For the CHILDREN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17745, 15 January 1926, Page 8

For the CHILDREN

THE THREE CHAIRS. There was once a very clever craftsman, who was celebrated for the beauty of his exquisite carving and design, especially in chairs. He used beautiful woods, and delighted in the production, of pretty furniture. Naturally his name became well known and his firm a prosperous one. He was always on the look-out for promising lads to add to his staff, and, though he was a strict master, he was an extremely knid one, encouraging talent wherever he found it. At the time of which 1 write, three new apprentices had just entered his workshops—Harry Hazel, Peter Pine and Tom Teak. Harry was the craftsman’s own son, a gay but idle lad who could work if he tried, but who seldom did so. It was the father’s great ambition that his son should succeed him in his business, but the son himself was not so enthusiastic. Peter Pine was a decidedly clever boy, and he knew it, and valued himself accordingly. He had no patience with plodders or idlers, so he scorned Tom and despised Harry; for Tom was a plodder. He was not naturally clever, but he was as honest as sunlight, and he loved his mother dearly. It was for his mother’s sake that the master had taken him for an apprentice. Her people had lived with and worked for the Hazels for generations, and, though doubtful of Tom’s abilities, he took the lad into his workshops solely on account of his widowed mother. Tom intended to show his master that he could try, even if he were not clever, and he plodded on steadily. The first real task allotted to the three boys was to make a chair. Each lad had his materials served out to him, and each was to bring it to the master when completed. “You may use your own ideas,” said he. Make just what kind and shape of chair you choose, and carve it as you will.” Peter set to work with care and precision, taking great pains not to let Harry or Tom look over his plan. He produced a quaint library chair with a design of oak-leaves in the panels and . gnarled and twisted legs, while at the head‘was an open book surmounted with scrolls —a unique chair, of which he was justly proud. “ 1 shall make, a kitchen chair,” brag-’ ged Harry. “ There will be no need of carving in that, and I shall have plenty of time to finish that burglar story I'm reading, while you two ‘ brother chips ’ are working.” So, in his careless way, he started a kitchen chair, with sun-ray spokes for the back—and, between reading and idling and joking, he got the holes unequal, so that the ravs did not slant evenly. “ Oh. well,” said he, when it was pointed out to him, “ no one will stop his horse galloping to notice that—in a kitchen chair, at any rate.” “ What shall I make?” said Tom to himself. “It must be something quite different from any other chair that ever was, so that mother shall be proud of me. T know ! It shall be the kind of chair that mother would like, and it shall look like the big old arm-chair in the picture of 4 The Seven Dwarfs’ Kitchen.’ I will call it 4 The Tidy Chair.’ The arms shall he hollow, with a little

lid to raise, so that one side shall do for scissors or knitting needles, the other for spectacles or pipe. The seat shall lift up, to show a recess for newspaper or book, and there shall be a ledge for slippers between the legs; and behind the chair shall be two slots or bars, one high up, the other low down, where the grandmother or grandfather could put a stick, so that it would be at hand when wanted.” Pleased with his idea, Tom forgot all else in working it out, though his quaint ideas for the carved work.were better in imagination than in fact. The dwarfs’ casement window was to be carved in the centre back, but wben Harry saw it, and said he thought it represented the squares on the top of a potato cake, poor Tom felt snubbed and a bit ashamed. “ Don't laugh at Tom,” said the master, who came just then to see the finished work. 44 Harry, my son, Tom has put you to shame—for, though his work is somewhat crude, and not quite up to market value, still his idea is extremely good and original, while you have contented yourself with copying an old pattern—and copying it very badly.” Then he turned to Peter’s chair, and, with an admiring glance, he shook Peter by the hand, saying, 44 Excellent! Excellent! ” And now for the sequel to my story. Harry’s chair was sent home to the master's own house—for, said he, “ That chair must never be offered for sale in my workshops and, to Harry’s disgust, he found it was to be his very own at table in the dining-room! How tired he got of it I shall levea you to imagine. Peter’s chair was sold at a big price and given as a present to an important personage; but, as he already had as many chairs as he needed, that chair had a cold and lonely time in a grand room that was used only occasionally by silent gentlemen who came to study a book and were too engrossed to notice Peter's handiwork. While, Tom’s chair! . . Now, children! What do you think? Why, on Christmas morning, ■when Tom’s mother came downstairs, there it stood—on the rug by the fire—a present from the master, in appreciation of a loyal son! Oh, how they enjoyed that chair! Tom’s brothers and sisters saw such wonderful things through the dwarf’s kitchen window on the back of it, that Tom felt so cheered that he plodded on steadily, and in time became a famous chair-maker himself.—E.E.W. A THOUGHT-READING TRICK. Here is a fine way to mystify your friends, but you need a friend to help you. Firstly, distribute pieces of paper and envelopes amongst the people present, asking them to write any sentence they like on their paper and seal it in the envelope. Your friend writes a sentence you have both agreed on on his paper. You then have the envelopes handed to you, and saying you will read the sentences before opening the envelopes, you hold the first envelope against your forehead, pretend to hesitate, then announce your friend's sentence. Of course, he says, 44 I wrote that,” and you open the envelope, apparently to verify it, but of course it contains some one else's

which you pretend to read from the next closed envelope. Being one sentence ahead always, when you have done you have read the whole, and it. appears that you really found out the contents before opening the envelopes. This is a splendid trick for parties. Freddy was taken to his aunt's for a treat, and while he was there she played to him on the mandoline. He made no remark on the performance till he got home, when he exclaimed: “ Oh, dad. auntie played a tune on a big wooden spoon with some ribbon on it! ” A feeble young fellow named Phil, Climbed half-way up a steep hill. When he said, “ Here I stand Till my muscles expand.” I expect he is standing there still. Dorothy (who has been very rude to Aunt Mary) : 44 Oh, don't go yet, Auntie! Do please stay a little longer.” Auntie: 44 But I thought you didn't like me, Dorothy.” “ Oh, it isn’t that. Auntie. but Mother said I was to be sent to bed as