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

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 136, 1 August 1941, Page 6

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

PETER m£ WHALER s_- Qf WHALE ISLAND

"What ho, what ho, ma hearties. Heave to, and let us .step ashore a! the J)leak Campbell Islands. What vicatlier to be travelling south to be sure. Still the sun shines and the sky is blue. It's only the nights tli.il are cold. It's well to keep j*our warm woollies on just the same, The islands certainly look green alright but they tell me that when a storm blows in off the south the conditions are absolutely freezing. Yes, those are houses you can see above the beach, but there is nobody living there. They were built years ago bv an Auckland firm which thought the islands would be g"0:0u for sheep farming. Well they were for a while but the icy climate in winter and the utter loneliness made the men who they sent there to lookafter the sheep decide that 1 home was best after all, and they refused to stay. Most of the sheep Avcrc shipped back to New Zealand but there arc still some wild ones, and these have grown shaggy coats of avool so thick that they can Avitilstand even the Avorst Aveather and not feci the cold. HoAvcA'er, let's loaver aAvay the long boat and go asho.re. What's this? Surely it can't be. But yes it is, a A'vhole colony of King Penguins. Ain't they Avhoppers. Well, avcll, Avell, I didn't think they could get so far north. Thej T 're here alright and they don't seem to mind our boat at all. Let's get a good look at them. You know I guess avc arc the first people somX' of them have ever seen. No, they're not so sure of themselves iioav. Off they go, hobbling and tumbling round to the next bay. But the young ones seem quite fearless. Yes I see s:ome of you can even go up to them and ma:cc friends. Neat little things aren't they? Well, corns along and let us push on to the houses, if the old stoA'es or fireplaces are in good order avc Avill make a cup of tea, and then set off to plore the place. Till next Aveek your old friend Peter the Whaler.

OUR STORY A FAIRY ST. GEORGE A fairy messenger rode up to the palace trembling with fright. "Inform the gracious queen that a monstrous dragon is coming this way with great speed," 1 he s'a.u.l through trembling Mps. "Alas!" cried the good queen when she heard. "I fear my Jnagic Avand cannot charm dragons, and the only way to stop him is to feed him with fairies." "No! No!" cried her subjects when they heard. "Is there no other possible way?" But the good Queen could find no answer to the problem. But one wizard' thought that if any person could solve the answer he would have in hand the Queen's daughter, the lovely Princess 1 Maud. Meanwhile the dragon had arrived in fairyland. From his huge nostrils came icy blasts which froze his victims whom he would then eat., This -terrible monster, brought storms frost and snow to the stricken fairyland where once sunshine glowed. Many of the fairies died from the cold. One day a prince came to the Queen, "Al'l I want," he said, "is? a trustworthy band who will obey my commands/'' Many fairies responded to his request and lie picked out three of them. One, to a magic spring in the east, he sent, for a cup of its water. Another he told to bake a cake for the dragon, made or magic meal, and the third, to mUke a sword of the finest s'teel. When all these tilings were brought to him he flew quickly to a place where he knew the dragon wou\:l pass. A is snon as he had hidden, after having placed the cake in view to the dragon, he drew out his sword. The b-agon, dying past, spied it with his greedy eves - , and swooped down l<> eat it. Immediately lie had co? y sainrd it, a deep sleep fell upon him. The prince, coming out of his hiding place, cut off the dragon's head with one sweep oT his sword. Then, Ivinging on! (.lie cup of magi.* •water, he Ihrow it on (he monster. Tl'"h dragon disappeared, and in its

place stood all the fairies who Wad died during the dragon's stay. All the snow disappeared and fairyland was happy again. The gallant Prince married the lovely Princess and when they ascended to the throne, all fairjdand cchocd witli the clapping and cheering of its' loyal subjects.

JOKE CORNER Correct Teacher: What five words do pupils use most? Tommy: Please, sir, T don't know. Tcachcr: H'in—correct. Slightly Mixed "I beg your pardon, ma'am," said the newly arrived Irish maid to the officer's wife, "but is it Colonel* or Major I should be calling the Captain?" Not Much Billy: My brother fell this morning and hit his head against the piano. Tommy: Was he hurt much? BilKy: No, you see it was. against the soft pedal lie fell. Hee'-Haw! A small boy, leading a donkey, passed by, the military camp. A couple of soldiers wanted to have some fun with the lad. "What are you holding on to 3 r our bro'ther so tight for, sonny?" said one of them. "So he won't join the army," tjji'e youngster replied. A Doubtful Privilege "You can't pass this way. sir," said the country policeman. "I've had orders' to turn back all cars that come along this road." "But I'm the Chief Constable," declared the motorist. "Sorry, sir, I didn't know. I got orders to let no traffic through because of the rotten bridge; but seeing it's you, sir, it's a pleasure. Go right ahead, sir."

QUEER SAYINGS My little nicce, aged four ycar.% was eating some fish the other day when she said to my mother: ''Oh, grandma, you never took all the leaves off the fish.'" (Meaning the scales). e • • ® One day I told a little Froggic if I didn't hurry the teacher would give me the cane, and lie asked: "To bring home?" • • »' • A little Froggic, on being aske'd why a hedgehog was sitting at the dentist's door, said: "Oh, it's waiting to get its' tooth out." ■« « • • One day I was getting my little cousin, aged three, a drink, when he looked up me very solemnly, anil said: "How did you grow?'" « ■ « • A little girl l who had never been in the country was taken there fur a daj-'s outing, and when she saw the woods she said: ''What street is this?" a w a a> Last night my little sister fell out of bed, and when I asked her if ,s;hc was on the floor, she "No, I am not; but my feet are."

RIDDLE POT When docs a chair dislike yon?— When it cannot bear you. Why is a nobleman like a boojk? —Because lie has a title. With what animals do Ave always go to bed? —With two calves. Why is a mouse like a haystack? —Because the cat'll eat it. How may book-keeping be taught in three words?— Never lend them. Of what gender is the National Anthem?— Masculine. It is a hymn. Why was the first day of A darn'ls Vife the longest?— Because it had no Eve, Why is a mad man like two men? —Because lie is a man beside himself.

LAST WEEKS COMPETITION JUMBLED WORDS I ask you, what can poor old Peter do with twenty-six entries of which eleven were right, and he is only allowed to award three free picture tickets eh? The trouble with most of those who were infcorrect was that they forgot to answer the main thing—what the little girl liked doing best. Now here is the verse just as you should have written it— To-day I have a birthday, And oil, I'm feeling great! For such a lot of things I've found Around my breakfast plate. A box of pins from Hetty, Some needles from cousin Gwen. A roll of tape from Betty, A bodkin from little Ben; A thimble came from Grannie And Auntie sent some thread; Some wool from dear old Nannie, Some co'tton from Uncle Fred; From Dad a pair of scissors In a crimson velvet case From Mum a lovely work box To keep my things in place. I've told you all my presents' Now you can do the rest, That is to find out what it is, That I like doing best ? And the answer was 'needlework.' Some of you put sewing. Well that will do as well, and I am counting it as correct. I will go through the entries and bccause there were no tickets awarded last week, I am going to try and sneak in 'six' this time. Alright then, here are the winners— Donald McKenzie Ailsa Bagley Barbara Wallace Patricia Hancock May Hanham Pauline Stewart The tickets were awarded for neatness and punctuation as we'll as being right. Call and collect. P.T.W.

THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION I have not tried you out on yotir poetical phrasing for a long time. I wonder if you can complete the final line of the following stanza : Old Pimbo is a merry clown Who laughs the whole day through He always has a hapin* face, Remember, free picture tickets for the best three entries.