THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 92, 24 November 1939, Page 2

THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

8 jtj: for the Goodwill Cruise

"mE WHALER O of WHALE ISLAND

Hongkong is an amazing -port. After our stroll round the town with the British Governor, I'm sure you will agree that it was fascinating to a degree. You saw how in the Chinese quarter they still have the rickshaws, with strong Chinese coolies pulling them through the narrow rickety streets. Did you see that wonderful temple, by the waterfront. The Governor was telling me that it was 800 years old and that the giant cherry trees in the beautiful gardens were supposed to be just about the same age. These people are mostly the followers of Confucious, who was a very old and wise prophet, about 2000 years ago. He wrote the Chinese bible and founded the religion which most of the Chinese follow to-day. There are also many other religions, but i you will find that on the whole they look to Confucious and follow strictly along the lines he set down. [ saw that most of you were shocked at the number of poor in the streets. There were beggers too, at almost every street corner. You see, in spite of being a very wealthy city in many respects, Hongkong is also one of the poorest. Many of the thousands of refugees from the areas occupied by the Japanese are desparalely poor. They haven't a thing and hundreds of them sleep in the gutters of the slums. Doesn't it seem sad. In the mornings you will see them making small miserable fires on the pavements, with which to cook their meagre breakfasts. How lucky we are to be living in so much comfort compared to those poor people, in Hongkong, who through no fault of. their own have been reduced to so much poverty. OUR STORY A TRIUMPH FOR HORSE It would soon be dark in Farmer Ben's big farm barn, for the days had been lengthening for some time. Although it was not spring, there had been some quite warm days one after another, so that Reginald Robin, who lived in the barn all winter, had been out and about almost as if spring had really come. Now he swung 011 the clothesline that Farmer Ben had thoughtfully put up for liim from one side of the barn to the other, although, of course, nobody would ever hang any wash on it. For one tiling, nobody ever hangs the wash in the barn, and for another, the clothesline was too high up. But it was a grand thing for Reginald Robin, to perch on, and, as everybody knows, robins enjoy perching on clotheslines. Farmer Ben had said, when he clnmbed down the ladder after putting it up, "Well there! I guess the little feller will like that," and so Reginald Robin had.

In their stalls Farmer Ben's calm capable coav and his stout strong horse ate their suppers and looked at the sunset out of the windows that Farmer Ben had thoughtfully made for them, and in his part of the barn Farmer Ben's plump pink pig ate his supper without looking at anything. Truth to tell, Farmer Ben's plump pink pig cared little for sunsets and a lot for supper. Now and then the calm, capable cow heard the stout, strong horse laugh. "What are you laughing at?" mooed the calm capable coav. "I'm laughing, too," chirped Reginald Robin from the clothesline. "Only you don't hear me because I don't laugh very Loud. I saw him." "Laughing in his sleeve, as the humans say," grunted the plump pink pig. "Only he hasn't got any sleeve. What's the jolly joke, Reginald?" "It was on Farmer Ben and the family automobile," chirped Reginald Robin. "Ha-ha!" neighed the stout strong liorse. "Where would that family automobile be now without me, Reg inald Robin?" "Stuck in the mud," chirped Reginald Robin. "What are you two chirping and neighing about?" mooed the calm capable cow. "What's the jolly joke?" grunted the plump pink pig.

"You tell tliem, Reginald.'" neigh . ?d the .stout strong horse. "This was what happened, (low and Pig," chirped Reginald Robin. "Farmer Ben gol out the family aut'oniobile to go somewhere, and of course all !he dear children, Roger, Reuben, Robert, Harriet and Hyacinth, wanted to go with him. So in thej r piled and off they went. I Hew along after, down the hill toward the village. There was a soft muddy spot at the bottom of the. hill and there they stuck." "Could not go any more," neighed the stout strong horse. "The wheels went round all right" chirped Reginald Robin, "but they just went round and round in the same place. Well, after a white Farmer Ben stopped making the wheels go round and got out and tried to push the automobile. Then! Roger got out and tried to help Papa. And then Reuben got out and tried to help Roger and Papa. And after another while Robert got out tried to help Papa and Reuben and Roger. And then Harriet and Hyacinth got out and helped Papa and Roger and Reuben and Robert" "That was where I came in," neighed the stout strong horse. "So you did, you did," chirped Reginald Robin. "The children got back in the automobile and Farmer Ben trudged up the hill and got Horse. And after he'd hitched Horse to the back to the automobile, Horse gave one good long pull and the automobile came out of the mud^

MUTINY Now this week I have received a letter, which grown-ups call 'anonymous.' That means, that the person sending it in did not sign his or her name. As a rule I don't take much notice of them, biit after careful thought, I am going to let you know what was in it, as I hope ail members of'my crew send in only their own work in the competitions and not that which has been done by their elders. The letter reads: "Last week I see that you gave tickets to the neatest three. Don't you ever compare the writing because got a ticket and he got his sister to write it out for him. If this is allowed I think I will get my sister to write mine out for me. But. I don't think it's fair to other members of the crew, do you? Do try and make some rules, as il is not much good us trying to coinpete against our eldc v s." ONE OF THE CREW. Now shipmates, attention all. You know that I have no ways of finding out if you write your own competitions. I just have to put you on your honour to do what is right. I avp.s disappointed to learn that per haps this sort of thing must be going on, but am going to try and forget it. Now listen, I want you to be honest and try to win by your own efforts alone. The competitions are for you, not for big sisters, brothers or parents. Do you best and you will be better boys and girls, even if you don't win prizes. Peter the Whaler.

A BAFFLING CARD TRICK This card trick is well worth a little secret preparation. Before showing the trick take a length of cotton the same colour as your suit or dress. Fix one end of the cotton to the last button on your waistcoat or a button on 3 T our dress, and to the loose end fix a small piece wax. Stick the piece of wax on top of the button so that the forms a long loop.

Show the trick in the twilight or in a fairly dark corner of the room. Take a full pack of playing cards and invite a friend to shuffle them. When the cards are returned make them into a fan-shape, ask your friend to take one, note its value, and give it to you back.

Whilst your friend is examining the card, take the wax end of the card off the button. When the card is handed back to you, stick, the wax on the back. Place the card in the pack, cut them, wave your hand over it, and then, by pulling the cotton you can get the card which your chum chose.

THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION

WHAT AM I ?

LAST WEEK'S COMPETITION!

My first is in bead, and also in hand:. My second in Frock, but not in hat; My third is in now,,but not in how; My fourth is in not, but not in what; My fifth is in egg, but not in jam: My sixth is in you, and also in young; My whole, you can ride on. Just guess what poor old Peter the Whaler is, sometimes, according to the above rhyme, and send in the answer. The best three "will receive free picture tickets with my best compliments. DO YOU KNOW—? That the word "monitor" is from the Latin meaning "showing t'he way to others." It is for this reason that school prefects are known as monitors, and also why shallowdraught warships are known by the same name. That an ovation was not always what it is to-day. In the days when Rome was the greatest city in the world it was used to denote the reception of a minor victorious general upon his return from the wars. A major victorious general received a triumph.

That large birds seldom attack men unless provoked. All the same, many travellers have had alarming experiences with condors, which are found in the South American Andes and are the largest flying birds in the world.

That the familiar round baskets are not used at Covent Garden fruit market nearly so much as they used to be. Nowadays shallow, wooden boxes are more popular.

COMPLETING THE RHYME T saw a big fat bowler Standing on the lawn, And when I asked him how to play He looked at me with scorn. "My little man," said he with pride, "You'll have to grow much bigger, And if you want to play good bowls, _ Jf There are not many poets in my crew, I can see. Only four answers, and these included one which was well out of the furrow. Here are the winners: Sjdvia Sims: "You'll have to use your vigour." Diana Wilson: "You must fill out your figure." Jocelyn Wilson: "You'll need a bowler's figure." G. Moore sent in a quite a good attempt but missed the rhyming line. His entry read "Just try pitching stones at telephone poles." Well, well, well, I can't see how that would help you to become good at bowls, but I don't think you should try it? RIDDLE POT What colour is the grass when covered with snow?—lnvisible green Why is bread like the sun? —Because when it rises it is light. When is a bonnet not a bonnet? —When it becomes a pretty woman. When is a kitten like a teapot? —When you're teasin'" it (tea's in it) • _ When is a fruit stalk a good swim mer? —When it stems the currants. If you go into a cheese factory what smells the most?— Your nose. Why is a British sailor like mud? —Because they both contain grit. What is most like a cat looking, out of a window?—A cat looking in. What coat is finished without buttons and put on wet? —A cdat of paint. Why is the letter T like an island? —Because it is in the middle of water. What is more remarkable than Jonah in the whale?— Three men in a fly. Why is the earth like a school 1 slate?— Because the boys and girls multiply upon it. A MORNING RESOLVE I will this day try to live a simple, sincere, and serene life; repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, chairity, and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike trust in God.