CONFLICT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 505, 7 November 1928, Page 6

CONFLICT

PRIZE-WINNING POEM Tram-tickets whirl on their joyous way, j In a dusty town, on a dusty day; « j Trees droop down in the wilting heat, With tired limbs on the listless A north-west wind blows low, blows : high, And above the chimney-pots peeps the ; sky, Ever so blue, and ever so far, While the' trams in the distance moan and jar. « But standing here, how I long and long for the country skylark’s endless song. ... I know how the blossoms will drift to-day, I know what the river will have to say; I know how the bees there drone and drone, How my lilac bush will be out alone; How the gorse will be reaching arms aglow To the setting sun. Oh, I know! I know! But here I am on this dusty day. Though I long to be up and away. away. And, though it is raining a dusty rain, My heart is out in the fields again. —Harvest Moon (Alma Chamberlain). FOR WISE HEADS Riddle-me-ree: My first is in heat, but not in cold: My second is in elder, but not in old; My third is in apple and also in pear; My fourth is in laden, but not in bear; My fifth is in travel, but not in walk; My sixth is in hiding, but not in stalk. Now you will find, by using stealth. That my whole is another name for wealth. Answer to last week’s word square: Ship. Hive. Ivan. Pens. AN OLD STORY At the beginning of Time (says the fable) there was a wild cat who lived in the jungle and preyed upon small things like mice and beetles. One day he saw some fowls pecking at the seeds of a creeper, and he thought they looked good to eat, but he was frightened by the fierce appearance of the cock with hib proud crest. His teeth may be as terrible as the crocodile’s or the tiger’s, thought the cat, and he made a plot to find out whether the cock really was as dangerous as he seemed. First the cat sent an invitation to the fowls to see him dance. They came, of course, for they had seen black men dance in war paini, bells, | and plumes, and they expected a fine entertainment. But the cat did not dress up, and when the fowls saw him prancing about without any grand dance clothes they laughed aloud in derision. As they laughed the cat saw that they had no teeth, and he pounced on the cock and ate him. Perhaps there is a lesson wrapped up in the little tale. Nothing betrays a man so quickly as laughter, and we may safely take a man’s measure by the things he laughs at. If he never laughs at all he is a dull fellow, but if he laughs too readily and loudly we are reminded of the Latin saying, “You may know a fool by his much laughing,” and of Goldsmith’s phrase about “the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind.” In the East, where wit seldom wins more than a grave smile, the people say, “Laughter is for white men and monkeys.” AN AID TO SWIMMING Here is a novel - o o t attachment A r hich, it is claimed, ?ives great help in iwimming. Fastened to a wide inklet are two spoon-shaped fils, ind these are arranged at such an mgle that when the !oot is kicked back n swimming the fins open and give the swimmer more purchase on the water, thus helping him forward. When the foot is brought forward again the fins close, being helped by means of springs attached as shown. THE MILLION HABIT^ A quite ordinary room would hold a hundred million gold sovereigns, provided its floor did not give way. We ought to get the million habit by remembering that we wash ourselves daily in a bath containing about ten million drops of water, and often walk ten million millimetres during the day.