Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 12, 14 August 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

STORT STORIES.

Our Friends.

Mrs. Maa was a good mothersheep, but not as quick on her feet as.she used to be. So, when the rest of the flock went into the summer meadow to feed* on fine long- grass and sweet cowslips, she was left behind with her small son, Baa, in a stupid old field which grew nothing- but ragwort and thistles-—very good food for Neddy the donkey, but not for them.

So she trotted up and down the hedge, looking for a place to get through. P-he found a gap at last/ but' it was a tight squeeze. There was a good deal of Mrs. Maa, and Baby Baa made thingsworse, for he would push in too, N by his mother's side. As he did so, he caught his leg, hi' some barbed wire, and cut it badly. Long and loud were the moans of Maa 'and Baa, and the two ■chOdren, coming down from the farm, heard them and hurried along. "Oh, look, Aylwin, there is a poor - lamb hopping on three legs I cried Hilda, ' ' See, blood is dripping from its foot on the daisies 1" As the children stooped over Baa, his mother stood with lowered head, not sure whether to butt them or not. Then.something; seemd to come back to her, about kind little hands she had known. before, that used to give her warm milk from a bottle and tie blue ribbons round her neck. "Hilda, this lamb belongs to our old pet lamb, the one which grew to be a sheep, and too big for the house," said Aylwin. '"See, she knews us quite well. and is quite willing to let us look after her baby." The old sheep stood meekly by, white Hilda tied up the lamb's leg with her best hankie. No doubt Mrs. Maa was very grateful, and if she could have spoken, would have said: — "Thank you for your hankie, little Miss. In another month I shall give you my winter fleece in exchange, to make a nice soft blanket: for your little bed and a . jumper for your dollie." The Seventh Pig. Ronald and Rita were Staying with Grannie. One day she had to drive to market, and she took with her the boy who usually fed the pigs. "You'll have to feed the pigs for me to-day," said Grannie to Ronald and Rita, "because Betty is too old to get out there." Betty was the servant on the farm.

"Why, of course," said Ronald.

The two mixed the pig food, and presently they took the bucket out.

When Rita cried, '' Pigwiglings —-come along!' * little pigs came running from' tlie eartshed and the field to follow the pail to their • trough. But when • they were there, with aIL their snouts pushed into it, Rita counted them. "Ronald," she said, "there are only six." . "Where's the seventh, then?" said Ronald.

"We'll have to find it," Rita said.

Well, they looked in the eartsh4d, and the cowshed, and the stables, and the stream, and underneath the hayrick, and there was no pig. Then they went out into the lane, and they asked the postman if he had seen a pig, but he had not; and they asked a farm boy on a horse, and he said he f'd'"seen a many in his time," but not that one.

They crossed the stream by the stepping-stone, and they searched the meadow, and, then they went back to the trough, but all the little pigs had scattered. They counted them up separately, and then they could never be quite sure if they had counted one twice over or not-^-for a-pig would not

keep still after it was counted, but went and got in a place to be J

counted again. - At last they went sadly home to dinner. They wiped their feet on the kitchen,scraper and pushed open the door. "Come along]" said Betty. "I was wondering what had become of you. And look there in the scullery who I've had to keep me company—the little speckled pigHe came in after the vegetable peelings, and I hadn't, the heart to turn him out." - "We've looked everywhere forthat pig," said Rita. "Except where he was," said Betty, dishing up dumplings. Hunt the Puppy. "And-this, "said Rita, "is the nicest ..birth* day present' of them all. Daddy gave it me, and it's a little puppg dog-!". ' • - i "isn't he jolly-" said Lucy. "Will he, bite? "said Dolly., Rita laughed, and opened the: little wooden door of the puppy's . house. ' . ' "Oil, "no! >' : s he said. "He's ;longing to come oui and play with us, but Daddy thoilght he had better not in ease he; tries to run away." ; Then Rita closed the puppy's | door—or thought she did—and all the little boys and girls who had come to her birthday party in the garden began : to. play, and the game they played was "Hunt [the thimble." Philip hid the thimble, on a, sunflo.wer, which was so tall he had to stand upon a flower-pot to put it- there. Rita an°d Dolly and the others did not look among the' sunflowers, but ran. about the. garden looking in all sorts of, places, while Philip called 'You're cbld!^—you're cold!' Then suddenly there was. a little '' yap, yap ! bow-wow!" and i the puppy somehow came bounding out of his house to play, too. ''Puppy, come i here,!" cried ' Rita. But puppy thought it was great; fun to run, and have all the children running after him • and he bounded out of the garden, across the road, and up the hill, with the boys and girls behind him.

It was not until they were all quite tired, and the puppy himself was a little breathless, that he let Rita catch him, and take him home in her arms. Then he kept licking her face, and telling her he only meant it all in fun. ,

"We'started to play 'hunt the thimble,'"Dolly said, "but it was 'hunt the puppy,' wasn't it?"

Nobody thought any more about the thimble which they started out to find, because tea was ready when they reached the garden again, and every one was hungry.

As for the puppy, lie" ate as much as anyone, and then went fast asleep inside his wooden house. Pussy for Luck. : ■. j '"As John and iwere .coming j home from school, a big black cat followed us," said Marjorie. "That means good luck," said Marjories mother. "Where is Pussy now?" M\rjorie shook her.head. "'She did not follow me when I came into the garden; she ran along j towards the niill with John, so I suppose the good luck is for him, and not for me." ''You never know," said Mouther. . , "And if I have not any puss to play with, I have Baby," said Majorie. ''Perhaps it's better it should follow John, because he hasn't any brothers or sisters." •■" No, John is lonely,''. Mother said. "Still, it would have-been nice to have a black cat here." The next morning John was waiting at the bottom of thelane for Marjorie. ; "How's Puss•?" said Marjorie. John shook his head. ''She ,only stopped to"have some milk," he said, "and then she ran away again. This, mprningy ever so early, she came for more milk, and then she vanished." '' How qiieer!" said Marjorie, and she wondered if John had really been nice enough to Pussy to show he wanted her to stay. . The next day the same thing happened, and the next day too; Pussy just came for food and milk, and ran away again,. Then it was Saturday, and a school holiday. John waited very quietly outside the mill, and then he followed Black Gat on her way.

That afternoon, there came a knock at Marjories door, and when Mother and Baby went to see who was there, why, it was John, with the loveliest little kitten you ever saw.

"Marjorie!" cried Mother, and Marjorie came running out.

"Oh John, is that for me?" she

said

", Yes," said John, ■'. : ." I ■ followed the black cat this morning, Mar jbrie, arid she had "three kittens nearly grown up, in the old barn. We have taken two of

them home, but Father says this is for you."

"There!" said Mother; "then the black pussy' did bring luck to you, Marjorie."