THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 65, 22 September 1939, Page 2

THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

I I board for the Goodwill Cruisej i the whaler . O of WHALE ISLAND

So here we are ma henrtiev, sife and sound in the land oi' hula hi las coeoanu is and palm bca-jhes. Tahiti is certainly 0110 of the wonder spots of tlie world. You see how fiiendjy the natives are. They are perhaps the most carefree on earth and certainly they have every reason to be so in such beautiful surroundings. They have soft black hair and faces that are onlj r light brown. In fact I have seen many Maoris who are much dark er. There on the foreshore a group of native girls are giving a dance of welcome to us. Come along with mo and let's listen to them. See that old chap on the ground tapping a tomtom drum. That actuality is the only thing they have to keep time with. I have heard of the ukulelo being used but the real old-time dances were performed only to the drum and the singing of those taking part in the dance. There lads and lassies, don't you think they are very graceful In their movements. Righto, then,, heli) me give them a good old clap, and after that we will go and have some French ie- cream on the beach in the shade of the palm trees. Next week we'll turn the old ship towards Hawaii. So I want all the stewardesses to get the ship's linen in order, and have the storeroom filled with supplies, OUR STORY THE RESCUE RUPERT Koko and Candy were two little black boys who lived far away in Africa. They were as like as two black currants, for they were twins, As their mother had five other chil' dren they were allowed to do pretty much as they liked. Their father. Big Bongo, worked on a farm belonging to the big whits man,, Bwaaa Jameson, who lived in the big house two miles away through the forest. The twins lived in a little, round, mud hut under the coconut palms beside the river. The thing they wanted more than ' anything else in the world was a boat of their own but though they asked their father for one many times he always "aid, "Well, perhaps some daj'.And that was all. In the evening the men came home j from the fields, and the smell Oi I cooking rice from the village. When I supper was over the natives sat round j their fires and sang their strange [ songs until it was time for bed. j One evening after a very hot day, | the twins grew restless, and stealing a,way from the fire went down to the river and crawled out on to their favourite branch. Suddenly they heard the cry of an animal. The forest was full of cries and calls, but th's sound was different. The twius lifted their heads and listened. It came again and again. "Sounds like something in trouble'"' said Koko. "Let's go and see." Softly they dropped down from the j branch to the ground and slid through the bushes in the direction of the sound. It was difficult making their way through the brambles, but at last they saw something whitc a and pushing aside the bushes they came upon a little dog, caught among the long thorns. After several minutes of hard work they managed to set the dog free, and Koko picked it up and carried it down to the river. There they -careI fully picked the thorns out of its little paws and soon it stopped shivering and began to wag its tail. Koko and Candy looked hard at the little thing. It was very beautiful, and they knew at once it didn't belong to the village. There were many dogs in the village, but they were quite different and were only kept by the natives to protect the goats at night. This dog must belong to the little white girl who lived up at the big house. Their father had often told them of Miss Angela and her small dog. They must take it to her at once. Cand}- picked up the dog in his amis and with Koko at liis heels they started off. It was quite dark now, and the moon made a pathway of light over the river. Koko and Candj- had never been cut by them.-* selves at night before, for they were still very young.

Soon they began to feel tired. It was pa&t their bedtime and they had a long way to go. The little dop seemecl to get heavier and heavier though they took turns in carrying him. The forest was full of strange noises. An owl hooted above their heads and the crickets shrilled continuously at their feet. Far away in the distance a hyena, laughed. Then a deer rose suddenly out of the under* growth beside them, and a bat flew past within art inch of their nosesl But they bravely stumbled on. Meanwhile,, in the nursery of th-j big house, Angela cried and cried. Rupert, her little dog, had been missing all day, and though she had searched, whistling and calling, he could not be found. Her ayah had said he was sure to come home for supper, but he hadnH. Downstairs they were having a party. The big French windows were standing wide open,, and in the brightly lit drawing room people were dancing. Koko an-d Candy, hearing the music and seeing the lights, stumbled up to the window and gazed in. Suddenly Angela's father saw them. "Hullo!" he said. "Why, if it isn't Koko and Candy!'" H Ycs Bwana,'' said the twins, "we found the little dog in the forest/" "You wonderful kids,,'* he exclaimed. "Come along, you shall take him up to Angela yourselves.'' Excitedly the twins followed him to the nursery, and as Ihe door opened Angela gave a squeak of delight, for there Avas Rupert safe and sound! "Where did you find him? Oh, where did you find him?" she cried. So the twins told licr the whole story as well a? they could. It was a joyfuii procession that made its way downstairs. The twins were fed on cakes and lemonade,, and when it was time to go two of the houseboys were told to carry the sleepy little boys home. A few days later when Koko and > Candv came home after playing in the forest,, they found a lovely surprise awaiting them. There, by the river bank, moored to their branch and rocking gently on the water, was a beautiful canoe. Tied <to. the seat was a label with the words: "For Rupert's Rescuers" and on the side of the canoe was its name, painted in gold letters, "Aivgela." SAMMY, THE SNAIL Oh, dear, what a bother, said Sammy the Snail, I fear 1 shall never climb out of this pail. I slept all night in the Strawberry bed And woke up this morn'ng with pains in my head, And how I came into this horrible place I haven't a notion—but now for the race. It took him an hour to climb to the I •top And the edge was so slippery he fell over plop! $ list then cgme a thrush with bis head on one side So quick that there wasn't a moment to hide. Tap, tap on his anvil went crashing a shell I * And that was *the end of our poor Samuel. JUNIOR COMPETITION How can you make eleven matches into nine. Answer NINE Winners: Laundress Diana Wilson, Steward Alan Taylor. Cheers. Your tickets await you at the Beacons. DETAILS OF JOINING. Fiv e years and under; Watefbabies. Eight years and over five. Stokers, stewards and deckhands. Fourteen and over eight. Engineers, midshipmen and'petty officers PETER THE WHALER