A PAGE for HTTLE PEOPLE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 34, 13 August 1924, Page 39

A PAGE for HTTLE PEOPLE

1 HlSl i N i j I ,' ' ~ r rtt "

My dear Little People, To-day we're going to see how many letters we can answer and how far on we can get with our story, because I'm ready to tell you about the Limerick Competition. But we must get our correspondence up-to-date first. Therefore, we'll get right on to our letters: LETTERS RECEIVED. Cecilia Margaret O'Brien, Clifden, writes such an interesting letter that I wish we could print it all. Margaret tells us that they have nearly 40 hens, that they killed a pig last month, which weighed nearly 400 pounds, that she has nearly finished knitting a pair of socks and that she is going to make a scarf after that. Besides that, Margaret likes-the "Joy" and she sends a number of riddles. (Margaret dear, we were glad to get your letter. Don't be disappointed that I can't put your riddles on our page this time, I'm saving them a. slack day, and you'll find them in the "Riddle Bin" then. Anne.") Dolly O'Brien writes too and tells me that the young ladies of Clifden play hockey, and Dolly is knitting a pair of stockings. (No, Dolly dear, Ido not play hockey, I just don't get time. Thank you for the sixpence and will you thank Cecilia for me too. You'll see your riddles another day.—Anne.) Paula. Creel writes from Martinborough and says she would have written sooner but she had been so busy helping her mother to make some dresses for her. Also they have had lots of visitors to entertain and then Paula" has been tripping round the country. (Paula dear, you're the lucky girl entirely, to have so many fine trips and some new dresses. Now you really wouldn't let me chase Mick with a stick if I brought one, even if he did bump the table while you wrote to me. I believe you were using his pen or sitting in his chair. Thank you for stamps.—Anne.) Pearl McNeill writes from Lauriston enclosing stamps for the Orphanage fund. (Thank you Pearl for your donation. Will you or Frank let me know how much you sent the last time. Anne.) Nellie O'Brien, Slope Point, wrote a dear little letter, quite a good letter for a wee five-year old. (So glad to hear from you Nellie, try to write with a pen and ink next time, and tell Kit that I didn't laugh a bit at your letter. Write again.—Anne.) Phyllis Shortal writes from Invercargill and wants to join our Club because a little girl she knows belongs to us. (Now; Phyllis dear, we're real glad to hear from you. I hope you will write to someone on the list, but I'm sorry there isn't another birthday on the same date as yours. All the same a new name can come in at any time, and I'll tell you when you get a mate. Thank you for the riddles and kisses. Call your dog "Buster." —Anne.) Joan Goodger, Matuku, Mossburn, is a new member for the L.P.L.O. , Joan is 10 years old, has one sister and . two brothers. (Welcome Joan, bring your sister and brothers along with you, we'll be pleased to meet them too. — Anne.) Margaret Ann Nyhon, Sandy hurst, is an old friend who wants to join the L.P.L.C and sends a donation along for the Orphanage. (Thank you Margaret and will you thank Patricia" for hers also. We're glad to welcome you both and hope you'll make friends with some of the Little —Anne.) , s

Now we'll go on with our story, because we must finish it before touching the Limerick Competition. I think perhaps we'll quite finish the story next week, and if we do you'd better watch out for our page in the Tablet of the 27th August. The results of the Competition, and some of the Limericks themselves will be there. AUTHORITY and OBEDIENCE (Continued) Then another Bee suggested that it would, after all, be very awkward for them all to be queens; for who would make the honey and wax and build the honey-combs and nurse tbe children? Would it not be best therefore, that there should be no queens whatever, but that they should all be working-bees? But then the tiresome old Relation popped his head round the corner again and said, he did not quite see how that change would benefit them, for were they not all working bees already?on which an indignant buzz was poured into his ear, and he retreated again to his work. It was well that night at last came on, and the time arrived when the labors of the day were over, and sleep and silence must reign in the hive. With the dawn of the morning, however, the troubled thoughts unfortunately returned and the Traveller-bee and his companions kept occasionally clustering together in little groups, to talk over their wrongs and a remedy. Meantime, the rest of the hive were too busy to pay much attention to them, and so their idleness was not detected. But, at last a few hotheaded youngsters grew so violent in their different opinions, that they lost all self-control, and a noisy quarrel would have broken out, but that the Traveller-bee flew to them, and suggested that, as they were grown-up now, and could not all be turned into queens, they had best sally forth and try the republican experiment of all being work-ing-bees without any queen whatever. With so charming an idea in view, he easily persuaded them to leave the hive; and a very nice swarm they looked as they emerged into the open-air, and dispersed about the garden to enjoy the early breeze. But a swarm of bees without a queen to lend them, proved only a helpless crowd, after all. The first thing they attempted, when they had re-collected to consult, was, to fix on the sort of place in which they should settle for a home. "A garden, of course," says one. "A field," says another. "There is nothing like a hollow tree," remarked a third. "The roof of a good out-house is best protected from wet," thought a fourth. "The branch of a tree leaves us most at liberty," cried a fifth. "I won't give up to anybody," shouted all. They were in a prosperous way to settle,*were they not ? "I aim very angry with you," cried the Traveller-bee at last; "half the morning is gone already, and here we ..are unsettled as when we left the hive!" "One would think you were going to be.queen over us, to hear you talk," exclaimed the' disputants. "If we choose to spend our time quarrelling, what is that to you? Go and do as you please yourself.!-".-, - And he did; for he was ashamed and unhappy; and flew to the further extremity of the garden to hide his vexation; where, seeing a clump of beautiful \ jonquils, he dived at once into a flower to soothe himself by honeygathering. (To be concluded.) Good-night, -/. ~ - . :i- -•".-' * —Anne. r'