BIG BROTHER BILL AND THE BAIRNS

Evening Star, Issue 19788, 11 February 1928, Page 18

BIG BROTHER BILL AND THE BAIRNS

A WEEKLY TALK Hello, Everybody! The “Printer’s Pie” competition appears to have been a little more difficult, although .1 thought it would be nice and easy. A good number tried, but very few succeeded. Out of all the letters received only four contained the correct answers. The names of these four are: Shirley Irvine, 10 Park street, Dunedin; Fiona M'Leod, Pi Selwyn street, North-east Valley; Ray Beck, 135 Maitland street; Nellie Lane, 5 Hill street, Dunedin. The prize will have to be divided among these successful ones, which, 1 think, is only playing fair. The correct answers to the competition arc as follows ;— 1 Swiss Family _ Robinson,’ ‘Robinson Crusoe,' ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘ The Dog Crusoe,’ ‘ The Last of the Mohicans/ ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays,’ 1 Pignm’s Progress,’‘The Scalp Hunters,’ ‘Rip Van Winkle,’ ‘ It’s Never Too Late To Mend,’ ‘ Maoriland Fairy Tales,' ‘The Pathfinder,’ ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales.’ ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ ‘ East Lynn/ ‘ Deerslayer,’ ‘The Girl of the Limberlost,’ ‘The Harvester,’ ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy,’ 1 Micah Clarke.’ A friend who takes a kindly and keen interest both in this Saturday talk to the bairns and in the children’s sessions at 4YA, has written to ask if our weekly competitions are “ for showing one’s skill or if they are a game of chance.” As far as it is humanly possible to make them so, they are intended to show one’s skill. Errors have once or twice appeared in the statement of the competitions, but they have not been sufficient to obscure the sense nor the correct answers. In so far as their presence has been a greater tax on the patience of those who compete, they have made gi eater skill necessary in discovering the correct solutions. To find the answers in spite of errors is, quite naturally, evidence of perseverance, and a matter for congratulation in those who succeed. But everybody please understand that any errors found in the future have crept in by accident, they arc not put in to make the puzzles harder. One member of my family wants to know when my birthday comes round? And will J please say in the columns and over the air? Of course, I have a birthday like everybody else, and, it is exceedingly kind of the family to be curious about it, if, as 1 suspect, you want to wish me many happy returns. But when you grow into the Big Brother Bill class birthdays are not nearly as important as they used t) be; you’ve had quite a lot of them you see, and sort ol got used to them. Still, it is very kind of those who have written mo about wanting to remember me on my birthday, and when it comes round I’ll remember all the kind thoughts you’d send me if you knew'. —Yours affectionately always, BIG BROTHER BILL.

THE USUAL WAY

This is not a nonsense poem, because ir, fells an intelligible story. But the story is humorous and worth passing on. ' The author is unknown.

There was once a little man, and his rod and line he took, For, ho said, “i’ll go a-fishing in the neighboring brook.” And it chanced a little maiden was ■ walking out that day. And they met—-in the usual way.

Thou be sat down beside her, and an hour or two went by. But still upon the grassy bank his rod

and line did lie. “ I thought,” she shyly whispered, “You’d be fishing all the day,” And he was—in the usual way.

So be gravely look his rod in band, and throw the Hue about. But the fish perceived distinctly lie was not looking out; And ho said “Sweetheart, f love you,” but she said she could not stay; But she did--in the usual way.

Then the stars came nut above them, ami she gave a little sigh, As they watched the silver ripples like the moments running by. “We must say good-bye,” she whispered. by the alders old and gray, And lliev did—in the usual way.

And day by day, beside the stream, they wandered to and fro, And day by day the fishes swam securely down below, Till this little story ended as such little stories may, Very much—in the usual way.

And now that they are married, do they always bill and eooP Do they never'fret and quarrel as other couples do? Does ho cherish her and love her? .Does she honor and obey? Well, they do—in the usual way.

BIRTHDAYS

David Mitchell was nine years old ou the 7th of February. Ho lives at Ayr street, Mosgiel. David reads this column, and is one of the lucky people who have radio in the house. Many, many happy returns to him. David found a Big Brother Bill parcel in the hall stand drawer.

Winnie Fate, 20 Hyde street, Dunedin, was eleven years old on the 2nd of February. Winnie is in Standard V, ab Albany Street School. She can play the piano, and is going to play “ over the air” one night to all the radio family. Many, many happy returns to Winnie. Bessie Miller, Brighton street, Roslyn, was eleven years of age on February 6. Many, many happy returns to Bessie. Lloyd Jones, 90a Highgate, Roslyn, was eleven years old on February 6. Lloyd has made a crystal set for himself, and gets a lot of fun out of it; but gets most fun by pulling it to pieces and building it up again, which will teach Lloyd more about wireless than most boys of his age know. ■ Many, many happy returns to Lloyd. Ho is a member of the “ listening in” section of Brother Bill’s family. Ida MacDonald, Waipori, had a birthday quite recently. Ida has a pet lamb named Peter, and a horse named Scotty. And at _ Ida’s home they have a cow named Dina. Dina is so quiet that Ida can take a cup and hold it for some milk. Lucky little Ida MacDonald. Many, many happy returns.

WES

“ Dear Big Brother Bill, —Can you please tell us anything about the meaning of names? My name is Mar.v. Will you please tell me what it means?” Finding out the meaning of Christian and surnames is really one of the most interesting pastimes. And it isn’t a bit tiresome—like grammar ( for instance. But it can be very disappointing if you happen to own a name with a queer meaning. Of course, the name Mary ought to have the loveliest meaning. It has beeti the name of many beautiful, patient, and sorrowful women.' But Mary is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is "bitter,” which illustrates what 1 mean by name meanings being disappointing. Now, if Mary’s name had been Mabel? Mabel

comes in a roundabout fashion from a Latin word meaning “ I love.” Or if it had been Amy? Then she might have said her name came over to England with the Normans, ami is derived from the French word Aimec, winch means “ beloved.” Suppose a member of tho family is named Beatrice? Well, that is a name which comes from another Latin word and means “ blessed.” But telling the meaning of names is a bigger contract than can bo done in a small paragraph. Here, however, are some strange explanations:— You know that the name Wilson means “son of Will.” Tho lovely Scotch name Alison means the same thing, “son of Alice.” When ordinary people began to have surnames that was a very common w'ay of inventing them. And when you meet anyone named Fitzherbert yon will know the prefix Fitz to bo Norman-French for son, too. In the same way the O’ at the beginning of Irish names means “son of,” so that O’Neill means “son of Neil.” And the Mac at tho beginning of Scotch names has tho same meaning. All names have an interesting story behind them. Chapman, a very common name, was the old English word for a general dealer. Spicer, the old English word for a grocer. Fletcher means that someone way back in the family was an arrow maker. Coltman and Coleman means someone had charge of colts. People named Parker have descended from a park-keeper. The Horners have descended from a maker of horns; the Crokers from a “crocker” or maker of pottery; Hogarth conies from “ boggart,” a hogherd; and the common name Smith may have come from either a man who was “a smith” or from the old W'ord “smoth,” which means smooth. Perhaps somebody might have been given the nickname _ “smooth” when surnames were being invented, and passed the nickname down to his descendants as their surname.

WHAT’S IN A NAME ?

There was a groat swell in Japan, Whose mime on a Tuesday began, It lasted through Sunday Till twilight on Monday And sounded like stones in a can.

THE WEEKLY COMPETITION

Here is a simple competition. It is an unfinished limerick. What you have to do is supply tho wanted line. Send your attempts to Big Brother Bill, care the ‘Evening Star,’ Dunedin. The prize is 2s fid. The competition closes Saturday, February 18: There was a young man of Darjeeling Who was born without any feeling; When they sawed him in half He gave a loud laugh, And The winning effort will be published in this Column.

THE POT OF GOLD IN THE 0f»H0

A BED-TIME STORY There was once a farmer who had a fine olive orchard. He was a hardworking man, and the farm always prospered under his The farmer had three sons, who despised the farm work. They wanted to get rich quickly without working. _ All three liked adventure and excitement rather than the plough and hoc. When the farmer was old, and felt that his time had come _to die, ho called his three sons to his bedside. “ My- sons,” he said quietly, “ there is a pot of gold hidden in the olive orchard. Dig for it if you want it badly.” “Where is it?” they cried eagerly. But the farmer would say nothing more to them. They coaxed him and pleaded with him, but lie .shook his bead silently. After be was dead you can imagine the eagerness with which they set to work. They agreed togcthei to begin in a lino at mio end of the orchard and to dig until one of them found the money. Then they would divide. They dug until the soil was .aimed up from one end of the orchard to the other. Round tho tree roots and between them they toiled with spade and hoe and rake, but there was no pot of gold to reward them. Then they thought their father must have meant tho whole farm, so they dug every acre that had been left to them. Still nothing rewarded them, it seemed that either somebody bad stolen the pot of gold or their dead father had been wandering in liis wits. And they were bitterly disappointed to have all their work for nothing.

The next olive season Ihe olive trees iu the orchard bore more fruit lhau ever before. The houghs wore loaded down with fruit, and the harvest from all the farm caused the neighbors to open their eyes with surprise. Fruit and grain was of such lino quality that it brought the highest price, and when it was sold the farmer’s sons mi-l between them on the kitchen table—a pot full of gold. And when they counted the money that had come from the orchard and farm they suddenly understood what their wise old father had meant winm ho said; “There is a pot of gold hidden in the orchard; dig for if.”

ANOTHER LOVELY BRINK

So many have written to thank me for the summer drink published in the last column that I am tempted to give you another. This one is more expensive to make, and would be a perfectly sorumptuous party drink. Or mother could give you a bottle to take when you go down to the beach. And if mother has a little hoy or girl whose appetite is not very good these hot days she could, give them this drink and know they were taking food of the best kind—the juice of grapes. WHAT TO GET. One packet of Sunmaid raisins and one lemon. WHAT TO DO. Empty the raisins into a uirge saucepan that will hold two quarts of wafer. Boil for about twenty minutes, strain liquor from raisins into a basin Cover with water and boil again. Continue until all juice is drained from raisins. Squeeze juice from lemon and pour into raisin liquor. Put lemon peel into one quart of water and let stand all night. Pour peel water into raisin liquor. 'Che recipe should make a half-gal-lon of delicious and healthful raisin wine. Cheerio, Everybody, Big-Brother Bill.