JUNIOR S.P.C.A. LEAGUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 246, 16 October 1937, Page 12

JUNIOR S.P.C.A. LEAGUE

S.P.C.A Essay Competition PRIZE-WINNING ENTRIES JUDGE’S REMARKS AND THE RESULTS There were a large number of entries for this competition, essays arriving from all parts of the Wanganui district. . ~ Mr. Hemingway, Chairman of the Wanganui r.aucation Board, kindly consented to judge the competitions and we announce his decision, together with his comments on the competition. To those of you who tried and failed, better luck next time. Congratulations, winners, your prizes will be forwarded to you in due course. As the essays take up a good deal of room I shall talk to you further next week on them, and also tell you of the rest of the news of Animal Week.

Class 1: 1— N. Findlay, Wanganui I East School: 2 Beth Wagstaff, Pohangina School. Class 2: 1 -Enid Campion, Okira*»j School: 2—Nola Stephenson, Mosslon School. Class 3: 1 —Elsie Alloway, Mosston* School; 2—Joan Neilson, Wanganui < Girls’ College. JI 'DUE’S REMARKS The essays on the whole weioj very good, particularly those of thej younger children. The writing in nearly every case was distinctly good. 1 was disappointed to find that although the competition in class 3 was open to pupils up to 18 years of age not one had cared to describe how they would teach a young child to be kind to animals. A number of competitors made the mistake of writing about a day in the life of themselves with their favourite animal or bird in place of a day in the life of their favourite animal or bird. Ist. —CLASS 1. 8 to 10 years. “MY PET AND HOW I LOOK AFTER IT.’’ As soon as I get up I feed my pet lamb on milk. 1 call her Susan and 1| put a blue ribbon with a bell on ill round her neck. Susan has a drink) from a bottle three times a day. After she has her meats I wash her bottle. When I have fed her I take her to the fields. When she skips her tail waggles from side to side which shows

lhe enjoys fun. After dinner I have i few games with her and she starts ;o frisk about. When I wash Susan 1 bring a tub of warm water into the kitchen and begin to wash her. I sometimes have a job to hold her in it because she does not like the water. While she is in the sun her woolly ?oat soon dries. Every afternoon I dean Susan's box and put fresh milk n her bottle. Every sunny morning Jusan has a lie in the sun. Soon »usan will have to get h n r tail cut off is the other lambs do when they get »lder. At night I put Susan in her tosy bed. N. FINDLAY, 8 years 11 months. (Wanganui East School). LFt.—CLASS 11. 11 to 14 years. “MY PET AND HOW I LOOK AFTER IT.” Many people have pots. I am one of the lucky ones, and live in the country where I can have an abundance of whatever animals I wish. One of my pets is a cat. When I first received Um lie was very young, and would curl up quite comfortable in my hand. Being a Persian, he had fairly long fur, which leemed to worry him when he was washing himself, for it would form Into small lumps which were not, of course, good for him. Then I realised that I was not doing my duty to help him, so I started to brush him daily. At first he objected very much to this process but

ihe soon found out that it was a lovely I chance to play with lhe brush and ’comb. Also I give him bran baths | which gives his coat a lovely glossy appearance. When very young he had mostly ! milk to drink. I always put some | cream in it, which he likes very much. • Now that he is older he gets a lot of | meat, as well as cream. He also likes many kinds g£ vegetables mixed up with gravy. All his utensils are kept well away : • from other dishes. I wash them j thoroughly, as soon as he has finished with them, so as to keep all germs away and make things appear tidy. Some people like to put bows on their cats but my cat is free from ribbons, for, being a country cat he roams a great deal. So I am afraid I that he might climb a tree and get | caught by a ribbon and get killed. Ever since he was a baby, he has had his own cushion to sleep on. This is washed every now and then, to kill all germs. He stole only once, and he received a very hard smack, which I’m afraid, sent him off the table, but he has never stolen again. He has many funny little habits. ’lf a door is not shut properly he will put up his paw, end give it a push. Walking into the room, here he orders his meal with 1 a lot of meows. If we take no notice I of him, however, he will walk up to I a chair and start to sharpen his claws. I This is strictly forbidden, which he seems to know, so he soon has notice taken of him. He is very playful, although he is about five years old, and he does not scratch much. We haven’t seen a mouse or rat for

a long time, but when there is one, there is a loud cry for “Micky” for he is a very good hunter and will tackle them at any time. Although I am very fond of animals, I do not know which ones are my favourites, but I do know that a cat is a levelv thing to have about. ENID CAMPION, Okirae School. 13 Years. (F. H. Verry, Head Teacher). Ist.—CLASS 111. 15 to 18 years. “LEAVING MY DOG BEHIND.” I have just been told a big secret! I’m going away to Christchurch for a whole month, isn't that lovely! Although I'm not going away for a week yet, I think I’d better start busying myself. First of all, I must find a home for Bruin, my old English sheep dog. But, where can I send him? I've asked myself that question about six times already and yet, I’m no nearer the answer than I was before. Could 1 leave him here and ask one of the farm hands to feed him? No, I don’t think I will, because they might feed him for a few days, then forget altogether there is such a thing as an old pet dog on the place, for Bruin is too old to work. Mrs. might put up with him, but she lives in the town and I don’t like the idea of Bruin being cooped up in a town section after the freedom he is used to. Anyway he might get out on the road