as up again she flewThen, flustered, Air Haro tried to get off. l< What, oh what is this frightful seat ?” he said. Again Mr and Airs Froggikins looked at each other, and Airs Froggikins stopped laughing to say quietly : u Before you sat down we could have told you that that was not a seat, but a game. It is called see-saw. At that moment the plank came down with a great bang at Air Hare’s end, and sent him flying backwards into the stream. And when the plank no longer had his weight at on© end ’L flew up with a great jerk and made Airs Hare fall right into the middle of a thick bed of nettles, which stung her all over with their sharp little green points, and made her feel burning hot everywhere. 1 ‘Help! help!” shrieked Mrs Hare m a terrible fright. “ Help me out, husband.” But Air Hare, who by this time bad scrambled out of the stream, was much too busy shaking his fur dry to go to bis wife’s help. “ This icy water has chilled me through and through. T feel quite numb with cold,” ho grunted crossly. “ If you would only take our advice, we could tell you that the dock leaves in tho big meadow are the best cure foT nettle stints, and that there is a bonfire someone lias lit there which would soon dry wet fur,” said Airs Froggikins. Off ran Air and Airs Hare to the meadow as fast as they could. And Air and Airs Froggikins held their sides and laughed and laughed and laughed. PUSS IN THE BOX. Two littlo mice once discovered a box, And immediately started to wonder If there could be sweetmeats or biscuits inside Which they would be able to plunder. So one of them carefully loosened the catch. And the lid opened wide with a snap; And they got a great fright, for when pussy appeared They were sure it was some kind of trap!

A REDSKIN RAID. On© Feather the Chief sat insid® hi* wigwam watching his faithful servants Tiger Lily and Tiger Heart build up the fire and boil the kettle. Billie-Dog, their faithful follower, kept guard over the camp. The fire blazed and thojke&tl® boiled, and behind the trees at the back of the camp stalked two stealthy forms. Little Panther and Big Buffalo, who belonged to a neighbouring tribe, had no kettle, and they had made up their minds to capture one. Suddenly, with a wild whoop, they sprang into the midst of the camp, pushed aside Tiger Lily and Tiger Heart, threw Billie-Dog a piece of raw meat to keep him quiet, and bad seized hold of the kettle before One Feather had time to get on his feet. Then Big Buffalo swung th® kettle round and round, so that no one dared to come near him, for fear they should oe scalded. And he and Little Panther got safely away with the kettle.

It was a. most- successful raid, for One Feather and his followers had to go without any tea. But they have made up their minds they will get back that kettle somehow, and Big Buffalo’* tribe arc all in daily terror of an attack WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FLYING? The aeroplane is being used more and more to-day for travel, so if you want to know about the latest means of transportation, you want to know something about the aeroplane and flyingInstead of a driver, you call the man who handles the plane, a pilot. When tlie pilot want to start the engine or motor in the plane, he pulls on the propeller in front just as you would pull to crank ail automobile, and when he gets the propeller spinning, then tho motor i? ready for flight. The pilot always rides several hundred feet on the ground before be goes up in the air. He always tries to start flying in the face of the wind instead of with it. Do you know what is meant when a plane skids in the air ? The pilot has not tipped his plane enough ini making a turn or circle and the plan® goes along level instead of following the turn. Slipping is just the opposite of skid ding, for then the aviator has tipped his plane too much to one side and it actually slips or falls a distance before he can right it. A monoplane is an aeroplane that has one plane or wiog, a biplane has two, and a triplane has three. Next time you see an aeroplane notice whet kind it is. and see what else you can learn about it.

MORE THAN A AIATCH FOR THEM. In a. grove a pair of Pixies Chanced one day to roam. “ Here’s a log,” they cried, c * of firewood— Let us drag it home.’' ’Twas a match they'd found, by someone Dropped by chance Jnst there; But they'd never heard of matches, Had that Pixio pair. t te Here’s some rope,” said Father Plxi®*’ et Tie it in a bow— Strong, yet pretty, that’s my motto; Ar© you ready ? Go !” As they hauled the match off homeward ’Gainst a stone it hit; With a noise that scared the Pixies, Cracklc-bang ! —it lit! Oh, the flames all red and yellow! Oh. th© awful smoke! *• Let’s skedaddle!” cried the father “Oh I’m sure I’ll choke!” To their dwellings, helter-skelter Rushed tho Pixies twain ; And they ne’er sought logs for burning In that grove again.