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

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 143, 5 April 1940, Page 7

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

PETER THE WHALER of WHALE .ISLAND

What Ho! What Ho! Ma Hearties. Here we all are treading the soil of •Soviet Russia and yet. strange as it may seem, Ave have no tear of persecution or anything else which we might have expccted. You see, our Russian friends are more curious than hostile. You will remember how closely they examined our •clothing; how loudly they laughed at our language and how shocked "they were to see the food Ave ate. They would like us to join with them in eating the food they eat. 'But I am sure you wouldn't like to feed on sun-dried fish, frogs, ratafia, *or Kike-warm cod-oil. Nos I think we -will stick to our good olcl diet of hacon and eggs in the morning* ham 'sandwiches and coffee for lunch and roast beef, vegetables and pudding "£or tea. See how Avell-wrapped everybody is. Fur caps and hoods "for the women are the general rule, while the little children go about like woolly bears. lam glad we rtook on plenty of warm under•clothing before we left Whakatane, Mr Patterson and Mr Bridger gave us all the}' had and I think there is just enough. Well, lads and lassies, we mustn't stay long in Russia. I want you all aboard by sixo'clock this evening and the S.S. Good Endeavour trimmed and ready to sail first thing in the morning l'or the famous Norwegian fiords. This will lie a beautiful trip and Ave are very lucky to be able, to include them in our world voyage. Plenty of good food and heaps of exercise will keep you warm and well in these cold regions and I'm sure that when we return home your mothers and lathers will scarcely know you. Cheerio till next Aveek H when we will meet and discuss the sccnery and the people of Norway. ..

OUR STORY THE ELF WHO STOPPED THE TRAIN One fine morning, a very crosslooking elf, sat under a rhubarb leaf grumbling to himself like anything. "Oh," he , 'muttered,; '"So I'm" to lose my job, am I? I'll' see about that. Lose my job indeed! We'll see.'* He might have kept on like this, .a long time, but suddenly something interrupted him.. That something was a little- black and white dog. which came yelping and dashing through the grass, making a tremendous noise. And no wonder, because there was a tin can tied on his.tail'. He rushed by the rhubarb leaf and knocked the elf. over. "Here, here! Hi, hi!" yelled the elf. The dog stopped in surprise, then caught sight of the little fellow. "Hallo!" he said. "Thank goodness I've met someone. Just take this thing off my tail, -will you?" "Well, you might look where you are going!" groAvled the elf, rubbing his shins, "Take what off where? Oh, that tin. How can I? I cant reach!'" "Do please try! You've no idea how horrid it is to have a tin on your tail. A nasty little boy tied it on. Jump in the tin. then you'll be able to reach it." keep still, and I'll trj\'* 'JJly name's Mugglechump. 1 keep the news-shop in Elfkin Land There aren't any newspapers, yoi know, but I put all the news in mj window, then all the people read i together, and talk about it. Outsid* on fine mornings, and inside m] shop when it rains." Muggltechump gave a great sigh then he went on: "But only this morning the May or said that I must lose mj' job, be cause there's never any exciting news in my shop nowadays.'* Poor Mugglechump grunted and groaned, and sighed as lie climbed up the side of the tin and dropped inside. "You do seem a misery," said the dog. "But anyway* thanks for helping me. My name's Waggles. Woh! Be careful! That hurts!" "Sorry, but I can't help it," said Mugglechump, pulling on the string. 'I'm doing my best." l

1 He was tugging away, with Waggles trying not to yelp, when something happened. Whistling was heard, and Waggles was oil like a shot. He Hew over the ground, while clank, clank, went the tin, bumping on the ground with poor Mugglechump inside. On went Waggles. Right through the big field he rushed, up the railway bank, down the other side, never stopping until he dashel through the open window of a railway carriage belonging to a train that was standing there. "Saved!'* lie gasped, squeezing himself, the tin-can, and Mugglechump under the seat'. "Oh!" cried Mugglechump "where are we? I don't feel very saved. I'm bruised all over.' "Never mind!" replied Waggles. "That boy won't find me here. I heard him whistling. That's why I ran." "Ugh!" groaned Mugglechump. "Let me out!"' But now there was a clanking and a grinding, and the train began to move. "We're off!" said Waggles, with a sigh of relief. "Oh, we're olf, are we! And what is to happen to me?" asked Mugglechump indignantly. "I don't know,'" answered Waggles, - yawning. "You sec, T"m used to railways. I once belonged, to a railway man, but one day I jumped on to a train, which was silly, of course. Then I jumped off again in a strange place, which was sillier still. Since then I've been lost, and heaps of strange adventures have come my way." "Adventures!" echoed Mugglechump. "If only I could have a few to put in my news-shop." "Well., you can have some, if'you' like. See that cord lip there? Well, pull that, and the train will stop. You tiy." Mugglechump gazed at the cord and felt dizzy, then he sprang. Luckily,, he caught on to the cord and there he hung. He wasn't very big, but his weight was just enough to pull it. There was more clanking and grinding, the train went, slower and slower. Then it came to a stop. Of course, it was one of the greatest railway mysteries ever known. No one ever found out who stopped that train. The guard thought it must have been the bright little dog with a tin can tied to his tail: Anyway,' lie adopted Waggles, and kept telling all his friends what an intelligent dog he was. But r what happened to Mugglechump? After a weary return journey he readied his home. The next morning he got up early and wrote cut all his adventure, and put it in his shop .window. Then he became quite famous, because all the important people of. Elf kin. Land, including the Mayor, came to the shop, and all the other elves'met there. They talked and talked, and some took photos of Mugglechump, and after that he Avas always being invited out to parties, because he was the only elf who had ever been known to stop a train. THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION ! MORE COLOURING \ Here w T e see father just netting a fine fat trout he has caught. I think I will give you a change in J the competition and as colouring seems to be more popular than rhyming I want you to colour in ' the picture and ccnd it along to me. The three best will receive free picture tickets with my best compliments. P.T.W.

LAST WEEKS COMPETITION FINIDINC THE MISSING LINK The Hoval Mail of bygone days, It carried our letters by divers Avays O'er hill and dale it rolled along, Through swamp and forest and gorges long; But noAV to-day by 'bus and rail,* Our Postal SerA'ice cannot i'ail To bring our parcels and Christmas letters, There was only one answer and this Avas from Charlie Ariner, avlio puts doAvn the following line: — "Now old Peter's trying to get us" Quite a good answer, Charrie, my boy, but you are Avrong. I simply meant to try you out and see how clever you Avcre. Congratulations, your free ticket awaits you at the BEACON Office.

JOKE CORNER Sticky Work "Can I see your father, Tommy?" announced the A'isitor when the lad opened the door. "I don't think so,"' Tommy replied. "He is rather Avrappcd up in his Avork at the moment." "Really?" exclaimed the visitor in astonishment. "Yes; he is trying to paper the parlour!'* « » o * We Hope Not A country school Avas being visited by a man who thought he kneAV everything. The headmaster Avas asking the pupils questions. "Who signed the Magna Charta?" he asked, turning to one boy. "Please, sir, it Avasn't me," Avhimp ered the youngster. The teacher, in disgust, told him to take hiis seat,, but the old to-bacco-chcAving countryman was not satisfied. "Why don't you call that boy back?" he asked. "I don't like his manner; I believe lie did do it.' 'm* * »

Poor Daddy! "Now, this is really too kind of you," began the Avealthy relative to the little daughter of one of her poor relations. She took the parcel from the girl's hand and began to unwrap the birthday „gii t. "I wonder Avhat it can be?" she hazarded, Avitli a smile. "It's a fish," declared the child. "A fish?" echoed the other. "Yes," confirmed, the little girl, innocently. "Daddy said it Avas a sprat to catch a mackerel." sp * * • ® Why is a burglar a reasonable man? —He's always open to conviction . Who do we often catch and tryto get rid of? —A cold. When are boots like : lea\*es? — When they are on trees. Can you change a boy into a man in three letters? —A.G.E. What has no legs, but can run very fast?—A Avater tap. * 3 « » Amiable The shopper Avas on her Avay out after leaA'ing her list of groceries to be deliAered,. Suddenly she turned and said coldly: "Never mind the onions Mr Dugan. I see the cat is sleeping on

them."' • • "Bless you, ma'am! She won't mind me Avaking her up!" EVENING NOVELTIES CORK IN THE BOTTLE Take a bottle, and a cork small enough to drop into it. Turn the bottle on its side; lay the cork in the mouth, and try to bIoAV it in. i Bloav it hard, and it Avill come out and hit you in the face. The Avay to bIiOAV it in: Take a piece of paper, roll it up like a tube smaller than the cork, bIoAV Avith it right at the back of the cork, and it Avill go in at once. PRISONER Tell a guest that you Avill put him in such a position by clasping his hands that he Avill not! be able to leaA-e the room Avithout unclasping them, although you will, do nothing to his feet or stop his exit. (What you do is to simply clasp his hands round the leg of the table or anything too big to be dragged through the doorway).