EDWARD ELEPHANTS AND PERCY PIG'S WATCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19108, 28 June 1930, Page 18 (Supplement)

EDWARD ELEPHANTS AND PERCY PIG'S WATCH.

It was a pleasant autumn evening some weeks after the Pigs and Elephants had returned from beautiful Pollywog Island where they had spent the summer. Percy Pig and Edward Elephant were in bed and asleep. Perhaps they were dreaming of Pollywog Island and the fine times they had had sailing with Uncle Hugo Elephant in his yacht Goldfish. Anyway they were both in bed and asleep, and whether they were dreaming about anything at all, or what they were dreaming about, doesn’t make any difference in chis story. The important thing is that they were in bed and asleep, and the reason it is important is because it was time they were. After Edward Elephant had kissed Mr and Mrs Elephant good night, and gone to bed, Mrs Elephant had remarked to Mr Elephant that it was quite a while since they had seen the Pigs, and wouldn’t it be a good idea to get out the car and run over and see them. After Mr Elephant had agreed that this was so, and had taken off his slippers and put nti his shoes, and Mrs Elephant had put on her hat, and Mr Elephant had got out the car, and Mrs Elephant had got into > the car, and Mr Elephant had said, “ Toot-Toot-Toot,” through his long nose, and away they went. When they got to the Pigs’ Mr Pig and Mr Elephant shook feet, and Mrs Pig and Mrs Elephant embraced each other warmly; and everybody said how long it had been since .they had seen each other, and Mr Pig put another log on the fire, and Mrs Pig insisted on giving Mrs Elephant the most comfortable chair, and Mr Pig passed round a big paper bag full of peanuts. And of course they fell to talking about beautiful Pollywog Island.

“ There is one thing I wish had happened a little differently last summer,” said Mrs Elephant. “ Hugo is always so very generous, and of course it was noble of him to give your Percy and our Edward a watch and chain together. But I do wish it had been something other than a watch and chain. When our Edward is wearing the chain and your Percy is carrying the watch, and Edward wants to know what time it is, I do find it inconvenient to have to telephone you and ask you to ask Percy what time it is so that I can tell Edward.”

" I do know just how you feel,” said Mrs Pig. “It does take a deal of telephoning. 'And it doesn't make any difference which is carrying the watch. When our Percy is the watch you have to telephone me for Edward to ask Percy to tell Edward what time it is by their watch. And, of course, the dear children are not satisfied if we tell them to look at the clock. They just have to know what time it is by their very own watch.” “ I have written to Hugo about it,” said Mrs Elephant. “Of course, I didn’t criticise his nice gift, but I did tell him how often we have to telephone back and forth to tell Percy or Edward what time it is by it, I made a joke of it.” “ And what did he say?” asked Mrs Pig. “ He said it was a fine joke,” said Mrs Elephant, “ and that if we all came to Pollywog Island next summer he would give Edward and Percy another watch and chain.”