Records

Te Ao Hou, March 1962, Page 53

Records reviewed by ALAN ARMSTRONG

Continued from page 10 and rapt attention. Unlike the other boys, Eruera couldn't do things like swinging on supplejack vines, but like all the other boys, his name would be in the long red book. All through the day Eruera had whispered to himself from time to time, ‘Yes Miss James’. He felt quite ready for this last step in really belonging to the Pakeha teacher and her school, at least in the daytime. At last Miss James clapped her hands for attention. Eruera had already noticed how still the room became at this signal. It was as if a magic word had been spoken, which bound restless toes to the floor, fingers together on tops of heads, and all eyes to the big table. Out at last came the long red book. ‘Yes Miss James’, said Eruera's head. ‘Yes Miss James’, it said so hard that his feet had to wriggle to stop it coming out of his mouth. One by one the children answered as their names were called. This was a pleasant chant, and Eruera would be taking part in it. Suddenly the chant ended. The long red book was closed and replaced in a drawer. Eruera forgot that he was six years old, and a big boy. His head bumped down onto the little bright brown table, and he cried.