AN AMUSING STORY.

Shannon News, 12 August 1927, Page 3

AN AMUSING STORY.

THE MAORI AND THE DENTIST. Giving a talk on Maori history of Hawke's Bay at the Hastings Orphans' Club, the Rev. F. A. Bennett told some interesting and rather amusing stories concerning the Maori race. He stated that once there was a Maori who suffered from a violent toothache, so he decided to go to the dentist. In the dental chair, however, he got the "wind-up" very badly, and said to the dentist: "No good to-day. I come back to-morrow," and off he went. Sure enough he went back the next day, but once more, as soon as he saw the instruments, he made another excuse and said he would come back tomorrow. For the third visit, however, the dentist and his assistant hit upon a scheme by wMch they thought they would* overcome the Maori's "winoup" feeling. It was arranged that -when the Maori sat in the chair, the dentist would stand in front of him. hiding the instruments, and at a given sign the assistant standing behind was to stick a needle in the lower region of Horn's body. The ruse worked with conplete success. Honi sat down,-the needle was inserted, and in a flash (he tooth was extracted." When th.' tooth was out the Maori jumped up in the air crying loudly, holding his hand to the place where the needle went in. "What's the matter now?" asked the dentist. "By corry," replied tinMaori, '' that tooth had a big root.''