Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 35, 6 February 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

THE WHIStIjNG^ KINO.

"There he is again!" cried the King, running across the royal hall till he reached the open window; "there he is again! Hi! beggar-boy, what is the name of the merry tune you whistle?" The beggar-boy, who was tramping along the dusty road, stopped when he heard the King's.voice, and came to the window with his hat in his hand.

"Tha tune I was whistling, sir" Said he, "was the tune of the wind and the flowers. I heard it on the hilltops and in the'grassy fields, and, as it went in at my ears it had to come out at my lips." "Oh! I have been told a tale like that before," said the King a little crossly. He leaned out of the window and shook a finger at the beggar. "Biit when I went to the hill-tops and across the grassy fields, I hear/1 no tune like that." "Maybe not, sir," said the boy, "but what kind of coat did you wear?"

"The royal robes, of course!" said the King. . "And did you walk all the

way?"

'' Not I, good, boy, not I! On a velvet cushion in a golden coach, drawn by four fine horses, I rode and rode."

By this time a lot of princes and princesses had come round the King to see what kind of beggar he was talking to, and a small page-boy who was among th^m, said shyly: "If the beggar-boy has heard the tune, sir, that you want to learn, why do you not put on the beggar-boy's coat and tramp along the dusty road as the beg-gar-boy has done?" "That is a good idea for a little one!" cried the King. "I. will try it!" So the beggar-boy was called into the castle, feeling very shy. His coat was taken off and he was given another one from the royal wardrobe. Then the King put on the ragged coat and set out along the dusty road that led to the hill-tops far away. All the people of the castle stood in a crowd, to watch him gb. Then they went inside and waited, while the real beggar was given a dinner in the castle kitchen.

By-and-by a merry whistling was heard a long way off. Out ran everybody to see what it meant, and there was the Bang coming along the road, piping the tune that he had wished so much to learn.

"I have caught if!" he cried, "and if I never whistle it again, I shall never forget it, Ybu-see" he said, as they helped him to take off his ragged coat, "the music of the hill-tops and the grassy fields 33 moiveasy to learn if you snowhow others feel who have heard it clearly and now that I have worn tfce beggar's coat I know how he felt n-hon he listened/ *

He &'»nt for the poor boy; thank ed biin for the use of his coat, and ga\e him a little bag of gold to heJp Uim on his road. As 4hey pirtfj id the castle gate, the, Einy whisperfd in his ear: 'The Avvadoni that I found tinder your THgisti 4- coat, ruy boy, was worth inoro to me than the little bag of go] d il* ax you take away.'' Ami the beggar-boy said "J am g!<><\ to hear it? sir."

THJB THREE SWEETS. Three sweets sat in the bottom of a paper bag in a little- boy's pocket—a pink fondant an acid drop and a black-currant jujube. Presently they started to argue as to who was the best. ""I am, of course!" said the pink fondant proudly. "Look at my beautiful colour; just like a rose, I'm scented too. My family usually ride in boxes; it's quite a come-down to have to go about in a common paper bag like this with you folk." "Oh indeed!" said the acid drop in a very sour voice. "You

do give yourself airs. Look at me and see how very clear and crisp I am. Almost like-a piece of glass. And - how sweet and sharp lam to taste. I last much longer than you, too, unless I'm bitten, I am certainly the best. Besides, my family often drftse out in a crystal carriage," By this he meant a glass bottle,

"Who are you to talk, anyway?" spoke up the black-cur-rant jfc jube. '' I may not be much to look at, but everyone likes my flavour; I'm so soottang. And. then black is so distinguished: all the^ best people wear it. My family live in a tin palace too." And so they talked", one against the other, until at last it was agreed that whichever one the little boy took out to eat first should be considered the best.

"Ah I that will be me, without a doubt," cried the acid drop. "My flavour is so refreshing, and I last such a long time." "Nonsense!" said the jujube. "He'll eat me first because I'm so chewy." ' ' ■ i Just then came the little boy s fingers into the bag. They picked up the fondant, the acid drop and the black-currant jujube all together and put all three of them into his mouth at once. That settled the argument, and the three sweets had nothing more to say because they were soon crunched tip and eaten.

NOBODY'S DOG. Bobby was a lonely little boy because lie lived a long way from the town and no other little boys lived near him. His Granny would have sent Mm to school but she had nobody to send to take care of. him on the way. So I Bobby played at home alone. Now one day when Bobby wasplaying in the field behind the house, a big, ugly, dirty dog came slinking .through the hedge, and when Bobby said, ''Hullo, ole feller!" it looked at him in a frightened sort of way. But Bobby had two biscuits in his pocket for lunch, and he broke a bit off one and held it out, and all in a minute the big .dirty dog was licking Bobby's hands and face and crunching ' his biscuits turn' and turn about. And Bobby was patting it and rubbing behind its ears, and calling it names which made it feel all glad and happy. Now after that day Bobby was never lonely, for always when he ran down to the field the big dbg was waiting. Bobby called . him "Chum" and gave him his lunch biscuit 3, and brought bones and bits of meat as well, and they played the most exciting games. Chum was sometimes an elephant and sometimes a horse. Bobby jogged round the field on his back or went exploring in "the long grass which he called the jungle, and Chum loved him with his big brown eyes and took care of him. Nqw Bobby did not say a word to anyone about his playmate, for Chum had no collar on, and Bobby knew that dogs without collars belonged to nobody and were taken away by the policeman. But Granny wondered why Bobby only came in when the bell rang, for meals, and one day she went out to slee. -. . J

Now just when Granny came in through the field gate Bobby saw a little yellow frog hopping close to his feet, and'he thought if he could catch it he would give it a home in his own little garden. So very carefully he reached out a hand to take hold of it—but hop-pety-skip, away went the frog, and hoppety-skip, after it went Bobby. They hoppety-skipped across the field till the little yellow frog went splashety-splosh into .the pond, and before Bobby could stop himself he went splash* ety-splosh into the pond after it. Poor Granny ran across the field a& fast as she could go, crying, "Oh, dear! oh, dear! What shall, we do?" But before she reached the pond Chum was racing from the. other end where he had been burying a bone. Straight into the water he leapt, and as Granny came up he seized Bobby's jersey between his string wMte

teeth and swam with him to the shore. ~

Granny hugged Bobby and the dog together till she was nearly as wet as they were.

"Oh, Granny!" Bobby gasped between, his chattering teeth, "you won^t give him to the police man, will you? He hasn't got a collar on."

"Then we'll put one on him," Granny said firmly, "and he shall be our dog." And they went home with Chum dancing beside them.

"Granny," Bobby said, couldn't a dog that saved a little boy from being drowned take care of him going to-school?" -■'"I am sure he could," Granny answered.

So the collar waft bought and the next Monday morning Bobby went, to school nolding it firmly with one hand, and Chum passed the dogs they met with a look which said proudly:

"Can't stop! I am taking care o£ my master." , ;

IP!

If I could find a fairy where a

fairy should be found, I'd put him in a kind of cage and carry him around; Aim say to people everywhere: '' Qh who would think it true ? Tvo found a little fairy! and you can see him too.", If I could find a fairy.