THE HOLLOW TREE.

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 862, 4 January 1930, Page 25

THE HOLLOW TREE.

I /MESSAGES FOR SUNBEAMS.

I I , , The Hollow Tree closes each j week on Wednesday at 5 p.rn.

letters to the Dawn Lady are answered follow.

Robert Prentice, Grey Lynn: We are all ulati to greet you, Robert. You ’will find plenty to keep you interested now that you have come to Happy Town. Jessie Milne, La Junta. United States: Thank you for your greetings, Jessie, and I I<*ve that pretty card. You must be quite an American citizen now. All the Happy Town people send you their best wishes for 1930.

Elsie Orams, New Lynn: Yes, New Lynn must have a very strong appeal for you, Elsie. I am glad you have heard from Ailsa and Sylvia, and 1 hope you will see Cathleen soon.

Nola Craig. Mount Albert: It was a pity there was no picnic weather during the holidays, Nola. but I am glad you had an outin? nevertheless. You were lucky finding that shelter on the boat. The Happy 1 own people were glad to have your kind greetings. Thomas P; rson, Huntly: Welcome, Master Huntly. That poem is one of my favourites. Are you fond of painting? Josie Ssngle'on. Green Lane: So there was a box of paints among your Christinas presents? You will be able to enter for plenty of competitions now. I was glad to read your poem. Josie. Elizabeth Christine, Auckland: A New Year wish for Elizabeth and a Happy Town package of blue days from the Little Thought. Forrest Hutchinson, Paeroa: Those are fine airplanes, Forrest. Please will you take me for a flight in the centre one? Joyce Gamble. Devonport: I was glad hear from you again, Joyce. Yes, thank you. I am quite well. You have been having a busy time, but I am glad you have not forgotten the way to Happy Town.

Veronica Winstanley, Huntly: A letter written in bed and all in the holiday season? 1 do hope you will soon be well, Veronica. Those are funny little rhymes. Your mother knows the right way to keep sick people cheerful. I have given your love t«> the Woodpecker, the Little Thought, and the Joyshop man, and they all send their very best wishes to you. And here is a special package of luck from the Dawn Lady. Ferhaps it Will help to make you better. Dorothy McConnell. Papakura: are having a holiday in Waiuku. Th* l * is good news. And you have a birthday to look forward to? I hope it will he a vorv happy one. What a wonderful C&ristr taa you had. Tt was kind of Santa Claus- to till a pillow-case instead of your stocking. The good scribes are the Sunbeams who write the neatest and most interesting letters each week. Bess e Hutchinson, Paeroa: What a wonderful budget from Bessie. I love your painting, and I smiled over that poem. Thank you also for Your drawing and story. You are a very versatile Sunbeam. Ask your mummy what that big word means. .. Hilda Jarvis. Mount Eden: Yes the Little Thought often receives letters from Sunbeams, and he was delighted to have yours. Hilda. Those frosted leaves make a prettv decoration, and I have put them among my treasures. And you h*d your birthday on Christmas l»a> ; What, a wonderful collection of presents. Thank you for your riddle-me-ree. Mary Rawlinson, Hamilton: lam glad you are to have a holiday, Mary. You will enjoy your stay at Devonport. Jean Oillanders has not written to me for quite a time either. I have left your love for Joy frill with the Woodpecker. Dorothy White. Hamilton: A terrier Pup and a camera? What exciting Christmas presents! Those other gifts must have given you great pleasure, too. Some New Year thoughts for Dorothy. Dot g las McNab. Rotorua: Welcome. Douglas. I hope I shall soon hear all about »ny new Sunbeam. Have you any Happy Town friends in Rotorua? * Norah Turner, Frankton Junction. 3?lick might be a good name for that puppy, Norah, or he might like to oe called Snowball. Thank you very much for those riddles and the *joke. Cathleen Fletcher, Glen Eden: So you have been touring the country in a car decorated with balloons and streamers. And did you wear a false nose and a paper cap on New Year’s Eve? I ha\e left your love in the Hollow Tree for Jean Melndoe, Sylvia Webb, Patsy Sheridan and Elsie Orams. . Kathleen Henley. Auckland: That nonsense verse is verv cleverly done. Kathleen. and it is almost up to publication standard. Where did you find those ■cHoolbov howlers? Thev are good ones. I hope that 1930 will be a lucky year for you.

Je*i#le Clothier. Hamilton: You are one 2?. the lucky ones, Jessie. What wonderful trip* you have been having. Ye., the country is looking very fresh and

green. You would not think it was mid-summer, would you? Gloria Rawlinson, Parnell: I have just been reading a poem called “King William,” Gloria. I wonder if he ever wore a paper crown? The Little Thought sends you a special New Year’s wish.

Jean Melndoe, Hamilton: And did you hear the clamour as the Old Year went out, Jean? You would miss brother Pat. but I expect his thoughts were with you when the clock struck 12. I have left your special New Year thought for Elizabeth Christine with the Woodpecker, and all the Happy Town people send some very particular wishes to you. Lorna Finlayson. Remuera: When the Little Thought read your letter he blushed crimson, Lorna, so perhaps he did call on you disguised as a lizard. I have a lizard's skin that I use as a bookmark and he probably dressed himself up in that. He is always up to strange pranks, and we never know what he will be doing next.

Helen Clothier, Hamilton: That is a pretty pen-name, Helen. What a happy time you have been having. Picnics are splendid fun. I wonder why billy tea tastes so much nicer than any other. Zoe Harden, Whangarei: I recognised vour writing, Zoe. so the strange postmark did not puzzle me, I hope you will eniov vour holiday at Russell. Yes, I wonder what 1930 has in - store for us. The Little Thought says it is going to bC Joan' Brookfield’, Bay: Thank JSi. x %t p n£l y a ca i£ and we pluck a petal each day ?ust as ve do a leaf from the calendar. I hope that 1930 vi-ill hold many joys tor JO Molly Elliott. Taka puna: So the Idttle Thought has been playing -with your toy butterfly’ YVhy, he might have broken the spring! Isn't he an inquisitive little persoh? And you and mummy had 1 Christmas presents between you. A certain sleigh must have been nearly empty when it left your house.

Joan Petterson, Whangarei: Oh, yes, Santa Claus was very kind to me, Joan. He left me all manner of beautiful things. I am glad he left a wristlet watch for you. Yes, the last hidden Sunbeam was a puzzler, but your sharp eyes soon found him. My best love, little lady.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS If you want to play a game that will give all the players a good laugh, try Questions and Answers. Any number of players can join in, the more the merrier, and you can play it indoors or outdoors, so it will do nicely for both party and playground. The players must, sit in two lines facing each other, so that they are really in pairs. Two of the players are called Question and Answer. Nov/ Question goes all .along the line and, without anyone else hearing, whispers a question into the ear of each of the players in his line. On the other hand. Answer goes down his line whispering an answer into the ear of each of the players. Then the game begins. The first player of the one line says aloud the question he was given. The player opposite replies in the answer he was given. This begins the fun, as you can imagine, for the answers sound so very funny to the questions asked. For instance, the question might be, “What’s the time?” And the reply might come, “It used to, but it died.” Another instance: “Have you got any money?”—and the answer, “The cat buried it in the garden.” By the time you have finished at the end of the line everybody will be in fits of laughter.

ALL DRESSED UP? This morning I was spraying our grape-fruit and lemon trees when I saw a tiny tail disappear into the hedge. This made me very curious, and I waited for the tail to appear again. Then, what do you think I saw? Why, two little bright eyes, a long, thin face and a long body with shiny skin, prettily marked and speckled/ A lizard! A real live lizard! He had come to pay a call on me, but,' do you know, I don’t think he was a real lizard. I think he was the Little Thought all dressed up to come and tell me it was time I wrote to the Dawn Lady! —Lorna Finlayson, aged 11. TONGUE TWISTERS Cecil sharpened the slim shining scissors sensibly. Eric kicks the master builder’s brick blocks ceaselessly.

PUZZLERS Hidden birds: The names of five different birds are hidden in the following sentences: 1. He sat her on the chair. 2. Beth rushed across the road before she could stop her. 3. There were a few renovations to be done. 4. “How can a rye field look like corn?” asked young Dick. 5. They caught the fishes in the pool in nets. Hidden Sunbeam in the Hollow Tree:— TESROFR NISHOTUHC Answers to last week’s puzzlers: Oblique puzzle: School. Clown. Hose. Owe. On. L. Hidden Sunbeam: Cameron. Buchanan.