Daddy's Evening Fairy Tale

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 233, 19 April 1928, Page 3

Daddy's Evening Fairy Tale

/AARV CIJAHAM BQNMER.

THE PARK SHEEP

They were in a hi" park. Around them was grass, and there were trees, but not far away were city streets and cars and automobiles and wagons and trucks running this way and that. Tiie sheep never left the park. They had never seen the city streets, but once one of them had gone near enough to hear the noise, and had come, frightened, i ndeed, back to the sheepfold. But all around their park home they wandered, and many children came to see them. There were boys and girls who came, and grownups, too. And Baa Baa was always shown off as the prize sheep of the park. VMiss Baa Baa/’ the keeper would say, “can you give a concert today?” Miss Baa Baa would bleat as best she could, “Yes, b-l-e-a-t, I will give you a concert today.’* So all the children would gather from far and near. How many children did seem to turn up when they heard that Miss Baa was going to give a concert! “Miss Baa Baa is very thine,” said the keeper. “She lost her mother when she was a tiny lamb, and she was brought up as my own special pet, along with my pet kitten. “Baa Baa and Kitty are the best of friends.

“They used to try to do the same things. Poor Baa Baa couldn’t purr and poor Kitty couldn't blent, but oth erwise they taught each other their own tricks. “So Baa Baa has always been a pet, and now she is the leader of all the sheep in the park. “There, Baa Baa, I have told all the boys and girls your history. Now give your concert.” Baa Baa would make a little bow. and then would bleat and after a little bit of trying out her voice she. would begin. What do you suppose made up the concert? Baa Baa sang a little sheep song first. Then the keeper gave Baa Baa a mouth organ and she played “Home, Sweet, Home” upon it, and beat time with her little tail. Kveryone wasn't so sure that the song was “Home, Sweet Home,” but the keeper said so, and when he would ask Miss Baa Baa if that wasn't the name of the tune she was playing upon her mouth organ, she would bleat: “Yes, b-l-e-a-t, b-l-e-a-t, it is!” How delighted the children always were!

And so were the grownups who gathered to listen to Miss Baa Baa as she played upon the mouth organ. “Nice little sheep, eh?” the keeper would ask.

And almost every child in the park would ask the keeper: “Can’t I have Miss Baa Baa for a pet? I would be kind to her.” .

“Oil, we could keep Baa Baa In the back yard or under the back porch, or, maybe, Baa Baa would share my room, and in the daytime I could take her walking, and we could come to the park, too.” Bet the keeper said he couldn’t part with Baa Baa, for she was his own special pet, brought up from a wee lamb, and that he must keep her, even if lie did have so many other animals, too. And Baa Baa bleated hard and thumped her tail against the keeper, trying with might and main to say: "That’s right, Keeper, I’m your pet. "And here in the park I can give pleasure to thousands of children instead of to one or two in a city home, which I wouldn’t like at all, at all.” The Water Carrier To most of us water is plentiful and cheap and it can be obtained with little effort by merely turning the faucet at home, but it is not so in many parts of the world. In Egypt, parts of southern Europe, Arabia, Africa, some of South America and in parts of Mexico, water is scarce and must be purchased, like meats and groceries, from those who have it to sell. In these arid regions, - water is brought to you, not by means of underground pipes that enter your home, but by men and wonSm who carry it for sale In huge earthen containers. In many cases these containers are wrapped in woolen cloth to keep the VfWGr cpriJ.