Dick the Duck

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 904, 22 February 1930, Page 29

Dick the Duck

Dick the Duck was paddling in the pond one day when Billy Boy came along and stole the curl off his tail. That was bad of Billy, for Dick the Duck was proud of his curl. None of the other ducks had one. “Billy Boy!” said Dick the Duck in disgust. “Give me back the curl of my tail this minute!” Billy shook his head. “Please, Billy,” said Dick. But Billy Boy only laughed and stuck the curl of the «tail in his hat. Then he started off, whistling. “Billy Boy!” quacked Dick the Duck hopping with rage. “Come Back! Quick! Quack!” “I’m busy,” said Billy, still laughing He liked to tease. “Quack!” said Dick the Duck. ‘Til follow you around till you give it “Follow along.” called Billy. “But you can’t get the curl of your tail.” “I will!” said Dick the Duck between his bill, and he started to paddle along after Billy. “Billy,” said his mother, as he came up the walk, “how funny you look with that little duck paddling along behind you! ” “I like him to follow me,” said Billy. Now Dick the Duck knew that if he told Billy’s mother about his tail, she would make Billy give the curl back. But Dick thought it would be fun to get it* back himself. So he only sang—“Oh, Billy Feels silly, With Dick the Duck And his bad luck Paddling along behind him!” “Ho!” said Billy, and he ran round the house. But Dick the Duck went, too. Around the corner they met Micky the Mouse. “Where are you going, Dick?” said the mouse. “I’m following Billy,” said Dick the Duck, “for he has the curl of my tail. Come along.” “Yes, I will,” said Micky. He liked a joke. So he ran along behind Dick, and Billy pretended not to notice them. “Here comes Johnny Jot to play with you, Billy,” said the Duck. “I think I’ll go to town,” said Billy quickly, starting off the other way. “He doesn’t want Johnny to see us with him,” whispered Dick, and he sang again—

"Billy Feels silly. With Dick And Mick, So small And quick, Following behind him!” Micky giggled. “Better give Dick his curl, Billy,” he called. But Billy was stubborn. “I don’t care how much you sing,” he said, and started down the street. Dick the Duck saw the seven little yellow goslings from next door. “Hi!” he shouted. “Come follow Micky.” “Why?” said the goslings, looking out between the fence palings. “Because Micky is following me,” Sa “Why?”" said the goslings. “Because I’m following Billy.” said Dick. “Why?” said the goslings. “Because he has the curl of my tail,” said Dick. “Oh,” said the goslings, and they all scurried under the fence, and followed along, one after the other. behind Micky, who was behind Dick, who paddled along at Billy’s heels. Billy met Nancy down the street, and she laughed till Billy turned red as a currant. And Dick the Duck sang" — “Billy Feels silly, with Dick And Mick And seven yellow Gosling geese Marching along like Little policeMen, behind him!” Then Dick the Duck saw a little black pig, and he asked it to join the procession. So the little black pig came running; and Dick sang again—- ’ “Billy Feels silly. With Dick And Mick, And seven little geese and ' A little black pig Marching along. Not very big. But following Behind him!” Tim and Tom came down the street and when they saw Billy and his procession they whooped and how Ted till Billy got as red as an apple. Tlien Dick the Duck saw a little wobbly calf and he called to it. And the calf came jumping along on its wobbly legs. Dick the Duck sang—- “ Billy Feels silly With Dick And Mick, And seven little geese. And a little black pig, And a wobbly calf, Not very big, All following Behind him.” Billy came to the corner where the big traffic lights were, and all the cars and trucks and street cars were waiting. Billy marched across the street, and the duck and the mouse and the goslings and the pig and the calf went

along behind him. Everybody laughed and tooted their horns, and the big traffic policeman called. “Hi, son, arv you a circus?” Billy was as red as » whole sunset, but he went along whistling. At the next corner there was a big talking and walking doll in the shop window, and when Dick the Duck saw her he clapped his wings. “"Won't you take a walk with us?” he called. “Xhank you, yes,” said the doll, and she began to climb down from the window.

“No, no. no!” shouted Billy. “I can stand to have a duck follow me, and a mouse, and seven geese, and a pig and a wobbly calf, but I won’t have a girly doll walking round after me!” “Well?” said the duck. Billy had to laugh in spite of himself. “Here is the curl of your tail.” he said, and he took the curl out of his hat and gave it to Dick the Duck. “What else?” said Dick the Duck. “We-11—” said Billy. “I’m sorry 1 teased you.” “That’s right,” said Dick the Duck. “What else?” “I don't know about anything else.” said Billy. “There’s a very large bun in your pocket,” said Dick. “Oh,” said Billy. “I’ll never try to tease you again. Here it is.” “Hurray!” shouted the mouse. “Hurray!” shouted all the others. And Dick the Duck gave them each a bite of bun and walked home in triumph with the curl in his tail.

THE JAPANESE SCREEN

Muriel was curled up in a big chair in the drawing-room, all alone except for the Japanese lady on the big screen. She had named the lady “Fifi,” and frequently carried on Imaginary conversations with her. “Fifl” was embroidered in gold « thread on the black satin surface of the screen, and she was apparently gathering a large bunch of gold thread chrysanthemums. , Muriel was absorbed in a story, but when she came to the end of it she closed the book, and looked across the room at the big screen. “Good afternoon, Fifi,” she said, politely, by way of opening a conversation, and she was just about to answer herself in a different voice when, to her astonishment, the Japanese lady on the screen smiled at her, and spoke! “Good afternoon, Muriel. As you see. I have just been gathering some of my chrysanthemums; are they not beautiful?” Muriel’s eyes opened very wide. The flowers were of gold thread no longer, but were all of different bright colours—just like the ones Perkins, the gardener, was so proud of. “Y-Yes, they are lovely!” stammered Muriel. “Well, won’t you come in, dear?” said the Japanese lady, kindly. “Come in!” echoed Muriel, blankly. And then she saw that the lady was no longer on the screen, but was standing in front of it, holding her beautiful bunch of flowers. She moved one fold of the screen aside, like a door, and. in response to her invitation Muriel followed her into the quaintest room she had ever seen. The room was as pretty as it was quaint, with gay-coloured cushions on the floor to sit on instead of chairs. There was a beautiful picture on the I wall of a huge, snow-capped mountain, and Muriel knew it was the great Fuji Yama, or “Wonder Mountain,” her daddy had often told her about; for daddy was the captain of a big ship that sailed to the “Land of the Rising Sun,” as Japan is sometimes called. “What a beautiful place!” said Muriel, shyly. She couldn’t help wondering how in the world she had got there! "Yes, it is pretty. But now we will have some tea.” She clapped her hands, and a little Japanese maid, with fans In her black hair, brought three low tables—Just ; like little stools—daintily arranged for tea. Muriel wondered why there were three tables, and was expecting to see the lady’s husband appear, when her hostess remarked mysteriously—“l have a surprise guest coming to tea today, Muriel, and you must gues> who it is. Now, who would you like ;to see more than anyone else in the world?” “My daddy!” cried Muriel, “Daddy’s here!” said a voice; as 1 Muriel opened her eyes; and she found ; herself clasped very closely in a I strong pair of arms. • “So you went to sleep over your [ book, and you didn’t expect me, eh. i little girl?” ! “Oh, no, daddy!” she cried, delightedly, “it’s the splendidest surprise 1 ever had! Isn’t it, mummie?" And ; mummie, who was standing by, look- ! ihg’ very, very happy, quite agreed. Then Muriel glanced across the room at the big screen. “I dreamt I was to have tea with Fifl, daddy, and you were coming, too!” she laughed j “Fifl?” Daddy looked puzzled. “Yes, daddy, the Japanese lady o«j the screen. I often talk to her—lt's such fun!” Daddy laughed. “I’ve brought mummie a big vase with another Japanese lady on it, so you’ll have two *Fifis’ to talk to now!”