OUR STORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 11, 1 October 1943, Page 6

OUR STORY

THE SUNDIAL Peter was staying with his uncle. In the middle of his visit Uncle Hugh had to go away for a week. Then he ,wrote saying: "11 shall be passing through our station at six o'clock on Thursday. Please bring my camera to the train. T want to take lit to London to be altered. If I send it by post it may get broken." On Thursday afternoon Peter got the camera and laid it on the hall table, handy. Mrs Dale, who looked after the house, went, out after tea, leaving him alone. He played by the stream for some time. Then lie thought he would go and look at the time by the kitchen clock. It must be nearly time for him to start. But he found the kitchen clock had stopped, and that was the only one in the house. The house was in a lane, and no one. was passing the gate or he could have asked for the time and started the clock. This was very awkward. What should he do ? Suddenly Peter thought of the sundial. I'.t was a good idea. He said to himself, "Uncle Hugh said the sundial was quite true. He showfed me exactly how to tell the time by if." i It seemed an exciting thing to ' happen that he should really use ■ the sundial for something important. So he went to look at it. lit stood ■ in the. middle of a little lawn. The sun was shining brightly and there was a sharp, clear shadow on the | dial. It was half-past. four. Itt was a long time before he could start. He got an exciting book about Indians, and sat on the stop of his new clock to that he could keep jumping up to watch the shadow creeping closer to six o'clock. It seemed a very long evening. He allowed himself ten minutes to get to the station, and walked there with the camera safely in his arms. The station master came, up and asked him what train he wanted. When Peter explained the man said, "Oh, that train went through nearly half an hour ago. I saw your uncle leaning out looking for you." Peter was most puzzled,, and very sorry. He. said, to himself, "But it was not really my fault. Some-, thing must have gone wrong with the sundial." On Saturday Uncle Hugh arrived home, and said: "Why, Peter, you didn't bring my camera!" Peter explained what had happened,, and added: "So you see Ave can't trust the sundial after all." Uncle Hugh laughed and. said: "The sundial is all right. You forgot about summer time, that was all! j It made you exactly half an hour late for my train. The sun and the sundial don't take any notice of our arrangements about summer time." This interested Peter very much. Alter that he got quite friendly with the sund.ial.