THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 23, 10 November 1944, Page 6

THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE

What ho, what ho ma hearties. *9 Well here Ave arc again and an's other tip-top line, week-end ahead of us (F hope). Some of you have been asking about Peterkin as I haven't mentioned liim very much during the past few weeks. Well, to tell you the truth, Peterkin has been, having a bit. of a bad spin latelj 7 . He out browsing around the other day when lie came to a hole in the ground. Now Peterkin is a very curious penguin and nothing must do but ' that lie should stick his tail down to sec, ii' there was anything there. lie turned round and put his small .stump into the opening. A few seconds later he jumped about four feet in the air and came racing back to me. holding his tail up in the. air and squeaking as, loud as could. Apparently there was a mutton bird inside, the hole which didn't like the look of Pctc-rkin's tail at all. so it took a good firm grip and started chewing on it. Of course Peterkin, wondered what on ear' h could have happened and thought the end of the world must have come. Any way ? lie is a much wiser penguin now and is rather proud of having his tale all bandaged up. He keeps waving it at Butins'ky and daring him to put his tail down a mutton bird's but Butin&kv is much too spry. Well, that is about all the news from Whale Island this week so I had better close. Cheerio till next. Friday. P.T.W. OUR STORY LAP CHILDREN AT HOME In the, far north of Europe, cmbracing portions of Russia and of the Scandinavian peninsula, is a country called Lapland. It is inrt habited by a people that wc^ know as though they call themselves "Same." They belong to the same race as the Tartars and Samoides, and are a very quaint a,nd primitive people; in fact, one writer who lived several months among them terms them "the queerest people in the world." A Lapp baby is a singular looking object,, you may well beiicve; he is a little* brown naked thing, with shining black eyes and, instead of having a cradle he is kept in the karkem or komse. This is made of a single piece of wood shaped something like a canoe, covered at one end, and is about two and a half feet long by fifteen or twenty inches wide. The komse >s covered at the bottom with soft dried lichens] over which a small cotton sheet is spread. The babe is placed inside stark 'naked, the sheet is turned down and a coarse piece of vadmal or sheepskin is put over the whole. A cord is laced through holes on each side of the komse, and it is slung by this to a peg on the wall; or sometimes if the mother Lapp goes away from the house she slings it to her shoulder. The bal>y Lapps are kept in these till they begin to walk. Every day they' are taken out and washed in cold water. In the coldest weather an extra skin is thrown over the komse. s Most of the, Lapp houses are' nothing but huts. They are usually built with .stones and sods, and roofed with beams and rafters with small wood between them over which are laid bushes and turf with tine earth on the.. Lop. A hole in the roof serves both for window and chimney. The doorways are low, vaulted passages through which one has almost to crawl to gain admission to the interior. Lapp children have, tiieir sports just as other young folk do, . but some of their pastimes are very different in character from thos;» we know. In the long 5 dreary winter evenings they sit and play a game similar to our draughts; the}' also play at blind man buff and leapfrog. Another popular game is for half a dozen or more to sit in a row each with a short rod in each hand, and catch two small hoops that, are rapidly passed along. AV hp ever fa'iis to catch both of the '.hoops is out of the, game. A more robust game is one that they call "11 wunck." It consists in each contestant lighting two, torches or c andles and going out of doors when egch one strives to extinguish those of his rival. He who succeeds in keeping both torches, or even one lighted at the end of the game is

FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY | for the Goodwill Cruise | ~ PETER THE WHALER | of WHALE JSLAND 8

the victor. Then the, young Lapps have their pulka rides. Do you know what a pulka is? Ib is a Jsind of sleigh shaped like a canoe about, five l'ect long, one foot deep and a foot and a half wide. To this a reindeer is attached by a single thong which passes under its stomach and is fastened to a collar of deerskin about the animal's neck. Only a single rein' is used. A boy or a girl will harness a reindeer to a pulka in no time, and ride off over the snow at a rate of speed that exceeds that of a fast horse. A reindeer can travel five or six hours without stopping, and get over one hundred and fifty miles a day when it is not too hilly. PALMERSTON NORTH CORNER What ho there Palmcrston North folk; I have just finished opening all your letters, and there was certainly a s\Vag of them. First there are six new Palmcrston sailors to welcome aboard. They are Alice Wickham ? John Love joy, Stanley Madden Billy Burne Ron Jones and Margaret Sanson. Step right up sailors glad to have you with us-. Your certificates have been ix>sted. G'wcn Boyle and Alice Wiekham have asked for Forest and Bird Magazines. Well I will sec Old Saltwater about them for you and lie will fix them up. Now for the competition. I hear that the class has just finished doing South Island rivers so it is no wonder that you all sent in correct answers. This week's prizes go to the. two neatest entries. These were sent in by Don Richards and Dawn Corlett. Congratulations sailors. Collect your tickets from Miss Whiteside., P.T.W. PEN FRIENDS A number of sailors from Palmcrston North have asked for pen friends. They are lan Hill-Motion, Featlierston Street Palmcrston Nth: '9 Selwyn Stimpson, 46 Rongopai St. P.N.; Meg 17 Ngata St. P.N.; Gwen Boyle ? 58 Roy St. ? P.N.; and Alice 91 North St ret, P.N. Now come on Wliakatane. sailors; there are five names to choose from. Sec what you can do. P.T.W. SIGNED ON Now we, have two new members signed on. They are Nina Bristowe and Hincwai Matehaere. Step right up sailors. Glad to have you aboard. I see you want the Forest and Bird Magazine too. I will see what Old Saltwater says about it. Your certificates have been posted. P.T.W. LAST WEEK'S COMPETITION Well I certainly received a weird accumulation of pictures. Some, of yon drew me in sailor's clothes, one in tin Alaskan costume one. in a 9 United Slates Marines one in a dress something like a cross between a sixteenth century pirate and a Spanish full lighter (what they call a 'toreador') and all the sorts and types of rig-outs you can imagine. Anyway although none of •them bore much resemblance to me (at least 1 like to tftink I have awarded the tickets to the lour best ones. These go to Ken Parker Pat Winters Beverley Grant Isabel Grant Congratulations sailors. Call and collect your tickets from the. Beacon Office. P.T.W. NEXT WEEK'S COMPETITION Now here's a competition for the gardeners among you. Below are printed the .jumbled names of different types of (lowers. Sort them out and send your answers' into me c/o the Beacon Oil'icc. Free tickets await the lour neatest correct answers. poypp: sero; gelmitenon; tuicanp: xplho: yhlkcohlo: bstliae; nslcnuaur; aysdi; dnayghera. They're a fairly difficult lot but do your best with them. P.T.W.