For the.. Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16861, 11 October 1922, Page 4

For the .. Children

A HUMBLE GIFT. Peter and his father had been making a visit to Peter’s aunt and uncle in the country. Just as the visitors started to drive home Aunt Sally pressed a package into Peter’s hand. : It is just a farewell present, Peter -'dear,” she said. As soon as the car was under way Peter eagerly opened the package to see what it contained. A soft worsted ball met his eyes. Peter’s lip curled as he threw the ball on the floor of the car. “ What does Aunt Sally think 1 am—a baby?” he demanded. Peter’s father did not reply for a moment, then he said quietly: “I know r of a boy named Peter, a boy of the Hong Ago, who lived in England in the time of Good Queen Bees, who. like you, was given a gift by his old aunt which he treated with scorn. Yet, later, that gift played a great part in ins fortunes.” “ Tell about him,” Peter ordered, and he looked expectantly up into his father’s face, Ml his irritation disappearing at the prospect of a story. So as they rolled homeward along the country road Peter’s father re la ted the following tale: ” At the time when my story begin*, the Peter of whom I am going to tell you was just setting forth in one of two small ships that were bournfor the New World. The ships were under the charge of two masters, Amados and Barlow, who were in the em ploy of a very line gentleman named Sir Walter Raleigh, who hoped to found an English .colony on the other J side of the sea. “ Now Peter had been page to Raleigh, and had pleaded with the good f night that tie should be allowed to go on the voyage. Sir Walter consented, though he himself was not to go in person. He had long thought that Peter was getting too many airs * !i- bis head, living as he did with fine ladies and gentlemen about the court He hoped that a voyage such as this might knock a great deal of the nonsense out of his head. “ Now as the ships were about to sail away from the English town of Plymouth,'one April day in the yea” 1584, a poor oid woman, who was tha proud Peter’s aunt came down to the ship and. Ik? fore all the sailors, made Peter a. parting gift of a tin basin and ewer, or pitcher, as you would say. Her husband, who was a smith, had ob tained the tin in Cornwall and hammered out a very pretty little basin cn which he hod lettered the motto. * Pity the Poor.’ Eli those days they often put such sentences on their bowls. PETER SCORNS THE GIFT. Now Peter had dwelt with the gentry so long that he was ashamed M his aunt in lie-* old woollen dress and of the gifi which she so kindly brough; him. He had long washed in a silve** basin, so that such a bowl as this seemed worthless to him. Moreover, his heart was so liard that he did not see,, when he looked at the gift, all the love which his old a ufit and uncle had put into it for him ; so, thanking ni.s aunt with scant politeness, he put the be.sin and ewer into his sea chest and thought no more about them. ‘‘After a voyage the ship on which he sailed on me to what we now know as the coast of North Carolina, and dropped anchor before a beautiful, low-lying island. Soon after Peter saw, for the first time, the red men of whom travellers had so often spoken iu his hearing. One of them ran along the shore when the boat anchored, and made signs of great joy and excitement. A few days later the brother of a great chief rowed out to the ship, accompanied by his wife and 40 of his warriors. ” Now the master of the ship was eager to make good friends of the Indians, so he gave them food and drink, and brought oat many things that he thought would please them to see an 1 to own. He showed them ruffs, and pointed shoes and buckles and weapons, such as the gallants of the day t-sed. But Granganimeo, for that was the name of the chief’s brother, showed little interest in them. Then, suddenly, Peter passed by, carrying in his hands the tin basin which his kind aunt had given him. He intended to fill it with fresh water and give tho ship’s cat a drink.

THE INDIANS ARE INTERESTED. “ To his surprise the Indian chief’s brother made signs of intense interestwhen he saw the bowl, motioning to Peter to bring it nearer, and showing the greatest excitement and delight a-' he examined it. He showed it to his wife, who was a very shy little woman with strings of white coral bound about her dark tW'-oead. She, too, seem**

to be highly -pleased with the bowl And all the 40 warriors gathered near and praised it, “ Why Grangnnimeo was so taken with it none of the Englishmen could imagine, but it was plain to be seen that it had quite captured his fancy “ After some conversation with his followers, the Indian heaped up at Peter’s feet, some beautiful furs, worth' many nobles in English money, and showed by signs that he would like to trade these fo rthe tin basin. Peter could hardly keep his face* straight, as he made the exchange with his master’s consent. A few minutes after the Indians went' back to the shore, making friendly signs to all the white men, but especially to Peter, who had traded them the bowl. “ When Peter looked at all the rich furs that were now his to take back to England, lie did not think meanly of the basin which had brought him this good fortune; but his aunt'.bumble gift was to do still more for him. “ A little later the English sailors were wandering in the woods on an island farther up the coast, getting acquainted with the country, when Peter got lost. Search as lie would, he could not find any of his party or see any sign of the ship. He did not like to call for help, for fear of attracting the attention of Indians who might be unfriendly. At last, when ho was worn out with searching for liis friends, he heard a little cry, and, hastening in its direction he came upon a young deer caught fast in a covered nit which some Indian had made for a trap. Now Peter was very fond of animals, and, with a good deal of trouble, he managed to free the deer. Just as it was bounding on its way an Indian burst through the dense forest in great displeasure, and. grabbing Peter by the arm, began pulling l im after him through the woods. After a walk, that sometimes was run, they drew near to a group of rough huts, built of cedar inside a stockade of stump trees, such as the Indians used to keep out their enemies. Into this enclosure poor Peter vas dragged. The rad man then be gan a long harangue to a small group o f Indians who gathered around him ; apparently tel'ing them that this I strange white boy bad freed his deer. As they talked and frowned, Peter 1 knew that they were deciding wha‘ punishment to bestow upon him. y A DRAMATIC RESCUE. “ Then, suddenly, from out the largest of the huts an Indian woman ran. About her dark forehead white coral was wound. Peter knew her once. Sho was not bashful now She was as bold as a lion. She went straight up to the angry Indian and, taking his arrows from him, she brok? them into bits and threw them on the ground ; then she smoothed Peter’s arms and breast, and talked fast to her own people Peter knew that she vas telling them that they must not touch a hair of his head. Next she brought water and bathed Peter’s feet, after which she set food before him with great ceremony as if he had been a great man instead of a humble little boy. ‘‘You may be sure that Peter wondered at all this, but suddenly he understood. For Granganimeo, the woman’s husband, appeared in the doorway. with all his followers, and on bis breast, as if it had been a shield, ho wore the tin basin. - “ Tf Peter had dared, he would have laughed outright, the basin looked so droll worn as if it had been armour. “ With signs the chief and his wifeshowed Peter how plea Bed they were to have the basin, and how well it defended him from his enemies’ arrows. “Then, when they had entertained Peter still further with all love and kindness, Granganimeo sent him safely back to the ship with an escort of 10 young warriors. “ A few weeks later the entire party sailed back to England to report to Sir Walter Raieigli all they had seen. I am glad to tell you that, immediately upon landing at Plymouth. Peter went to see his good old uncle and aunt to express to them his gratitude for the good fortune their gift had brought him. Moreover, he gave them all the money he had been paid for the furs, which he had taken in ex change for the bowl. You will see by this, just as Mr Walter Raleigh had hoped, that the voyage had improved Ueter in manv ways. Perhaps that loving gift, although a bumble on?, had brought a blessing with it.” As the storv came to an end. Peter made -no comment, but his father was pleased to see that he nicked up the worsted hall, which he had thrown so petulnnt.lv on the floor of the car, ant put it carefullv away in his nnc-ket. OCT A VTA R OBER TS.