THE WIGWAM

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 415, 25 July 1928, Page 6

THE WIGWAM

| Here we gather, here we meet in pow-wow friendly and discreet, iTo talk of earth, and sea, and sky, and watch the world of men go by.

LEGEND AND STORY THE story competition, wliich has been engaging the attention of the children of Redfeather lately, has brought to the AVigwam much of worth from the faithful quills of the trusty ones. There are plots of adventure and piracy on the high seas, Indian stories, wistful tales from the land of Might Have Been, sad themes, happy themes—all of which go to prove the diversity of types and talents attracted by the light of the Wigwam fire. ' With this competition a new story-writer has made her appearance in Dancing Star, who is one of our youngest and most loyal members. Her tale of how the first silence came, to exist has a bright touch of imagination, a vein of droll humour, and is cleverly and capably handled. Chiefs and Braves will watch with interest for more stories from the pen of Dancing Star. Sighing Wind, a New Plymouth Brave, has given us much to ponder in “Dying Fire,” a tale of an Indian Chief whose stern heart drew no warmth from the sinking embers. The stories of Sighing Wind are well known in the Wigwam, and she is at her best in studies such as these. Blue Moon, Harvest Moon, and Lone Dreamer also sent excellently handled stories, while Silent AVarrior and Strongbow uphold the honour of the Chiefs. To these and to the others, my greetings and thanks. REDFEATHER.

WITH THE BOY SCOUTS Scouts and Cubs of St. James’s Troop, assisted by friends, will give a concert in St. James’s Hall, Wellington Street, on Thursday, July 2(5. to raise funds for the Christmas camp and general equipment. The programme includes items by Miss Gow, Miss Cissie Morrison, Mrs. Stephens, Miss Rita Morrison, Miss Pickett, Miss D. Hislop, and Messrs. Bruce, I. Hogg, W. Hicks, Keith Ramsay and L. Chapman. St. James’s Scouts and Cubs will contribute a camp fire scene. * * * Big Brown Bear reports for the Tahutimai Troop: “The troop now comprises 26 scouts and 18 cubs and is in charge of Scoutmaster R. Sinclair, Acting-Assistant-Scoutmaster H. Worster, of the Calliope Sea Scouts, and Second-Assist-ant S. Barrett (Big Brown Bear), who is also acting as Cubmaster of the newly-formed pack. “Recently a number of the boys passed the second-class and tenderfoot tests, while all the cubs have succeeded in the tenderpad examination. “Next Thursday, if the weather is fine, the troop intends holding a night tracking expedition up One Tree Hill, and the following Sunday will assemble with the Guides at a church parade in the Methodist Church, Greenwood’s Corner. “Preparations are now in hand for a social evening to be held next month.” • * * A farewell evening was held in the

Parish Hall, Tauranga, on July 16, in honour of Scoutmaster P. Lloyd, who has been transferred to Rotorua. Commissioner F. Boyd attended and presented the departing scoutmaster with a gold-mounted fountain pen in recognition of the work he had accomplished in the troop. Mr. B. C. Robbins, chairman of the committee, also made Mr. Lloyd a presentation on behalf of the troop.

GIRL GUIDES’ CORNER Little New Leaf, of the Kakamai Company, reports for June: “Ceremonial night was held on the first Wednesday in the month. Several Second-class, Home-Maker, Domestic Service, Minstrel and Musician Badges were presented, to the Guides who had won them. “Some of the Guides have been working very hard for the Second-class badges, while others have been busily engaged in making mats and baskets for the Basket-Maker’s badge. “This month each patrol leader took it in turn to take the company for a game. “We are also saving up enough money to buy a mattress for the camp at Otimai. “This concluded a very busy month for all the Guides.” * * # Sun-flecked Shadow, of the St. John, Royal Oak, Company, writes: “We have now 22 Guides in our company, and 21 Brownies. Five girls have recently passed the test for the Domestic Service and Homemaker badges, and four the Cook and Needlewoman test. “We have three patrons—the Robin, the Canary and the Kingfisher. “Several of our Guides attended the fancy dress ball given by the Tahutimai Company on July 14, and had a happy time. “Last Saturday, our Lieutenant, Miss Kirkwood, left with her sister for Sydney, where they will be staying for three weeks. “On Wednesday three Guides were enrolled by our Commissioner, Mrs. McNair, and recently three of us went to the Karitane Home for instruction as to how babies should be bathed and dressed. “The St. John’s Guides are preparing for a fancy dress ball, which will take place in October, and several of us will be present at the Cavell bazaar next Saturday. “On August 4, the Guides will play a basketball match at the Training College grounds at Epsom. “Leaders and Seconds have Court of Honour at our captain’s home.” * * * On July 26, the First Cambridge Company will hold a Guide social, and members are now busily engaged in practicing their items. Sun Cloud (Jessie Anderson) has been appointed Leader of the Brownie Pack and Evening Gold (Margaret Hicks), Assistant-Leader. On July 21, the occasion of the Tawny Owl’s birthday, the Brownies gave a party and made a presentation to their guest of honour. The Captain, Lieutenant and Patrol Leaders of the First Cambridge Company were present, and Miss Patterson, the Frankton Captain, and Brown Owl, also attended. WHAT IS IT? What the rich man wants. What the poor man has. What the deaf man hears. What the blind man sees Answer: Nothing. Australia’s Scouts kept the Chief Scout’s birthday by giving a penny v a week for a month to charity.

SILENCE PRIZE-WINNING STORY It was long-, long ago. From the woods emerged two ancient men, Old and Very Old. returning from hunting. “ Tell me, Very Old,” said Old suddenly, “what is silence? I’ve heard%of it, but I’ve never spen it.” Very Old scratched his head for a minute. “ There isn’t any now,” he answered at length. “ But there was a silence once.” “ Oil,” murmured Old thoughtfully. “ Tell me about the first silence, O most wise Very Old,” he demanded. “ Once upon a time,” Very Old began, “once upon a time,” he repeated musingly, “well, once upon a time, when the Very Ancient people lived on earth, there were two friends. Olaf and Silence. Now these Very Ancient people were just as talkative as our neighbours are. therefore they all had very loud voices, but Olaf had the strongest voice of any—in fact, the most powerful voice in the world. One day,”—here Very Old paused and scratched his head, as if seeking for inspiration—“ One day,” he began again, “ Olaf and Silence went hunting in the woods, but Silence got lost. Olaf did not miss his friend till he had reached the village, when all his neighbours asked him at once (and they had very loud voices) where Silence was. “‘Silence?’ said Olaf. ‘ls he not here? I will call him.’ “ So he called, and his voice echoed and re-echoed like thunder. “‘Silence!’ he shouted. ‘Silence!’ “ Then he stopped and listened for an answer, and for the first time in their lives all his neighbours stopped talking and listened too. For a short time not a sound was to be heard.” “Did Silence ever return?” asked Old. “No,” replied Very Old. “So they called the first stillness after him. And I don’t think there has ever been a Silence since,” he added slowly, as he heard the shrill voices of his far away neighbours —DANCING STAR. (Margaret Bartrum.) HIKING SONG Pull! Pull! Pull! The dusty road winds on. Pull! Pull! Pull! This is our hiking song. We’ll sing a song of Scouting done, Of days beneath a scorching sun, Of deeds of valour, followed trails, Of summer dips and sun-kissed dales. We’ll sing a song of Nature’s Book, So plainly writ in field and brook, Of beast and bird, of plant and tree.

Of these and other joys sing we. Pull! Pull! Pull! The dusty road winds on, Pull! Pull! Pull! For that's our hiking song.

DYING FIRE Loneliness—the great, majestic loneliness of the Rockies, with a silver moon slipping out of the west into a dark, star-spangled dome. The blue veil of wood-smoke stole upward, and the ruddy glow of a lonely lire flickered on the features of one who sat, cross-legged and silent, beside it. A dark, thin face it showed, parchmentlike skin drawn closely over hollow cheeks, though not too closely to hide the creases and markings of weather and war; nose, sharp as the eagle’s beak, and half-closed, glittering eyes. The lights leaped and danced among the dangling neck ornaments, that flashed with the myriad colours of the rainbow, and gilded the proud feathered head-dress that rested upon the high forehead. A grey, wraith-like form stole out of the night. The figure by the fire did not stir though he saw all. His thin lips moved as, in sibilant tones, he asked: “You have come again to crave pardon for the captives, Weiya?” “The mind of my chieftain is all-

understanding,” was the answer. “We have their gold. May they not keep their lives?”

The thin lips curled. There was a flame in the cruel eyes that was not of the firelight. “I give my word at sunrise.”

Wei-ya knew what that word would be. He retreated silently and the chieftain stared on into the blaze, long into the night. Once, raising his eyes to the hazy column drifting heaven-wards, he saw a strange thing. The grey-blue smoke hung about the form of a beautiful woman, and curled around her feet. She drew from the fire, a sword of flame. “Be merciful, great chieftain,” he heard her deep-toned voice murmur. “Their people destroy my people,” he muttered sullenly. “There shall be death at sunrise.” A low mocking laugh came from the smoke clouds. “Aye! There shall be death at sunrise.” * * * The snows were stained with crimson in the light of coming day. Weiya moved toward the solitary figure, sitting apart in the cold dawn. He

RUINS IN GREENLAND Within a hundred miles of Cape Farewell, at Julianehaab, in Greenland lie the remains of the greatest Scandinavian cathedral except that of old Trondhjem, in Norway. Recent excavations have brought much of interest to light. In one of the chapels of the cathedral the body of a bishop has been found in fulV canon i ca l s » with a ring on the finger and a crook made of walrus tusks. He probably lived about 1200 A.D. Perhaps even more interesting than the cathedral is the episcopal palace close by. It must have been the largest building in Greenland except the home of the founder of the colony, Eric the Red, at Brattalid. The front is 160 feet long. The palace and its outhouses cover three acres, and there is accommodation for a hundred cattle, as well as for horses, sheep and pigs. It is realised that the old Greenland settlement was on a bigger scale than has hitherto been supposed. There must, have been three or four thousand farms.

passed the doomed prisoners. They were Englishmen and young, despite the growth of unkept beards and other stamps of the privations of a golddiggers’ camp. Wei-ya waited. The minutes passed and no word came from the chieftain. He sat there proudly before a heap of dead grey ashes, his hands clasped upon his knees. He still stared ahead, but the fire was gone from his eyes. Their lights were cold. With a sudden cry Wei-ya bent forward. Then he knew the word would never come. He turned away as a sword of fire swept the slopes. It was sunrise. —Sighing Wind (Phyllis Fitzgerald).

POETRY COMPETITION A CASH prize of seven shillings and sixpence (7s 6d) will be awarded for the best original poem, not exceeding 20 lines. Entries close with Redfeather on August 8. Open to boys and girls of membership age.

FOR WISE HEADS A HIDDEN PEOPLE In the shower but not in the rain, In the varnish and also in stain, In the wicket but not in the bail, In the rigging and also in sail, In the timber but not in the wood, In the cover and also in hood, In the seventh but not in the fourth, Whole, I’m a people that live in the North. * * * Answer to last week’s word square: Pipe. Idea. Pear. Ears.

STORY COMPETITION THE prize of seven shillings and -*• sixpence in the last short story competition has been won by Dancing Star, for her entry, “ Silence.” The results are as follow:—First, Dancing Star (Margaret Bartrum, Rewhiti Avenue, Takapuna, Auckland, aged 13). Highly Commended: Sighing Wind (Phyllis Fitz Gerald, New Plymouth); Blue Moon (Peggy Wilson, Ponsonby); Harvest Moon (Alma Chamberlain, Christchurch); Lone Dreamer (Alice Robinson, Remuera); Silent Warrior (John Shannon, Ponsonby); Strongbow (David Bennett, Devonport).