THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY Aboard for the Goodwill Cruise

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 62, 15 September 1939, Page 6

THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY Aboard for the Goodwill Cruise

OUR STORY

PETER THE WHALER $ WHALE IS LAND

Ship Ahojr, there! Here we are ma hearties, once again aboard the ship S. S. Good Endeavour, and bouncing over the briney. As you can see if you peer ahead, we are approaching the island colony of Tahiti. Mark how the mountains tower up, almost straight from the waters edge.. It seems hard from this distance out to realise that there is a large population of chocolate-colour-ed natives there anl many Frenchmen and other Europeans. Unfortunately there are also many Chinese too t and these are becoming so numerous that there seems a likelihood of the pure native race dying out altogether. This would be a real tragedy as the Tahitians are a really wonderful race. They are happy and carefree and their men folk are iemarkable sailors, just like me. Their island grows plenty of fruit, and in their native state the people lived on little else. Cocoanut palms as you can see now fringe the land to the water's edge. The sand is a golden yellow and the wash of the waves in the sunlight makes a long line of regular cream rollers. Watch closely and sec if you can sec any canoes putting off to meet us. The Tahitian people arc as a rule very friendly, and love to come aboard passing vessels. When we land we will see if some of them will act as guides for us in an expedition to the mountains inland, the peaks of which arc lost in, the clouds. Well wc must be getting ready to berth the ship. Cheerio till next week, and see that no one gets sick on the menu of bully beef and herrings. P.T.W.

THE NEW FLOUR "Mother! The new flour! It's here!" Dobry's face was awake and his mother became completely eager as . she took the sack he pushed down to her, carried it into the kitchen herself and opened it impatiently. She ran the new flour through her fingers, testing its fineness, smelled it, took a little in her hand and put it to her lips and kissed it. She said to Dobry: "Well, my little Sausage ? our wheat fields have I done well b3 r us this year. Bread every day from flour like this! ' And immediateb' Dobry saw the flour as the climax to a story. "I remember it," he told himself. It began on that very cold morning when Grandfather said it wasn t spring day and it wasn t a wintei day. An odd day that belonged just to itself. A wet day and yet it wasn't snowing exactly and itAvasivs raining exactly. What came down was part rain, and part snow and Grandfather ploughed it under. He was ploughing when our rooster first crowed and he was ploughing when that big star came out." For three days Dobry's grandfather had ploughed up their wheat fields, opening the heavy earth against its will. But Dobry s mind leaped to the Saturday that he trudged up and down the. furrows helping to sow wheat in the hilly, hunked up earth. He remembered that, because at first the sheepskin bag of seed had felt too heavy under his arm and walking seemed too hart 1 , work. Dobry's mind was electric with remembering! "And then Grandfather said to me, 'What's the matter with you? How you should feel! Proud! What are you carrying there under youi arm?' "I said. 'The wheat seeds, heavy' " and Dobry hunched up his shoulders as he remembered. "And Grandfather said to me. 'No, you carry there under your arm a whole field of tail blowing wheat. A whole wheat field! Every little seed is alive, all of life in it. on are carrying all our next winter's bread!" And I felt big, strong, very proud. And Grandfather followed behind me. covering up the seels against whatever hungry birds mighthappen by.'" Dobry remembered long, persniring days lived out by the river when he helped his mother toss sheaves of wheat to a mountain breeze that only the river could change into a \vind. Heavy grains of wheat fel! until there were golden heaps on vfie ground. The light chnfY b!cv nw:>y on the wind. liut Dobry though!

MATCH PUZZLE No. 3.

JOKE CORNER

this happened only because they sang to the wind: Wind, wind take these sheaves, Golden beards and golden leaves. Take the chaff. Oh, blow it far! Let the grains fall where we are. Standing up to their knees in the autumn cold of the fast-moving Yan tra River Dobry, his mother, an<i grandfather washed the wheat and sang to the river: River, river wash our wheat, - Golden beards are ripe, complete. Washin,g wheat, you bless instead Our daily bread, our daily bread. What the river washed they put out to dry and bleach white on rugs that were woven at home and had to be carried down on their backs and spread out along the sandy beach. Dobry remembered it all, every moment dark or bright, and taking a little of the flour in his hand he kissed it, too.

THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION

Arrange 23 matches so as to form 8 squares as shown- in tlie,diagram. Now see if you can remove Four Matches so as to leave Five Squares This will apply only to members over ten. years. When you have com pleted the answer make out a diagram and send it in to Peter the Whaler Beacon Office and the best three will receive free picture tickets with my best compliments.

Sent in bv Pamela Gartshorc. Little boy to parent: "Mother, God liatcs men's hats.'' Mother: "Whatever made you think that?' Boy: "Well when I go into church you always make me take off my hat, and I sec all other men and boys hiding their hats under the seats so he won't sec them. He likes ladies' hats though cause they have pretty flowers and lowers in them."' * »!« # ♦ Johnny: Have you been to havo your hair permanently waved, mummy? Mother: Yes, that's right, dear. Johnny: Well, can I go next week and have my neck permanently wash cd, mummy? * * * * Auntie: W T hen I was a child I was told that if I made faces like that my face would stay like it. Naughty Nephew: Well, you conrot say nobody warned you, Auntie. « # » * Doctor (to pat'ent): Good, you J seem to have no temperature now. Patient: No, nurse just took it.

PUZZLE FOR YOUNG SAILORS

The Assistant Cook (Dick Ward) complains that the younger members of the crew have not the same chanccs of winning the competitions as the older and more experienced. Well, well lad that may be correct Loo. I expect the cabin boys and the younger stewardesses would find it a handicap. This week I have decide] to run a competition . for members under the age of 10 years. It has been sent in by a Petty Officer, who [ wiil ask to keep it a secret till next week. Take eleven matches and without I reducing the number, show me how they can make, nine. Now think hard and' send me in the result, tljc fi'=t two with the correct solution will rcccivc free picture tickrt.v.