For the Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16749, 2 June 1922, Page 3

For the Children

THE BOAT RACE. Elsie and Golly wore told to play i in tho garden that morning, but as they passed the open door of the nightnursery they saw that the bath-water had not been emptied, and that altered their plans altogether. il We will play at sailing boats instead,” said Elsie. ‘lt is a fine day lor a boat-race. 5 ” I Golly said nothing. As he did not know there were any boats to sail he > could nob give any useful advice about them. Elsie sat him down upon the * floor w 7 hile ©he went to Harry’s cupboard, and made a great litter there by turning out all the shelves and boxes it. contained. in tho last box of all she found there small sailing-boats and a barge with a flag, and took them away to the bath. There were two boatmen in the box too, and these she pub into the barge, because -their legs were so very unsteady that she was afraid they might fall out of tbo smaller boats and be drowned. “ Do you suppose they are the sort of legs wTiich are called * sea-legs’?” she asked -of Golly; but when he asked her in return bow ©be supposed he was to see their legs or anything else if she left him on the floor, she was so busy that she did not oven listen to what he said. All the boats floated extremely well, and the sailing-boats sailed too. when Elsie puffed a gentle south-west breeze into their sails, or sent them spinning along before a gusty north-easter. On© of tho boatmen became greatly excited when the weather was stormy. Ho was very much afraid that tho ( smallest boat would be blown over altogether, and. of course, as he was its captain, ho did net want this to happen. He begged Elsie to put him on board his craft, so that he might steer it into safety; but you can’t attend to small matters like that when you arc managing the four winds. % so lie had to stay where h© was. as lie could not swim. Th© boat-race lasted until N urse came upstaii-H from the. kitchen, and made a great fuss because Elsie’s frock was wet ; and Harry arrived from school and took possession of all th© boats, and was very cross when be saw the topsy-turvy state of his cuplxxird. What a, pity it is that some people ge!. cross about nothing !" said Elsie with a sigh, as she carried Golly down to the garden. But Goilv did not answer. As be had spent th© whole morning with bis back to the bath, and bad seen nothing at all of the race, he was not in a particularly good temper himsel f. IN SEARCH OF JAMAICA. Millie hated geography, and when Miss Paxton, her governess, w ould keep on asking her where. Jamaica was, she was ready to cry with the tired feeling in her head. It didn't matter how she turned and twisted the globe. She j could not find Jamaica not even tuck- ' ed into a corner of Africa, or round by the Cap© of Good Hop©! So that was how Millie was left alono in the schoolroom with the globe, and not allowed out to play till she had found Jamaica. All at once a thought struck her. Mhv shouldn’t she go and search for the real Jamaica out in the big world? Three miles awav was a great wood—--1 so large that Millie had never been Ito the other side of it. She thought Jamaica must he just beyond it. So sh© stole out of the house very quietly, and by and by reached the wood. It took her a long time to go through it ; and when she got to the other side there was no sign of Jamaica, only a

lot of fields. Millie thought she would climb up a tree so as to be out at the way of the wild animals; and perhaps you could see Jamaica from the Lop! Soon it began to grow dark, and she grew very frightened and so very lonely. Millie was afraid to get down, for fear of wuld animals. Presently she saw a man passing. And she cried out. “ Please, Mr Man, l’in lost in a tree! And who do you think the man was? Tt -was her lather out with his gun! And on the way home he told her where to find Jamaica on that horrid globe ! THE WILD BEAST CHASE. Tommy Tracey was a great hunter of wild beasts. He and hie dog Bungo used to chase all soifcs of animals, from cate and hens up to elephants and kangaroos. The cats always got away, but sometimes the hens didn't, and then Tommy and Bungo had a bad time of it, and ■were beaten and whacked and pounded till they felt as if they never wanted to set eyes on a ben again. But the love of bunting is very strong, so they use to go hunting again and again. One day Tommy found the marks of a very large animal in the soft mucj, and. as he was sure it was a kangaroo, he and Bungo started off to look for it. There was a place not far from Farmer Mallow's farm where a lot of bushes grew. It was plain, by the marks, that the wild beast bad gone in there to bide. Bungo went off with bis nose to the ground, and Tommy followed ve.rv carefully, carrying his hatchet. All at once Bungo began to bark fiercely, and Tommy knew that lie had found the wild beast. And then the bushes parted, and there was a fearful grunting noise, and a very large fierce animal ran out from under the bushes. Bungo went on barking angrily behind, and Tommy squealed w ith fright and dropped the hatchet. And he was so weak with fright that he couldn’t even run away ! And the great wild beast stood looking at him quite quietly. And then Tommy saw that it was only Farmer Mallow’s pig after all! THE YOU NG ER GEN ER A TION. (Scouts in particular). Remember, boys, when we are gone 'Twill reef with you to carry on : For your voung arms must bear the load That wo have borne on life’s long load, -So fit yourselves, ’ere youth be gone, To carry on. Our Empire in the years aheark, For which .tour fathers fought and bled, Will look to von to take their place. And keep the prestige of our race. So fit yourselves ©re youth be gone, Be pure in thought, in word, and deed. Stand by a comrade in his need. Keep fast th© honour of your nameIn work, or sport e'er play the game. So you’ll be fit, when we are gone. To carry on. TH E FASHIONABLE DUCK. Mho says that ducks are dowdy? | My clothes, you must admit, Display to-day in every way A simply perfect fit. Observe my hat. and collar. My necktie and cigar . My cane, *tis plain, won't keep off rain, So 1 shan’t venture far.