THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 200, 16 August 1940, Page 7

THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY

Ahoy there; what ho and heave to for here we are aboard the train at last. We have had to out • out oui trip to New Orleans as we < could not manage it this time. Yes the weather is hot, but of 'Course you know it always is in -.Mexico. 'Now hold tight to those ' big bats we bought when we start- \ ved off, and you'd better keep your sun "glasses handy. You'll all need ■■'them "by niid-day in this sunny land.. Why, yes! course this is where we get coffee, rice, and maize besidesi lots of other things. We are bound straight for Mexico City but we can see lots -of interesting tilings on the way - and observe the people of this coun try in their quaint Mexican dress. There 'is a - 'Mexican rider all complete, looking "just like what we see in the pictures with his huge hat -called a sombrero. That's not at all 'like Daddy loo"ks when he rides round the farm is it? On we go passing on our way such curious ""houses which are not made of wood like our places In New Zealand. 'They are/ called "Adobe" houses, ■and the quadrangle or enclosure "which each has is called a patio. Well the sea seems very far away now, but we ought to _ see some 'beautiful "lakes later oh in our journey, as we get nearer to Mexico 'City because there are six lakes in where this city is built. r °S?<|3rjargest' one is called Lake ( VTezcuco. So with a wave of the hand and "Adios" which is the "Mexican word for Good-bye we will • continue our travel next week. ; "Welcome to shipmate David Sul'livan who is* S years old and has ..just joined up with the crew of the ••flood Endeavour League. A hearty hand shake and a pat on the back 'David from the old salt Peter the Whaler. We will soon appoint you to a post among the crew of that ?good ship Endeavour. OUR STORY "THE WONDERFUL VIOLIN "Why, Billy, what ever is the .matter? I have never seen daddy Jook so sad as he is to-day,," little .Beryl Trent told her brother anxiously . "I'm afraid the shop is not doing ..at all well," Billy replied, shaking his head gloomily.' '"You see, in these days, when everyone has wire, less and radiograms, very few people Avant to play the violin or 'cello :and there are hardly any left to be attended.'" "Well, I .think it is ever such a : shame!" Beryl cri/ed indignantly. "Daddy's family have had this shop for over a hundred years, and no •one can mend violins as well as he" But, as Billy had said, there Were few violins to mend in the big, modern town, and the little old shop -was tucked away in a side street where people seldom came. Mr Trent might have been able to have something elss, but he had hurt himself badly in a fall a long time back, and since then he had been top lame to get about properly don't you worry, Beryl. am a little older I will earn enough money to keep us all," Billy said stoutly. "I think—Oh, there is Daddy call ing from the. shop!" said Beryl, and they ran along to where their father was sitting in his high-backed •chair behind the counter. He was looking very grave as he -said: "Children, I think we might make some extra money if you •went up to the storeroom and open ed that big chest over by the fireplace. You will find it full of all sorts of things. Among them are several very old violins, and if you bring them carefully down here I •will polish them up and put new strings on. Then you musft take them out and try to sell them." They went up to the storeroom over the shop, and as Billy threw open the big chest, there, sure enough, were several violins. They looked ever so old and covered with dust, and there were no strings to them. -

[Aboard for fhe Goodwill Cruise |p PETER THE WHALER _ of WHALE ISLAND

"They cannot have been played for years and years!'" Billy remarked, as they took the violins downstairs again. . But in a very short time they were looking very different indeed under Mr Trent's: skilful fingers. Then, when every tiling was quite ready, the children set oft' with the addresses they were to go to written down on a piece of paper. The first few houses they called at were very disappointing. People did not seem the least bit interested in two children trying to sell old violins, and when they called at the fifth place—a big house, up a long drive —they were feeling very down hearted.( "I am afraid we shall never make any money at this rate!" 1 Beryl sighed,' while they waited for the door to be answered. It was opened suddenly, and they found themselves face to face with an old gentleman who had long white hair and the merriest blue eyes they had evei; seen. "Please, are you Mr Brendon?" asked Billyh and the old gen tleman nodded. Billy explained what they were there for, and Mr Brendon said cheerfully: "Well! violins, indeed! Gome in and let me look at them!" He made them put the violins down on a table and then began to look at them. Rather to their surprise, he pulled out a magnifying glass and suddenly seemed very interested indeed. "Where did you get this violin?" he asked. "In our storeroom," Beryl explain ed. "It's very old, isn't it? 'It is not only old," Mr Brendon said. 'Look at the name written on the back. Your father certainly did not see that before he sent you out with it." The children 1 looked hard, and they could make out a queer, foreign name and a date written at' the back of the violin. "'A Stradivari. 1721.' What ever does that mean?" gasped Billy. "That is the name of the maker and the year it was made," the old gentleman explained, his eyes twink ling with excitement. "That man's violins are the most famous in the world, and very rare. I am going to buy it from your father myself, and you may be sure I will pay him well."' Mr Brendon took the children back to the shop in his car. And after the violin had been shown to their delighted father, the old musician said: "You will never want money again now. I will not only pay you a big sum for th,is violin, but I will seg that your shop always has enough customers in future!" . And hq was as good as his word. LAST WEEK'S COMPETITION! Four entries only arrived for the competition. How is this. Have the crew lost their crayons or is their sense of colour on the wane? Wake up ship mates and show the artistic talent, I am sure you. have in you, The winners are Midshipman Charlie Armer and Midshipmaid Janette McLeod. ' THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION Write a little story round this picture and tell me what you think it means. The best three will- win free picture tickets with my compliments. Peter the Whaler.

RIDDLE POT What is that which ii" you name it, you breathe it? Silence. m * • • Why is a cat's tail like a long journey? Because it's l'ur (far) to the end. # .Why is a kitten's tail like a short journey? Because it's not so fur (iar) to the end.

I JOKE CORNER Wanted a boy to open oysters with' a reference. m m « * Just after the '"local'' had closed, a man stumbled through the dark night into an ambulance first aid post.. ' This the casualty place?" he asked. "It is," replied the official on duty. "What's the trouble?" "I've been,.stung by a wasp!'" "Well, we can't treat you here." "Why not? Ain't I an air raid victim?" • » • » "Is Joe's car good for much speed?" "Say, the only dust you could raise in it would come from the upholstery." '»'••• Customer: But are you sure that this is a genuine antique? Salesman: Certainly, madam. 1 can refer'you to the manufacturer in Grand Rapids who makes them for us. ■ a « <• Little Willie had stayed for dinner at the neighbour's house. "You did not expect to have so many neople to dinner, did you?" he asked the host. "Did a little bird tell you?" "Yeah, the little piece of chicken on my plate." * 9 « » "The office boys at our plate of business had a sit-down strike for three weeks last month." ".-V sit-down strike for three ■weeks? Goodness, why didn't you settle it sooner?" "Because it was that long before v.'o realised they were striking!" m«» » J Willie: Pa, what is a critic? ! Pa: A stowaway on the flight to someone else's imagination! * « a * "And how is the Ladies' Needle work Guild getting along?" "Oh, sew-sew! 5 ' m m m * An old lady of the village was very angry because she had not invited to an outing her friends had arranged. On the morning of the event the hostess relented and asked her to come. "It's too late." she snapped. "I've already prayed for rain." TWO GOOD GAMES CARD TRICK i Try this card trick. Take a pack j of plaving cards and ask a member of your audience to select three of the cards and drop them in a hat whnch you should hold in your I hand. These cards should be placed lace upwards in the hat. ■Raise the inside hat band to prevent a view of the cards, and then lift the. hat above the level of your eyes. Your friends will be surprised when you name the cards and produce them one by one in the order named. j • Here is the secret of the trick. Use a very old hat, and cut a hole under the ribbon band. The hole i will be covered by the head-band on the inside and the ribbon band on the outside. Push the ribbon j away with your thumb and look, | through the hole in the hat. First ! of all, name a card, produce it and | so on.