BIG BROTHER BILL and the BAIRNS

Evening Star, Issue 22146, 28 September 1935, Page 6

BIG BROTHER BILL and the BAIRNS

SERVICE BEFORE SELF ' w'. ■; : .>.;;■■■ ’ ‘ > Winners' of ’ the competitions published on September 7 are as follow:; — Joan Thompson,’ Ayr street, Mosgiel (under-teng), and Arthur Dixon, 29 Tyne street; Roslyn, Dunedin, N.W. 1. (over-tens), THE COMPETITIMS The under-tens have a competition that is called “ Visiting the Zoo,” and th« over-tens have to go fishing. Send your answers to Big Brother Bill, care • Evening . Star ’ • Newspaper, Stuart 1 street, Dunedin. Bo sure to mark the envelopes “ Competition.” VISITING THE ZOO. (Under 10 years; prize one shilling.) How many animals can ypu find in these jumbled letters? They arc all the usual animals kept in the Zoo? GANKAROO ANEH¥. ANTHBLPE RIGET; ’ EINHCERSOO OILN MAOEL MICHNAPEEZ FAGITRE RAOLP-REAB GOING FISHING. (Over 10 years; prize one shilling and sixpence.) Packed ini this puzzle square are the names of 10 sea fish that are good to eat. you count this square as the sea, and see how many fish can be caught in it. The names are spelled partly across and partly down, hut not diagonally. The first one in capital letters will show how it is done.

T«£ POSTIE‘B BAG 98 Melbourne street. South Dunedin, S.l, . . 11/8/35. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I enjoy reading your letters to the bairns on Saturday evening, and should like to become a member of your happy family. I am 11 years of age, and I go to the Forbury School. I have a little Scotch terrier puppy named Kim, He always wears a bow of the M'Kinnon tartan. He has a little white and green , kennel, and often he is very hard to put to bed. Ho barks when anyone conies to the house, so really he is a very good watch dog. I am entering for this week’s competition for the overtens.—l remain, yours truly, Mary M'Kinnon. [Thank you for your letter, Mary M‘Kinnon. Brother . Bill was glad to receive and read it. Your name is in the‘Honour Square for neat writing. Kim must look a brave fellow in the M'Kinnon tartan bow. What colour is the M-Kinnon tartan, Mary? Is it • black and green, with a stripe of yelx low ? ' Or is it one of the bright ones? Write again soon.] 4. Greenock street, ■ Kaikorai, Dunedin/N.W.2, . , :•* , 21/9/35. Dear Big Brother. Bill,-— May I join your happy family ? I always look forward to your interesting columns in Saturday night’s ‘ Evening Star,’ and am entering for this week’s over-ten competition, and hope to be successful. i am 11 years old, and in Standard Y. at the Kaikorai School. My teacher is Mr Hartstonge, whom we like very much. I learn dancing, which provides much pleasure and exercise. We have a rabbit called Biddy, which my brother and I take out on the grass for a run every morning before school. We also have two cats, called Sam and Squib. Sam being a Persian, with a very busby tail. I must close now, as it is nearly bedtime.—l remain, yours sincerely, Jessie Walker. [Thank you ; for your letter, Jessie. Your name is in the Honour Square because of the interesting letter Brother Bill received. What a jolly time you must have with Biddy, the bunny. Sam and Squib must make good companions, too. There are four tiny bunnies at Big Brother Bill’s place, and two .kittens. But the kittens are not very* friendly with, the hunu»es; indeed, there seems to be some idea in the kitten’s mind that the hu»»ues would taste better than they look. Do Sam and Squib ever seem, that way ahout Biddy?. Write again soon.] 27 Kircaldy street, South. Dunedin, SI. Dear Big Brother Bill, —Since I last wrote to you I have had a surprise. I have a baby brother. He was three months old yesterday. His name is James Hamill. I do not have a chance to nurse him, as he is always asleep. I Wish we were still having holidays. I went to the community sing on Monday, which I enjoyed very much. X will close now.—l remain, yours sincerely, Marie Hamill. [Thank you for your letter. Marie Hamill. What a happy surprise James Hamill must have been? There will surely come a time when James will be nursed by his sister. Perhaps the reason is that he is too small at present. When a baby first arrives it is a fragile Kttle thing, to he treated very carefully indeed. But there comes a time. later bn.' when it can romp about; then will come the time for Marie Hamill te make a fuss of her

■■3o3 King street, Dunedin, Nl. September 16, 1935. Dear 1 Big Brother Bill, —May I join your' family. It is the first time 1 have written to you. Igo to the Union Street School, and I like it very much. I enclose a list of, the under-tens’ competition, and hope to be successful, i. must close now, with love to you and the bairns.—l remain, yours ■ truly, Zoala Bain. ,' [Thank you for your letter, Zeala Bam. .Yon are welcome to the family.Brother Bill will .he .glad to receive, a logger letter next time you write. Thank you for your good wishes. Write again soon.] . . • ■ • Brighton,' September 9, 1935. -Dear Big Brother Bill,— l .am enter'iug for this week’s competition, and I h,ope to be successful. X; am already a member of the Bird Lovers’ Club- 1 . have.nof yet received a[ badge. I have been spending niy holidays at Morn*ington at my auntie’s. I went to the community sing on Monday, and I enjoyed it very much. You were lucky to get the Maoris to come ! and sing. I enjoyed listening 'to the children’s hour.—l remain, yours sincerely, Joyce BJoss.

[Thant you for your letter, Joyce Bloss. There is a number of bird club members waiting for their badges, and Brother Bill is sorry that np more have yet come to band. So many members joined "the club that the badges were soon exhausted, but more are being prepared, and ought to be here soon. Write again soon.] . 32 Burke street, Mornington, Dunedin, W. 1. Dear Big Brother Bill,—l like the children’s hour, to which I listen. I also enjoy the children’s page in Saturday’s ‘ Evening Star.’ lam in Standard 111. at tbe Mornington School. I am going in for this week’s competition under 10. I must, close.—Yours sincerely, Annie Morris. [Brother Bill is glad to know'that you enjoy tbe page, Annie Morris. Suppose that you write a longer letter to Brother Bill, Annie. We shall be all interested in what you have to say. Thank you for your letter.] Jellicoe Orescent, Kaikorai, Dunedini N.W. 2. 28.8.35. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I am a member of your family, but I have not written to you before. I am going to tell yon about my pets and myself. I have two bantams, and I feed them every night. They have not yet started to lay, as they are only four or five months old, but we hope they will start laying-soon. I am nine, and in Standard m. at the Kaikorai Schopl. My teacher is Mr Hallam, and I like him very much, I must close now, but before I close I will say. that I will he asking you to call my birthday in about three weeks. With love and best wishes to yourself and all the aunts and uncles. —From Margaret Louise Gilchrist. ' [Thank you for your letter, Margaret Louise Gilchrist. It was very kind of you to send word about your pets. Bantams are useful pets to .have, because they are happy little things about the place, and they give an egg for breakfast, too. Are yours working-for their living in this way? . Write again soon.] Portohello, August 8, 1935. Dear Big Brother Bill,—l have not written for a long time, so I thought' I would write again. We have just had our term holidays, and have had nice fine days, so that we could ’ enjoy our games outside. We will have a new headmaster at our' school when we go back on Monday. The gardens are beginning to look lovely, with, all the spring flowers, and the grass; is getting green. There will soon be little lambs playing > ip. the paddocks. I love to watch them playing in the sun. .Sometimes we have a pet lamb to feed. ; I must close now, with love to all the family.—Yours truly, Kathleen M'Cartney, [Thank you for your letter, Kathleen M/Cartney.. Spring is -the loveliest time in all tbe year. Did you ever read the story of the Spirit of Spring ’ ? It used to be told long ago by Greek mothers to their bairns. It is the story of a lovely lady who passes over the fields and) the bush land, and wherever her feet touched the ground violets and daffodils grow. Spring is passing over our gardens now, and the flowers tell of her going. Write again soon.] FOR MODEL AEROPLANE BUILDERS Dear Model Builders, —In my last letter I explained the ; method of finding the centre of gravity of the model aeroplane, and I also mentioned the centre of lift. Now, these two forces are the most important in model aerodynamics. Upon these two forces depends the success of the model’s ability to fly stably. Before we can understand them we must 1 know how lift is produced on the wings of an aeroplane and what the centre of lift is. To obtain lift oh the wings of present-day aeroplanes we must have forward speed, as I have explained before. Now, if the wings move forward through the air, then the air rushes over the wings at a -speed) equal to. the forward speed of the wing, and it is the action of the air passing over the specially, shaped wing that causes lift. On the plans of all models you will see the plan of the wing rib or wing section. There are scores of these wing sections, and they all have, slightly different functions. Some give high lift with slow speed, others high lift at high speeds, .and so on. When a wing moves through the air the action of the air on the upper surface of the wing, causes a partial vacuum all along the wing, and) at a distance of about one-third of the cord of the wing the partial vacuum is more pronounced. Nature' does not allow a vacuum to appear in the air, and so immediately the air underneath the wing mones uplands to fill in this 1

vafcuum. On its way up the air strikes the under surface of the wing, causing the 'wing to move upwards, and this is the lift. . . . .The lift of the . wing is obtained by negative pressure on the upper surface of the wing and • positive pressure on the lower surface. The upper surface causes approximately three-nfths of the lift- and the lower surface two-fifths. , I have stated above that the lift on -a wing occurs at a distance onethird of the cord back from the leading edge. (The cord of the wing is the' distance from the leading edge to the trailing edge.) Now, assuming this, apd also that both halves of the wing produce the same amount of lift, the centre, of lift (c. of J.) will be directly above the centre of the wing and onethird., the cord back from the-leading edge. 'Unfortunately, however, the c.- of 1., will, only be at this position at certain angles of-attack, and as the angle of attack varies throughout the flight of the -model, ,so the, c. of 1. changes position. The angle or attack of the wings is.the angle between the, cord of the wings and the direction of the air .striking- the wingv If the model climbs at am.angle of lOdeg, the angle of attack is plus lOdeg, and,if the model dives at an angle lOdeg, the angle of attack is minus-lOdeg. Prom this you will see that the angle of attack- changes a!ll the time that the model’ is in the air. Now 7 when the angle of attack increases the .c, of ,1. moves forward, and when the angle of attack decreases the c.. of.L moves backwards. This means that while the model climbs the c, of 1. makes.it increase the climb, and when the model dives the cl of I. moves backwards and increases the dive. It is to equal these motions that the tail-plane of the aeroplane is needed, and in my next letter I will deal with, the effect the tailplane has on the c. of g. and the c. of 1.. Until then, “ happy landings. —Mr: Aeroman. ■ . ■

A PLACE FOR BIRD LOVERS j - - 'i; THE OLD-FASHIONED FRIEND. We should all bo better, I think, and more contented, if w© associated, more with animals. i_ They are perfectly old-fashioned: they do not read the newspapers and they do not want to vote. They have other delightful virtues. They think so much better of us than we are that it is. an encouragement. They give so much to us in proportion to what they got that it shames our poor generosities. . : ; I respect considerably the idea that God made them to be, not, exactly an example to ns, hut a suggestion. : —Edward S. Martin. THE TUI. .The tui was first observed in New Zealand by Captain Cook at Dusky Sound during his second voyage of discovery in 1773, and he wrote of the bird thus: “ Under his throat hang two little tufts of snow-white feathers,’ called its poies, which being the Otakeitean word for ear-rings occasioned our giving that name to the bird, which is not more remarkable for the beauty of its plumage than the sweetness. of its note” (says the Southland Times’). The tui was also noticed during the same voyage at Queen Charlotte Sound. Early references are made regarding the bird being seen at the Bay of Islands and at the Auckland Islands. It is therefore apparent that the tui has always been distributed right throughout the Dominion. To the casual observer the tui is a shining blackish green bird, with a long bill, a few white feathers about the collar, and the distinctive white feathers hanging underneath the throat. In detail the plum-, age is very varied, the,general colouring being a shining metallic green with bluish purple reflections on the shoulders, upper tail coverts and lower breast; the hind neck decorated with filamentous 'plumes . curving outwards, and with a white line down the centre; back and scapulars bronzy brown; marginal coverts blackish purple, central coverts with outer portion white; quills and tail feathers black on their inner webs; abdomen and sides reddish brown; two tufts of, whit© filamentous curled feathers on the throat. The bill and feet are brownish block, and the eye is dark brown. Most of you have seen the tui; he is bigger in the body than a blackbird, and longer in the nock and tail. Being a honey-eater his bill is long and curved, and his tongue is brush-like. He is one of our most handsome birds, and his deep bell notes are very musical, although lie does round off the chord with a peculiar throaty noise. He does not stay about the dark portions of the bush, but is fond of the sunlight, and is usually found about the tree tops or on the outskirts of the forest. He flics very high, dropping suddenly to his destination. The flight is noisy, and any bush lover readily hears the whirr of the tui’s wings. He is best observed when feeding on the flax^flowers; I have often seen groups of six, eight, or even ten tuis all in different postures about a flax bush; they are wonderfully pretty, especially when in these various attitudes, no two being alike. The earliest flowering tree to attract the tui to your garden is the kowhai, and I would earnestly recoin-, mend every bird lover to plant kowhais on Arbor Day; they will take a few-years to reach the flowering stage of development, bub they amply repay for waiting. The tui is frequently in the company of the korimako, the feeding modes of both birds being very similar. Thev are very much alike also in song. The food consists of insects, nectar, and berries, insects being the mainstay during winter after flic berries are over; hence the reason for the birds finding the ©ariy flowering trees in

order to renew their honey diet. The tni is not only one of the finest of our native songsters, hut he is also a great mimic, imitating all kinds of noises and calls of other birds. It introduces those sounds-, along with noises like coughing, sneezing, and gurgling into its musical song. The nest is usually built in a shrub of tree about 15, 20, or 30ft from the ground, and is made up of sticks leaves, rootlets, moss, and lichen, and lined with grass, tree-fern scales and a few feathers. There are four eggs, pinkish white with small pink spots and blotches at the larger end. The young hatch out in 14 days, and there arc usually two broods each season. When breeding the tni is a very; pugnacious bird, and will, fight any intruder coming, near the nest. , , This beautiful bird is well worthy of every protection wo can give it. It is distinctly a New Zealander, and is not found anywhere else. At one time it was used for food and its feathers were valued for decorative purposes. That evil day is now past, and' we are glad to know that the tni, along with our other native birds, is protected by law. You could never imagine anything more attractive,, in bush life than a mixed group of tins and konraakos feeding on a cluster of crimson rata flower", and every little while pouring forth a, joyous song. A BIRD SANCTUARY. Kapiti Island is a hilly, forest-clad island about 20 miles from Wellington. At one time much of the native forest was destroyed and till ten years ago sheep and goats were allowed to graze in the clearings and in the wooded areas. • Now we learn from Dr W. R. B. Oliver, curator of the Dominion Museum at Wellington, that the island is slowly and steadily recovering its original forest, plant, and bird state. Young forest trees have grown up six feet high in the bush, have got a grip of the open spaces in the/-long grass, and seem likely to replace the scrub. All the native birds are doing well, and are plentiful. “ What I was chiefly interested in was the growth of the vegetation since the sheep and goats were removed,” said Dr Oliver. “ When the island was over-run with animals the grass was kept short in the open country, and in the forest the undergrowth was eaten out too. Now the grass is knee-deep, and shrubs are growing through it ! everywhere. Also growing through the scrub are several kinds of forest trees. “ It is obvious that the forest will eventually cover all the country now Open, on the island,” predicts Dr Oliver. THE NEW BROTHER. [By, J. L. M'Millan.] I’ve got a brand new brother. And he nearly makes me sick;; All he can do all day Is lie in bed and kick. Dad says he’ll be an All Blaok, As sure as eggs are eggs: But how could he kick a ball With ’em skinny legs? Just fancy him playing Rugby With big blokes running round, Why, he’d be kicked so hard He never would be found. I watched our nurse bath him, And he cannot even float;" He’ll never make a sailor ' In a deep sea boat. I try to get him to talk to me. . But all is in vain, ; For when I take his flat out of his mouth He shoves it back again. So who wants a brother, His pranr, clothes, and all, For I’m going to swap him For a new football, v, •iy THE CAVE ... y ■ : A GOM’HIGHT TALE The resistless heating of the waves for thousands of years had worn a long fissure in the solid face of the rock. The fissure was narrow at the opening, but wide enough for a full-grown man to pass through; hut it was what might lie beyond the opening that thrilled and awed the three children. The three. children were Jack, Lucy,and Owen Marriott, and they were staying at a small bay in North Devon, near Mort Hoe, famous for its cliffs, its caves, and its beautiful sands. The children had already been there some-days, and that evening daddy was to leave his office for a month and join them. ; “ I vote we explore this cave, or whatever it is, before dad comes down,” said Jack,' “We might discover something worth while; there used to he smugglers and pirates and shipwreckors, and all sorts of rascals about this coast at one time, and we might find something interesting.” “What about the tide?” inquired Lucy. “I don’t care ahput tides!” said Owen stoutly. “ Come on, Jack.” “Not without a candle and a box of matches,” said Jack. Lucy went off to fetch them; and she brought back some sandwiches and a small jar of lemonade as well. “I told mother we might not be back to lunch, so she made mo bring them,” she explained. “ I say, it does look eerie,” said Jack, gazing up at the long, narrow crack in the cliff. “ Suppose it were to shutclose right up while we were inside!’ Lucy shivered. “ I wonder whether the passage widens as you go forward, or whether it twists and turns to one or the other side; whether the roof rises or falls?”Jack was of a dreamy, speculative nature. „ , , “ You can find out all about it by going in,” said Owen practically. Jack looked a trifle annoyed. “ Give me the matches, I’ll put them in my pocket, or we may drop them in a, pool of water,” he said. “There’s almost sure to he pools.” “ Go in and then you’ll seo whether there are pools,” said Owen impatiently, “ m* stand aside and I’ll go in. • Jack stuffed the two candles in one pocket and the box of matches in the other, and squeezed himself through the narrow opening. , A minute later the three children found themselves in a long, low, corn-dor-like passage, the sides deeply indented hero and there, forming arches, embrasures, and niches, while cunning and unexpected fonts, some large, some small, held tiny pools of water at every step. Shells of various kinds were scattered here and there; in some of tho little pools minute creatures darted hither and thither. A mass of seaweed had been flung high into, a holo above their heads, and trailed long ribbons about them as they plunged forward. Suddenly tho passage turned abruptly to tho left, and instantaneously they found themselves in total darkness. “ Oh, X say,” cried Lucy, “ I think we’ve gone far enough, don’t your” ‘Let's turn back iwm”-

“ Don’t be silly!” urged Owen. “ Wo can’t turn back just as the adventure is beginning,” remonstrated Jack; “ but, if you like, Lucy, you can go back and wait for us outside. We shan’t mind a bit; but’Owen and I are going to see this thing through.” “llather!” Owen’s tones were decisive. “ If you are going on, I’ll come too,” said Lucy. “ I’m not frightened, only it’s so horribly dark.” “ We’ll soon put that right,” said Jack, and struck a match. In the light from the caudle which .lack field in his hand they saw that the corridor-like character of tho cntrance still continued. They advanced. Jack first, Lucy behind, and Owen bringing up the rear. Again the passage turned abruptly, thi.sAime to the right. The roof rose higher, the floor descended, the walls drew farther apart, and, holding his candle high, Jack saw that they stood in a vast cave, seemingly as high and spacious as tho interior of a cathedral. “ How wonderful!” said Lucy, in an awed whisper. And it was indeed a wonderful sight. The irregular character of the walls; the great, serrated columns that bung downwards from the roof. “ like the pipes of a giant organ,” as Owen said, the ' plash-plash of dripping water in the darkness; the mysterious openings and exits that showed ,-ou every side in the light from the candle, were all so strange and awe-inspiring that for a moment even Owen was hushed. But not for long. “ Let’s go over there,” lie said, pointing. “I can see another opening; I believe there’s another cave there.” “ You don’t want to go farther, do yon?” inquired Lucy. “ Oh, let’s see it through,” said Jack. “ We’ve only been about an hour.” “-The passage rises hero,” cried Owen, who had gone on ahead. “ Quite steep; I believe it goes right up to the top of the cliffs.” On they all went, Jack again leading, and Owen, as before, bringing up the rear. ' The floor now rose steeply, the walls had again drawn closer together, when a sharp blow on the top of the head warned Jack that the roof was now, running down abruptly to meet the floor. “It stops here!” he said. As he spoke he perceived a small opening, just large enough to admit the passage of his body, <9n his left. He thrust the candle through the opening. It was another cave. Another cave, but how different from the other! This was dry and airy, and obviously above sea-lev'el. It was quite small, and the candle revealed conclusively that there was no outlet. “We have come to the end; let’s get back.” . Lucy agreed, and Owen, haviug satisfied himself that no more might, be doiie, the three began the descent to the larger Cave. To their horror the cave was halffull of water! .. “ Anvhow, it never comes higher than this mark here,” said Owen, pointing to a dark green stain on the walls. “ The cave above must he quite 30ft higher than the water-line.” “ It means waiting perhaps nine or 10 hours!” cried Lucy. “ Mother will think we are drowned.” “ It’ll he 10 o’clock at night, and quite dark, too!” said Owen. “ Let’s go hack to the upper cave,” said Jack. _“ We’ll be quite safe there.” Very miserably they sat down and waited. The candle burned out, hut Jack did not dare, to light the other. Owen and Lucy had fallen asleep. , He nodded. Soon he, too, was sleeping peacefully. He awoke with a start, and lighted, the, candle. How long had lie been asleep ? He wakened Lucy and Owen. . • . “ We must try to get out again?” : There was a loud, crunching noise. “ The roof’s going to fall in!” cried Owen. Then, impishly; “ Wouldn’t it be funny if the face of some horrid monster suddenly appeared in that opening?” - Lucy shrieked with terror. “Look! Look!” she erfed. “There it is!” All three looked, and, sure enough, there was a face at the opening, a hairy, primordial face, lined and seamed, with black, glittering eyes, dreadful in the darkness. The three children watched the face, fascinated. It grinned, showing a set of broken, irregular teeth, then turned to speak to someone over its,,shoulder._ “ Here they he, zur,” it said, “ safe an’ sound. Look for yourself.” Then Daddy’s face joined the savage’s. It was Saturday. They had slept for hours. Mother had been frantic. But Daddy had arrived, and Old Bob, the boatman, had been pressed into service. It was Old Bob’s face that frightened the children. Owen maintained afterwards that Bob’s face was enough to frighten anyone, even in the daylight.

s o h a 1 ib A x. d m it u T : e" 0 d '» a t. d ■ i -K. o c* k . ® a li e T o d r w h i r i n e P a t i n g 9 1