ELOCUTION COMPETITIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1920, Page 4

ELOCUTION COMPETITIONS.

EOR BOYS AND GIRLS. In connection with an entertainment to he held in the Town Hall on Wednesday, August 18th, in aid of the funds of the Kilties’ Band, an elocution competition has been arranged for boys and girls under 14 years of age, for which valuable prizes have been donated b,y Messrs S. W. Ford and P. R. Stewart. The following are the pieces selected for tho competition:— THE FORD PRIZE'. (For boys, 14 years and under.) COLUMBUS. (By Joaquin Miller.) Behind him lay the gray Azores, Behind the Gates of Hercules; Before him not the ghost of shores; Before him only shoreless seas. The good mato said: “ Now must we pray, For 10l the very stars are gone. Bravo Adm’r’l, speak; what shall I say? ” “ Why, Hay: ‘ Sail on! and on!’ ” “ My men grow mutinous day by day j My men grow ghastly wan and weak.” The stout mate thought of home; spray Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek. “ What shall 1 say, brave Adm’r’l, sa. If we sight naught but seas at dawn? ” “ Why, you shall say at break of day: ‘ Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!’ ” They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow, Until at last the blanched mate said: “ Why, now not oven God would know Should I and all my men fall dead. These very winds forget their way, For God from these dread seas is gone. Now speak, brave Adm’r’l; speak and say ” He said: “ Sail on! sail on! and on! ” They sailed. They sailed. The* spake the mate: “ This mad sea shows his teeth to-night. He curls his lip, he lies in wait, With lifted teeth, asif to bite! Brave Adm’r’l, say but one good word : What shall we do when hope is gone ? The words leapt like a leaping sword: “ Sail ori! sail on! sail on! and on!’ ” Then, pale and worn, he kept his deck, And peered through darkness. Ah, that

j night Of all dark nights! and then a speck—i A light! A light! A light! A light! ’• It grew, a starlit flag unfurled! I It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn. ! He gained a world; lie gave that world ' its .grandest lesson: “ On! sail on! ” | THE STEWART PRIZE. j ~ (For girls 14 years and under.) BRUCE AND THE SPIDER. (Eliza Cook.) King Bruce of Scotland fluhg himself down, In a lonely mood to think ; True he was a monarch, and wore a crown, I But his heart was" beginning,to sink. For he had been trying to do a great deed, . To make his people glad; He had tried and tried, but could not succed, And so lie became quite sad. He flung himself down in low despair. As grieved as man could be; And after a while he pondered there,— “ I’ll give it up,” said he. Now just at the moment a spider dropped. With its silken filmy flew ; And the king in tho. midst of his thinking stopped To see what the spider would do. ’Twas a long way up to tae ceiling dome, And it hung by a rope so fine, That how it would get to its cobweb home King Bruce could not divine. It soon began to cling and crawl Straight up with strong endeavour; But down it came with slipping sprawl, As near to the ground as ever. ■_ Up, up it ran, nor a second did stay, To utter the least complaint, Till it fell still lower; and there it lay A little dizzy and faint. Its head grew steady—again it went. And travelled a half yard higher; ’Twas a delicate thread it had to tread, And a road where its feet would tire.

Again it fell, and swung below; But up it quickly mounted, Till up and down, now fast, now slow, Nine brave attempts were counted.

Sure.” said the king, “ that foolish

thing Will strive no more to climb, When it toils so hard to reach and cling. And tumbles every time.” But up the insect went once more; Ah me! ’tis an anxious minute: He’s only a foot from his cobweb door ; Oh, say, will he lose or win it! Steadily, steadily, inch by inch, Higher and higher be got, And a bold little run at the very last pinch Put him into the wished-for-spot. “ Bravo! Bravo! ” the king cried out; 1 ‘ All honour to those who try: The spider up there defied despair; — He conquered, and why should not I ?” And Bruce of Scotland braced his lhind, And gossips tell the tale, That he tried once more as he tried before, And that time he did not fail. Pay goodly heed, all ye who read, And beware of saying, “ I can’t;” Tis a cowardly word, and apt to lead j To idleness, folly, and want.