CHILDREN'S ESSAYS.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 24 September 1919, Page 3

CHILDREN'S ESSAYS.

WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER BE A BOY OR A GIRL? WHY? PRIZE ESSAYS. Below we print the first and second prize essays written by children for the "Children's Evening" held..on Friday night last under tho auspices of the Otaki Literary and Debating Club. Wc have followed the originals in spelling and punctuation, to enable readers to gather a bettcr&idea of the merits of the compositions.

FIRST PRIZE—BY ETHEL JONES.

Which would you rather he, a hoy or a gil? A hoy.

I have often thought that boys have a much better time than girls. One reason is, that they are allowed much it!ore liberty than girls. \ Now a boy can belong to a hockey and football team, and can go to the different villages and play matches. Meanwhile the girl stays at home as usual.

A boy can go out camping with a party of other boys, and have an uncommonly good time, bathing and fishing. The mother might not like the girl to go, as she might catch cold, or have an accident.

In tho country a boy can generally manage to get hold of a horse, and have a good time accordingly. He gets a few pals together, and they gallop the horse to a standstill. Then he thinks ho has had a ripping time. But I do not. suppose the horse has enjoyed it so well.

In summer time there are plenty of' amusements boating, fishing, and swimming. Oh! the joys of a pearifle. It is the ambition of most boys .to possess one. Then what a time they have. Another little weapon they delight in, is the catapult. Cricket is another pastime played by boys in summer. Many also like tennis. These arc a few of the reasons why I think boys have such a good time. Girls do not have nearly such exciting times. Of course I am only writing from a girl's point of view. SECOND PRIZE—BY ALFRED KNON, Waihoanga. Why I would rather ho a boy. I would rather be a boy than a girl because girls get frightened at the least, little thing. If a mouse runs over the floor they squeal and jump onto a chair or table their teeth chattering with fright. All tho time' the mouse is more frighened than they. Besides being nervous girls have something. which would kill a boy-without even touching him and for which they have never been beaten by the other sex yet and that is the use of their tongue. If two girls have a secret they must confide <t to some other girls uHd so in the end it is not a secret but public property. If the world were ruled by girls the boys would have some fun thev would rob and get drunk just for the" sake of gettig run in. AH the oames girls play a baby could play. Thev cannot play rugby because they are afraid they might get a knock. i Another reason I would hate to be a girl for is because they have to do housework which I do not like and which I think girls would get out-of it thev could. Besides all this they have to mind the baby when mother goes out Thev have to clean and dress him and "lug him out of a Saturday and Sunday while the boys have the time of their lives bathing, racing on horse-back oh the beach or getting up to mischief none of which the girls would think of doing. Climbing trees after bird's eggs the girls would shrink from while boys would sit on top of the tree singing and laughing as if there j was no such thing as danger of falling 1 off. A boy can and will fight with his fists but girls can only serateh and bite. I A fight between two girls is like two Icats fighting. There are exceptions in some girls, but that is only some.