FOR YOUNG FOLKS.

Waipa Post, Volume VII, Issue 331, 17 July 1914, Page 6

FOR YOUNG FOLKS.

A DOG DETECTIVE,

Some time since a gentleman residing in San Francisco had a suit o£ clothes stolen. * The police having failed to trace the thief, the clothes were looked upon as gone for good. On Sunday, however, while passing a church from which the people were just coming out, the owner of the clothes noticed the strange conduct of his dog. A man had stepped out of the church, and no kooner had the dog seen him than it began to howl and jump about. The animal’s master looked very closely at the person who was thus upsetting the dog, and he then discovered that he was wearing his missing suit of clothes! A man having been fetched, the party went to the nearest station, where the wearer of the clothes was able to satisfy everybody that he had bought them in good faith; but he had to restore them to their rightful owner.

PERSEVERANCE

There is a mediaeval legend of a Spanish boy who was dull at school and who was so much discouraged bj the severity of his teachers that .he ran away from home. After he had wan dered a long way he was tired and sa* down to rest on the margin of a well. As he sat there his eye fell upon tinstone well curb ai d he began to wonder how it happened that there was a deep groove across the stone. He asked an explanation of a little gir 1 who came to draw water, and was amazed to learn that the groove had not been cut in the stone by men, but had been worn there by the constant rubbing of the rope which held the water-bucket. The little circumstance sank deep into his mind. He argue that if a soft rope by daily use coulc force its way through a hard stone then there was nothing that could no’ not be accomplished by perseverance and he learnt his first lesson in the meaning and value of mental discip line. He returned to h : s father’ house an«l to the school from whicl he had fled, and proved the same truth in his own case, for he not on b passed through the school with credit but became a great teacher and preach er. Some of us are quicker than others but not always is mere quickness r sign of superiority. Slow', plodding perseverance will often out do quid' ness that is easily discouraged.

A WINTER’S. NIGHT ADVENTURE.

Karl Schneider was riding his little pony to be sold at a fair some ten miles away. The boy lived in a picturesque cottage at the foot of the Swiss Alps, with his mother and his little sister Babette. Tlie only other creature with him now', save his pony, was his much attached . staghound. Bernard. Karl had to ride over a river, with only a rough bridge composed of pine-tree trunks, and he noticed the river was very sw'ollen. Karl stayed at the fair for some hours: the gaiety was attractive to the country lad; and it w r as six o’clock before e started homewards on foot, for he had sold the pony. It was dark before he reached the pine forest, by-the river again; and he heard r tremendous rushing sound. The moon had now risen, and Karl hurried forward. To his horror the river was very swollen, and was carrying down great pieces of ice with it. He stopped at the place where the bridge had been —it had been swept away! Surely there had been an avalanche! Karl was brave, but it took more than ordinary courage to attempt to ford the roaring river, that hurled dow'n even the very trees on its banks. What could he do? It was now about eight o’clock, and it wt s a weary way back to the tow'n; he must risk it! At this moment the force of the flood v'as stopped by some huge blocks of ice, and the youth boldly leapt from the shore to one. and was soon lialf-w'ay across. But alas! the water came roaring and surging up, and swept on the ice. Karl felt very giddy, with the foaming water carrying him on and on. He could not stand,*but fell on his knees, and clung to the block of ice, which was moving down with the current of the water, feeling, if he let loose, all would be over with him. But his benumbed hands could hold no longer, and Karl felt himself fast losing all consciousnen*. A moment more, and he would be whirled aw r ay by the angry foam, but there was a splash behind him, and - something caught him by the coat, and he heard no more till he opened his eyes and found he was lying on the opposite bank, with his benefactor, the faithful dog, keeping guard over him. Great was Bernard’s joy to see his master rise, and to feel his caressing hand on his head; and it is needless to say what a warm reception they both received when they reached home. Karl was not any the worse for his wetting, but he always remembered it, and would turn to stroke the noble dog’s head when he thought* of that “Winter’s night ad* venture.”