FOR THE CHILDREN

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15230, 5 May 1923, Page 14 (Supplement)

FOR THE CHILDREN

(ByS'PcUr Pan. 1 ') |

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN. 1

cabin. Sprawled on the floor was the third man, a tall, thin Cellow named Smith.

The little birds are singing Above their speckled eggs, The daddy-long-legs talks about His children's lovely legs*

Suddenly the sh'p began to list, and the angle of the floor became about 40 degrees. Smith rolled down and joined his mates. Marten was wedged between the two, and he didn't appreciate the position. His head was swimming, but he caught hold of the bunk and dragged himself to his feet.

The red cow thinks her little calf The best that there can be. And my papa and my mamma Are very proud of me!

And yet I might have becn ( a bird, And slept within a nest, Or been a daddy-long-legs With scarcely any chest;

' "I think," he said, "something serl-I ous has happened." I

"My heck's" broken," gasped Smith as he bumped against Toddle. Marten looked down at them. He began to realise that the sound he had thought to be something in his brain was really the rushing of feet tn the passage outside. "Get up!" he ordered sharply to the two men.

Or been a little calf or pig, And grown to beef or ham; I'm very, very, very glad That I am what I am! —Fred E. Weatherly.

AN EXCITING JOURNEY.

"Pinch me, oh, pinch me!" begged Toddle;- "Am I awake? Ah, yes, I thought sO. I am. Help me up. I am awake. I said so. What is it?"

It was the end of the school term. Marten, Crowther, arid a few others were strolling in the quadrangle, discussing the holidays. "Where are you going, Crowther?"

What it was was so obvious that Marten did not trouble to make any reply.

By clinging to the furniture he reached the door.

"Oh, Devonshire, I think! Farm, cow, cream, pig, and piglets, you know." "Fine! And you, Marten?" "I," said* Marten, "aril going to Egypt." The boys rounded on him. "What " "It's a fact/ 1 Marten replied. "My people are all there. I haven't seefl them for four years."' "Going aione?'', , "I'm not taking ray nurse!'' "How long will you have there?" "Oh, about three weeks to a month altogether." ■ • "You lucky beggar!" Marten -Was very pleased add exdited £bout going, blit that he kept to himself. He was also anxious td see his people. It Would be a great adventure, anyway, and the tittle dragged until a t last the day Iji' sailing flr--rived. Marten Stood ofl the deck of the liner, looking" down at the quay. dreds of people Waved their 5 handkerchiefs to those On board. Aihdng them was Marten's maiden aUnt, Who had been his good friend in all the holidays of the past four years. The sailors were making ready to lower the gangway. suddenly there was a commotion oh the qUay"; people were pushed into violent edllision to make a passage for something.. Wha), was it? . Maftett slfairidd his eyes and made out 6. very fat, Short old man struggling through the cfOWd. .The top of the- gangway had left the ship's side as the fat little fttati flung himself on to the foot. Up he crawled, in spite of the shouts from the arid Up" oh his hands arid knees, for the gangway Was now a> most perpendicular. lie had reached the top. The ship was moving. He gave a last despairing shout and clutched at a rope above hirn. Swings ing himself violently as ho hung in mid-air, lie at last landed in the stretched arms of the sailors on the lower deck. They put him down gently, and he pulled at his coat, adjusted his tie, cleared his throat, and smiled.

"Come on!" he said, and stepped out. " #

He was Immediately lifted off/his,, feet by the rush of people, carried Up the wide stairs and oh to the deck. His head was still bad, and, finding himself in a clear space, he sat dOwri heavily, arid neither knew nor cared what Went on around him.

When his sight cleared a little, he saw the women and children Collected, arid being helped over the side— Into boats, he' jsupposed. Well, he might as wOli stay where he was, he thought; it would be some time b.o-, fore -they all got off—■The geritle swish of waters came to his ears, and there were voices talking, Strange, uncouth voices. Marten cautiously opened his eyes to find that he was lying in the bottom of a small boat. In front of him two men wefe rowing. They wore primitive Cotton garments arid they were brown. They spoke ifi short, thick sentences the strangest .language Marten had ever heard. . Arid they sounded as though they Wefe quarrelling.

Marten lay Watching them in in-> tense surprise, Wheri a voice from be j hind him suddenly said: "Hallo, Hafold!" ' . . J - .

Marten- painfully wriggled his head backwards.

There" sat Toddle, looking utterly forlorn/ The biazirig sun had dried his- pyjamas iri patches. rtls hair stood oft end. He looked a little round bali of a man; Beside Him, straight and dark, arid With folded arms, sat an Arab. The situation was really too big l6t Marten to take in all at once. "Something's happened I" he said. The Arabs looted down at him and gesticulated.

Toddle nodded. "1 know. You said so before."* .' The Arabs listened to their talk with undisguised interest. Marten fingered his clammy garments.

"What," asked , Toddle, with a funny sort of smile, "docs a man get when he falls into the sea?"

"I caught it!" he said, and then went bounding up the Iron stairway. The sailors looked after him openmouthed. / He came strutting along the/ deck, looking to right and left. Marten was standing a little apart. He came up to him. "Ah, there you are, Harold! I caught it! I knew I should; I said so. The old woman selling hand-' kerchiefs said I wouldn't. I had to stand and argue with her. I knew I should. How are you, Harold " 1 "My name isn't Harold, sir!"

"Wet," guessed Marten, arid they began to laugh. This the Arabs could understand. Slowly their white teeth were bared, and soon the whole boatload was laughing uproariously. Ahead of them a large, fla't-bottom-ed sailing ship lay at anchor. The deck swarmed with brown men, all talking as they drew alongside. Marled, and TOddlC were pushed and dragged aboard. Neither Of them had the strength to stand Upright. They Were carried bclOW, and sat down on the floor by a low table, off which it was obvloUS the ship's COm-" pafly had just eaten. • Gfairis of rice WCre scattered all oyer it, and many idy squashed upon the floor. ' Fat, toUgh pancakes 6f Arab broad lay about. Marten saW a bdWI of water. Mo seized it and drank greedily. "That water," announced Toddle, "would be What the Arabs washed their hands in after eating their diriVief with their fingers.- I know it." Marten felt very sick, but he clutched the table and smiled. "Then I get a bit of all the courses," he said courageously.

"Eh?" The little mail Came Uti close and peered into Marten's faCe.

"No, you're not. Certainly yoU'fe not. "Pardon me; I thought you were my sister's boy, but you're not. You said you weren't. Besides, deai* mey I suppose he's at home! He wasrt't coming this trip; at least I suppose not. He didn't say so: No, I think not. I was dazed. I was wrong.You said so. Beg pardon! BUt"— he clapped his hands together and stood on his toes—"l caught it!" He. turned about\ and disappeared down the companion-way. Marten leaned over the rail to catch a last glimpse of the quay; then he also went below to his cabin.

The Arabs had brought plates heaped with rlc'o and vegetables, and set them before their guests. . Toddle licked a finger, stuck it gingerly in, and extracted one grain of rice, which he ate. -

He opened the door. There on the jjoor were all the bedclothes in a pile, and the fat little man was punchjing and prodding each mattress in turn to see which he preferred.

Some Arabs stood round, watching.' It was obvious they were getting annoyed. They whisked the plates away and returned with another, course. It was little brown strips of something. Still feeling ill, Marten' picked one up and tasted it. It was very tough and terribly sweet. That wais the last straw. He rolled over on the floor, and hoped he looked as though he were dead. j He. heard a fearful groan from Toddle, and then a thud, and realised that., the llltlc man had followed his lead.;* | The Arabs carried them into another room 1 and threw them down upon i skins on the floor. Then they left them in peace. With an effort Toddle explored the room* add found in a ciipbdard a box of fresh purple figs. They.ate many of those, and then slept heavily. i

Marten was very annoyed. He had already chosen his buhk\ having arrived on board first of the three Cabin-mates, and here were all his sheets and blankets, and those of the absent third, piled up on the floor. He the door behind Mm with a bang. The little man looked up.

"IMlo, Harold! D'you sle6p in here? ' Pinch just here and there for' me, will you, and tell me which is the softer of these two boards? I think this one. Eh? So do you? i knew it. I said so. So did you. Just help me to put it in this bunk. Wonder who else sleeps Here. 'Just hand me that blanket. I like you. Give mo that pillow; it's the softest. D'you like me?" lie stood in the middle of the cabin* surrounded by the bedding, and grinning like a good-tempered baby. Marten fled to the deck and left him to his pleasure.

They were rudely awakened. Brown arms lifted Toddle and dumped him into a large sack, the mouth of which was then tied. The same service was performed for Marten. . Two Arabs slung them over their shoulders and they were carried up to the deck, and, as they guessed, ashore, They were placed side by side and strapped on to something. Then there was an amazing lurch forward,

It was many nights later. The clock struck midnight. Marten was kept avrtike by the shores, from the other side of the room, of ids little fat friend —.Toddle, he had learnt, was his name. . He felt quite helpless, for he lay in the upper-bunk, and the third man beneath him was apparently undisturbed. Marten began to review the journey of the past few days.

They had had it pretty rough in the Bay of Biscay, but since Gibraltar the sea had been good-humoured and very sleepy—just lapping along anyhow. It was a very beautiful blue, but what Marten appreciated more were the fly-ing-fish and Hie porpoises which frisked about in it; and next to them Hie sight of the great' volcano Stromboli in action. Stowed away in Marten's trunk was a photo he had taken of the smoking mountain. There only two more days before they would reach Port Said. Marten was sorry it was all to end so soon. It had been so wonderful. Boom! Marten fell with a thud to the floor, and on the top of him was precipitated something soft and warm that omitted a great grunt as it .settled clown ami lay still. Marten heaved, and the thing rolled. He turned over on his side and encountered the indignant visage of Toddle.

"What d'you mean lurning me oill of. bed?" spluttered a sleepy face. , Thcro came a groan from across the

then backward. Then off they went with a swinging motion. "A camel!" gasped Toddle, i Marten dragged at the mouth of his sack, but to riO purpose. Fortunately the mesh was loose, and there was no difficulty about breathing. They travelled for many miles. At last there was some shouting. The camel stopped. Two more lurches and they were unstrapped, and unceremoniously rolled off on to the ground,, which felt. soft. "Sand," grunted Toddle. "I know itl"

The sacks were opened, and they poked ruffled heads outside. They were in the' desert! Their cavalcade consisted ef. three camels, and six men wearing long blue cotton robes.

They had met, another party. Three men, heavily bearded and dressed in gorgeous silks, with flowing white veils from their heads, sat on beautiful black horses. "Who are they?" whispered Marten. "Bedouins, i I think so." The& riders dismounted to harangue with the Arabs. Suddenly one of them opened a large leather purse that hung round his neck, and, carefully counting out some money, gave it to the Arabs. To their dismay, Marten and Toddle were then handed over to their purchasers. Two of the Bedouins swung them up bOf ore them On their brightly-col-oured leather saddles, wheeled' their horses, and away they sped over the desert.

The sUri was setting In overwhelming; splendour.' As far as th% eye CoUid see stretched the desert, broken (Only by little ttif'ts of cameQ-thoro shr"Uh. The two Weary Englishmen leaded- against their brown captors and CloSed their eyes to the glare. They were soon shaken irito wakefulness. The Bedouins had reached their camp. Three dark brown canvas tents marked their temporary home. It was at an oasis, and tall palm-trees grew round the waterWell.

The Bedouins dropped their newlyacquired goods to the ground and proceeded to Water their horses. Later they prepared quite a palatable meal of dates and strange mixtures, Of which they doled out handfulS to the two prisofiers. In Egypt there is no twilight, and It became dark. The Bedouins gave their captives a coloured blanket apiece, rolled into their own, and soon al( the dark men slept. Marten Wriggled cautiously to Toddle's side. "What's their game?" he whispered. "Can't think. Perfectly -peaceful people as a rule. Those beggars on the ship started it all. I know jt. Suppose they thought as they'd taken ; the trouble to rescue us they might ■as Well get something out of it. I l think so. Business men, the Arabs. ! Suppose these fellows have taken us j because they're going to come down oil your people for a reward. Something big, I think so." "What shall we do? Hook it?" Toddle looked from the rising moon to the horses, and back again. On the horizon something could be seen standing out a'galnst the sky. What it might be it was impossible, at that distance, to tell. It was probably only a tree, but "Yes," whispered Toddle, "later." The next half-hour Marten spent wriggling over the ground and annexing clothes from the tents. It was a hazardous proceeding, but he did it cleverly. j When the moon was high they ran, ' dressed in the most outrageous clothes, over the unresisting sand towards the horses. They were off, %alloplhg for dear'life beneath that brilliant moon. The horses were rested, and went, splendidly. The primitive saddles ■were -a trial to the riders, bUt they kept doggedly on. After a long and weary ride they came at last upon signs Of civilisation, and before long they realised they were approaching a great city. Faf away to one side they saw the great Pyramids.

"Then this is Cairo I" cried Marten. "Where my people are!" He laughed defiantly over his shoulder and urged on his horse. As for Toddle, he gave a ridiculous wink at the moon, and rode oft, well pleased with his thoughts.

ftAtURAi. His-rorm QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Why dofls a Tortoise Tilt Itself against a Wall In Warm Weather? " By doing so the tortoise exposes more of his shell to warmth than if he remained flat on the ground; How Long Does a Frog Live? Probably no one knows how long a frog at liberty can live. The life of sill lowly creatures of this sort is long, provided that accident is avoided. What Is the Frog-Hopper? Its other names are frog-spit, cuc-fcoo-spit, and frothifly. It is not of the grasshopper group* but is related to the greenfly, the cicadas, and lan-lern-flies. How Should Toads be Kept In Winter. Left to themselves they hibernate in mud, in holes in the soil, among bid woodwork, or under summerhouses. They provide their own sanctuary, and reappear In spring.

The Children's Book of Knowledge (9lh fortnightly part), just issued by Messrs Goiidon and Gotch (Aust.), Ltd., impresses us as being the finest number of this most excellent work yet published. Special features contained include "The Wonderful Story of Julius Caesar," and "CaMada," a descriptive and historical story; A special article on Canals, profusely illustrated and explaining the working of the Suez and Panama Canals, is very interesting. A host of other educational gems are included in this number.