THE WIDE WORLD

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 928, 22 March 1930, Page 29

THE WIDE WORLD

Madame 'White-whiskers, who was a pure white Persian cat, was the proud parent of a family of six kittens. She loved to sit quietly on the doorstep, basking: in the sun and watching her kittens, who looked like little soft balls of wool as they frisked and tumbled about the lawn. The youngest and most mischievous of them all i was Dandy, who was pure white like his mother. Dandy was always seeking after adventures and, one day, growing tired | of playing with his brothers and sisI tors, he ran away over the lawn, ; through the fence and into the field b. yond. “I'll run away,” he resolved. “I’ll go out into the wide world." He knew he was doing wrong for I his mother had often forbidden her kittens to go any further than the lawn; but he still kept on. ; He had* not gone far when he met Mr. Fox. Now, Mr. Fox was very i cunning, and when Dandy told him i that he wanted to see the world, he j thought he would play a trick on him. “Follow me," he said, “and I will take you to a wonderful place.” j So Dandy followed Mr. Fox through fields and under hedges, and into a dense wood, until at last they reached “Now." said Mr. Fox, winking one of his eyes wickedly, “you stay here and rest while I go ahead for awhile. I’ll be back soon." And ne disappeared through the bushes. Feeling thankful for a as he was very tired, Dandy curled up under a tree and soon was fast asleep. He did ; not know how long he had slept, but when he awoke it was dark, and Mr. Fox was nowhere to be seen. “I wish he would come back.” he said. Then he grew frightened. “Perhaps he won't come back. Perhaps he left me here on purpose.” And he began to cry. He wandered about trying to find the way home, but he seemed to get j deeper and deeper into the wood. ! “Miow! Miow! I’m hungry and I want my tea. Miow! I want to go home,” he cried. Suddenly he heard a fluttering noise, and a little bird flew down from its nest and alighted on the branch beside him. “If you will promise never to run away again, I will lead you home,” ■ she said. “I promise,” said Dandy. “Oh, please j take me home. I’m so hungry and I tired." “Well, follow me,” said the bird, and ; she led him back through the wood, over the fields, and on to the lawn. “Now I will leave you. Remember your promise.” she said as she flew J away. Dandy crept in at the door and ran back to his anxious mother. “I’ll never I run away again,” he said as he { snuggled against her side, purring coni tentedly. —Cathleen Fletcher, aged 14. IN SCHOOL I Teacher: “What is a cannibal, Tommy?” Tommy: “I don’t know, teacher.” Teacher: “Well, if you ate your father and mother, what would you . be?” Tommy: “An orphan.”