Incredible Creatures For Credulous Children

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 306, 17 March 1928, Page 31

Incredible Creatures For Credulous Children

By

W.S.T. and G.E.M.

THE PUDDLE BABY The puddle baby sat on the edge of his muddy home, dug his fat fists into his eyes and suddenly burst into tears. “What is the matter?” asked a frog who happened to be passing. “Everything is the matter,” wailed the puddle baby. “When I came down in tho rain storm this morning this j puddle was three feet wide, and now the sun is drying it up. Soon I shall have no home.” “But why do you want to live in a puddle?” asked the frog. “Because lam a puddle baby. We all have to live in them.” “I know of a beautiful pond where you could play to your heart’s content. The sun never dries it up. Would you like me to take you there?” “Is it a puddle?” asked the puddle baby. i “No,” said the frog indignantly. “I told you it was a pond.” “But I’m a puddle baby,” wailed the little creature, his tears bursting forth anew. “There, there,” said the frog, “I had better go and see the man who makes the weather.” And he hopped away. The man who makes the weather was sitting under a large umbrella, mixing fine days in a big stone jar. “Why are you sitting under that umbrella?” asked the frog. “To keep my head cool,” answered the man who makes the weather, tipping a very hot noon into the jar. “And when may we expect rain?” questioned the frog. "When I feel in the mood to send rain,” answered the weather man. “Have you ever heard of puddle babies?” “What are puddle babies?” “Little creatures who come down in rainstorms and die when puddles dry up.” The man who makes the weather loked up with interest and stopped mixing fine days. “I should like to see one,” he remarked. “I can take you to see one,” said the frog, “but first you must make it rain and promise a sharp shower every day for a week.” The man who makes the weather agreed and, in pouring rain, followed the frog back to the puddle. The puddle baby, with crows of delight, was turning somersaults in a wide sheet of muddy water. All about him the raindrops were splashing upright like an army of little soldiers. “Now, don’t forget your promise,” said the frog as he hopped away.

SUSAN Susan says such funny things: That stars are tips of fairies’ wings— And always when we’re skipping hopes One day for rainbows for her ropes! U.G.

THE LITTLE TREE My attic window used to frame A far-off hill without a name, And on its summit I could see A little lonely, lovely tree. Across two miles of hill and dale He looked no taller than my nail. But clearly could I see him there. With lace-likd boughs all grey and bare, Till springtime brought a cloak of green, That autumn gave a golden sheen. We greeted every day till now, I waved a hand and he a bough. But someone built a house so high Its chimneys trespass on the sky And evermore shut off from me My little friend, my far-off tree. If robbers took my purse or rings I’d pardon those who stole such things, But never can my anger end Against the thief who stole my friend.

A PIGGERY It is great fun making a piggery. All you want are some acorns, a box of matches, and a little tube of seccotine. Each acorn makes a pig. it already has a little point like a snout. Make two little marks each side of it with a pen and ink for eyes, and just above them prick two holes and press in little splinters of a *!matcli for ears. Then prick four holes under the acorn and press in four little pieces of match stick for legs, and piggie will look as he does in the picture.

To make an enclosure for your pigs, cut off the heads of the matches and glue them together as shown in the sketch. This makes a lovely farm fence. The trough is the match-box without the lid. For the legs cut the head from a match and divide the stick into four. Then glue the four pieces under the four corners of matchbox, and you will have a fine trough for the pigs.