THE TOYS LEARN TO DANCE

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 5, 26 June 1930, Page 4

THE TOYS LEARN TO DANCE

One day there came to the Nursery a new French Doll. She was very beautiful, and she could dance very well. Her name was Babette. . She said to Mary Jane: ''Ah! this Nursery is a stupid place. Nobody dances." Mr. Bear heard the French Doll saying this, and he though to himself: ' 'I wiU learn to dance, and then I will dance with the French DolL" Ham, Shem, and Japhet were going down the street to buy sweets. They saw Mr. Bear, and he was hopping on one of his feet. ""What is the matter with that young Btear?" said Ham, "I think he must have stepped on a tin--tack."

When they got close to Mr. Bear they heard him. say: 1' One, two, three, hop!*' ' ' Silly old Bear,'' said Shorn, "he is saying- his tables." The Policeman, too, heard the French Doll.say it was a stupid dance. "I will learn to dance,'' he thought, '"'and then I will dance with the French Doll." . All that morning the Policeman was so busy saying: ''One, two, three hop!" that he did not notice when Golly wog drove his new motor-car right into^ Dobbin and the Baker's cart, which was full of buns for the animals hi'the Ark. > ''Hi! Mr. Policeman!" cried the Baker, "Gollywog has driven Jiis new car right:into my cart, and upset all the buns for the animals in the Ark." " -One, "Iwo,'.three, hop! One, two, three, hop!'' said the Policeman, and he, went on learning- .to, dance He hopped^on a bun and slid all the way down the street. "La !' 'cried the French Doll, who was going for a walk with her new sunshade. * ' It is my friend the Policeman. Whatever is he doing with that bun?'- 7 '" One, two, three, hop!" said the Policeman, and he went on learning to dance. . Soon all the toys were learning 'to dance. Percy the pig and the Chicken with the bald head were learning to dance together. Old Mrs. Duck and the Woolly Lamb were doing steps in a corner, dancing' by himself. Mrs. Noah* took hold of Mr. Noah and began dancing round the Nursery, and all the animals from the Ark joined in" Poor JVlary Jane found it very difficult. Every time. she tried, to hop she fell over. "Let me help you," said Bumpus, the great elephant. "I think if you held on to my tail and I stood quite still, then you would not fall over," "That is a good idea," said Mary Jane. So she took hold of the elephant's tail, and began to • say.: "One, two, three.,, hop! One, two, three hop!" "Does that help you?" asked Bumpus. "Yes, thank you, but you must stand quite stjll," replied Mary Jane." .:-■'- :.'V '"• ■.-.■'• ;■;• '■-.•■' . ■ ' But. the, great big elepnant was getting so excited that he; could not stand still any longer, and .the next time Mary Ja^ne said "One, two, three, hop!" he hopped. ''' 00-00-ob 1" cried Mary Jane, ''you are hopping on my foot!'' and she let go of his tail. The elephant was; so excited that he just went on hopping. He hopped all down the street. He knocked down the Policeman, and the French Doll; and old Mrs. Duck, and Percy the pig, and all I;he other toys who were learning to dance. "Hooray!" cried the great elephant, ''I have: learnt to dance! Who will come* and dance with me?" : • '<La!" said the French Doll. . *' You great clumsy 11. shall never want to dance again." ; All the other toys said: "You great big silly elephant! That is not the way to dance; Look, you have knocked us all down, and we are all over bruises!" . They all went to Mary Jane to have their bruises bandaged, and she was very kind to them; but she was kindest of all to poor old Bumpus, because she saw a tear running down his trunk. "I know you did not mean to knock the toys down. You were only trying to help me to learn to dance. It is just your kind nature, Mary Jane; She wiped the tear from his trunk, and combed out the wisp at the end o£ his tail, and soon the elephant was feeling quite happy again. ;,., ' • .......