A PAGE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 46, 19 November 1924, Page 39

A PAGE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE

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My dear Little People, Has anyone remembered that .it is our own birthday this month. "The Little People's Page" is two years old now? What do you think of it? For two years we've chatted together, had Competitions, Riddles, Letters, Picnics, but we've never, never seen each other. Isn't it funny? Since my last letter I've been visiting a most wonderful place, it is .indeed the most wonderful place at this time of the year —a Toy Shop getting ready lor Christmas. Of course, you all know the story of Christmas. Toys, and dear old Father Christmas. I wonder though, as you play with your toys and break them -up so thoughtlessly, do you ever think of the great business of toy-making all the world over. Think of all the beautiful dolls, sleeping ones with lovely curly hair, jointed arms and legs, and the daintiest dresses you ever saw. The Drums, the Trumpets, the Guns, the ■wonderful Railway Trains that run along lines, through tunnels and into fine Railway Stations. All the hundred pieces of Furniture for Dolls' Houses, the Tricycles, Scooters, Wagons, Skipping Ropes, Picture Books, and . I simply can't remember the thousands of things there arc to think of. I forgot the Teddy Bears, the nicest, softest, cuddliest of all toys. ■ Don't you all like Teddy, with his funny little squeak which is always quite hard to find, or his gentle growl? Would you like to know how the little children in a far away country first learnt to love Teddy, and passed him on to all of us the whole world over? This is how it happened : Get your atlasses out and find, in the continent of Europe, a' country called Germany, and in that country a city called Leipzig. Is everyone ready now? Well, in faraway Leipzig, there lived some years ago—indeed she lives and works to-dayan elderly woman named Margaret Steiff who was a cripple. Right away back in the year 1888 (that is 36 years ago) Margaret made a toy for a sick child, and she made it of clippings of soft, thick stuff. This was the first Teddy Bear. Other children seeing the toy asked for soft animals, so Margaret and her brother thought that they would start making them for sale, and so they did. ,They were not called "Teddies" till President Roosevelt, 'of the United States of America (get your atlases out again and have a look at North America, find the United States), shot Grizzlies when he went big game shooting, and the American Toy Importers, saw unlimited possibilities for the soft toys being made in ' Leipzig. Two thousand people -were employed in Margaret Steiff's Factory, in the height of the Teddy Bears' popularity, and to-day, the firm that still bears the name of the cripple Dressmaker is recognised as the pioneer of the most life-like of all the animals that speak and grunt in Toy Shops. Wouldn't it be great fun to work in a toy factory, and have the first play with all the wonderful toys. LETTER BAG .: There's a big mail again to-day, so, we'll have to whisk round in a great hurry: Palmerston North and a letter from Zoe Howartli, who tells us that their fine new church is nearly finished, also that her Grandpa, Grandma and cousin Ruth have all died lately. : (We are sorry to hear of your sorrow Zoe, and all your Little 1 People friends will say a prayer for your dear Dead.—Anne.) : . ' f ' i--.

Wellington where we meet, a new Little Person, Noreen de Vere, who wants to join. us.. Noreen goes to the Sussex Square Convent and she was ten last month. (Glad to welcome you Noreen, be sure you come to our Monster Joy -Day 071 the first Saturday in December.— Dipton and our dear Little Person, Mary Donaghy, who has lost her good father .since we heard from her hist' Mary asks all the Little People to pray for the repose of his soul, and indeed I know you will all do that, especially as it is All Souls' month. (Mary dear, we are so sorry for you, as we know you loved your dear father. We will join with you .in prayers for him.—Anne.) Geraldine where we'll find Denise Mulvey getting better from pneumonia, which she says, is not a nice sickness at 'I, l heT ™ a hen dWn there With 16 chicks and another with Bof them. (Glad you're : better Denise, take care of yourself now and don't get a fresh chill. How is Tom?Anne.) . \ THE UNKNOWN LAND (continued) There's not much room for the story but we must get on with it as .it is a nice story and I know some of you are enjoying it. J - • Sis* 'T I' 6 »Ti at U ) e re iS ' at any • rate '" answered the Sistei-bird "I have heard the call our mother tells about and so must you have done." "' II "You fancy that you've heard it, that is to say," cried the Brother, "because she told you. It is all fancy-all guess-work; no knowledge! . I could fancy I heard it too, only I will not be so weak and silly; I will neither think about going, nor will I go." "This is not your Rest," sang the Mother, in a loud cear voice, outside; and "This is not your Rest," echoed the others in sweet unison; and "This is not your Rest" own'telrt 1 ! dePthS °* ** P °° r Httle Sedge Warbler '' s "This is not our Rest!", repeated the Mother "The mar is rushing forward; the clouds are hurrying onwardthe winds are sweeping past; because here is not their Rest Ask the river, ask the clouds, ask the winds where they go 0.-AnotherLand! Ask the • great sun, as he descends away out of sight, where he'goes to;-Another Land! And hen Te-' 16 app ° inted time sh f come > let « s alio arise and go "Oh! Mother, Mother, would that I could believe you ! J here as that other Land?". cried the distressed doubter in + the nest. , And then he opened his troubled heart and told what the . Magpie had said, and the parent buds listened m silence; and when he ceased—- , "Listen to me, my son," exclaimed the Mother, "and l will sing yon another song." - 1 u w eW T n x she SPke ' °" Ce more of the land she had left before; but now the burden of her song was, that she ■ had left it without knowing why. \f}\ ..(To be continued.) '; ■,■ ■'.',- Goodnight dear Little People, doesn't our page get used ' ' up quick and couldn't we go on for ever so many pages 0 Never-mind, some day perhaps we'll have a whole/pav%r for our own. selves. Wouldn't that be' hue?. Lovingly, ft .."".'.'' ".' . ~".■■-; .";•■"*' ' Anne. " '•"•