SHORT STORIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 24 (Supplement)

SHORT STORIES

t:\UiY OF THE PAINTING COMPETITION.

(Original). v Molly and Billy are having a happy tim< in Fairyland watching the little brown bun* nies dancing, and the gnome playing tunef to their dancing. There are two girl bunnies and one boy bunny. The little gnome is sitting on a toadstool. The bunniea and the gnome do not know that Billy and Molly are there at all, because a tree is in front o( i them. It is a beautiful day for them ta ' visit Fajejdand, too. TOPSY TURVEY,* Wanganui. AN ADVENTURE AT SEA. (Original). Ting-a-ling-a-ling went the doorbell, end I ran to answer it. The postman handed me a telegram from my friend asking me ts spend a few weeks’ holiday round the Coral Islands of Australia. Having received this invitation I spent th« rest of the day packing my clothes, as th< next ship for Australia left on the morrow That night I went to bed early as I had U rise early in the morning. After a good deal of bustle and excite ment the next morning I got away. On au riving at the wharf I found my friend on board the steamer waiting for me. After we had been at sea a day, a terrific storm arose, and we were driven out of our course. The passengers were all sent below while the men did their best to steer the ship back, on to its course again. All of a sudden we heard a loud crash, and the ship I struck a rock. ■ Everyone rushed to the boats, and when i e came up we found that all the boats were ’ full. The only way to escape from the sink- ! ing ship was by making a raft. This began by cutting down the aerial masts and cutting them in half and then tying them into a square. Next we pulled up portion of the deck and nailed the boards to the square. We then nailed on some boards to prevent us from being swept off by the waves. When the raft was ready we got some provisions from the cook’s cabin. When all was ready we pushed the raft off with a pair of roughly made oars. We had not been afloat a quarter of an hour when the shiji was swallowed ux> by the waves. Arfter we had been sailing about for two days we sighted land. Soon we came to the shore and we were helped by some men. Then we went off home and had a good rest. —From "FRED THOMPSON.” Mangaweka. THE BELL. (Original). Many, many years ago tho King gave the people of a little town in Italy a bell. It was hung in the market place and had a long bell rope tied to it. When the bell was rung its sweet notes could be heard all over the whole town. The King made a strange rule about the ringing of the bell. It was to be rung only by one to whom a wrong had been done. As soon as the rope was pulled and the first i»eal of the bell rang out the Mayor would hurry to the market place. He would then see that the wrong was put right, and that no man, woman or child in the town was badly treated. The people soon learned to love the bell that helped them to get justice. In time the rope began to wear away. A man passing by one day saw that it had become too short to be easily reached. He cut some long sprays from a grape vine, and for the time being mended the rope with them. The green leaves of the vine made the bell-rope look like a garland. —From "YELLOW DAFFODIL,” Marton. ADRIFT (Copied) Meg and David were having the time of their lives; a whole month at the seaside., They lived in a big town, and though Meg* was eleven and David nine, this was the first time they had ever seen the sea. But their mother had been ill. and the doctor had said she must have .a month at the seaside, so the children playeu quietly while their mother rested in a chair on the sands. Sandpole was a fishing village, and Meg and David lovsd to see the fishing boats go out at night, and come into the harbour again in the morning. One day an old fisherman aske<l them to go out to fish with him. They learnt how to row the boat, so one day when their mother was inside they got a small boat and drifted about. Then a sudden cry came from Meg. We are going out to *a she said. The rope has broken. Get the oars quick, David. What a good thing we can k row. Soon it started to grow dark. David 1 kept calling out until an answer came to his ears. Soon a boat was in sight. It was the ? old fisherman Jake. "Is that Meg and David?” he asked. Soon the children wer* telling their mother all about it. Soon the* were home again and telling their schoolmates of their adventure. —From "EASTER EGG,”