RUBBISH-TIP RHAPSODY.

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 24, 25 June 1952, Page 7

RUBBISH-TIP RHAPSODY.

(True story, musical and amusing. The three characters are fictitious) The pine trees near the Spa Road swayed gently in the breeze and murmured in contentment, Dawn is breaking; light is lifting; day will soon be here." Then slowly into their arms came the beautiful morning and a bell-bird sang from behind a curtain oi mist. Its notes chimed clearly, "Ding — Dong — Tink— Tonk." A small pear-grey car came purring through the opal fog, steadied and turned off on to the plateau which stands almost directly 300 feet above the shiney-green, winding Waikato River and the almost canyon-steep valley which is the local rubbish-tip. The driver of the car was Miss Valbrace, elderly, but neat and pretty. The cardboard carton full of empty bottles, on the seat beside her, was the result of Taupo New Year hospitality, not debauchery. But, being sensitive about her reputation she had decided to yisit the rubbish dump at dawn, when no one would be about. And to her great satisfaction the place was deserted. There was no~sound but the bell-bird singing, "Ding — Dong — Tink — Tonk." Put just as she stepped out of her car, anothei one, bright blue, quite new and overdecorated with cromiuni, came with a dash and swinging turn on to the plateau. It stopped, and a tall, stout man descended. Like most ]*eopk; in Taupo, he wa; friend ly, and the earlier in the morning the more-so ! He . a d* # Hello, lovely weather we're having," and proceeded to carry six large cartons, one by one, to the edge and lip out the empty bottles. Down they went, "Crash! — ' Dingety — Dongety — Tinkety — - Tonkety." After the sixth performance, he smilled apologetically, "I — er — T'm just gettin' rid of a few of my — er— inhibitions,,, he said, then whirled his car away in a cloud of dust. Miss Valbrace was just about to deal with her modest carton, when there was a rattle like kettle-dmms and a delapidated truck came clattermg to a stop onto the plateau. The driver, a small dark man, hopped down and said, "t-Yod morning — Going ter be a niee day ai'nt it?" On the baek of his truck were three carton and three sacks full of empty bottles, He heaved their contents s over the edge. "Bang — swish ! — ^Dingty — Dongety — tSwish— -Tinkety — Tonkety." As they went crashing down the small man smiled to himself, "Best New Year Fve ever had", he murmured remini-scently, then departed in haste; his truck-wheels causing another wedding in the dust and mist. After he had gone, Miss Valbrace no longer felt ashamed of her one small carton, and tipping the bottles over the edge, she watched as they slithered down with a "Tinkle — Tonkle— Tinkle — Tonkle." Now as she drives home, her mind is at rest. The bell-bird is happy too. He had been listening with interest to the bottle-overture with its obligato of running engines and occasional voices. Now the mist curtain has risen, the sun blazes upon him as a spot-light. Delighted at having the whole stage to himself, he opens his little yellow beak and glorious, liquid notes flow out over the river valley. "Ding — Dong — Tink — Tonk." \