THE GIRL GUIDES

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19887, 16 May 1936, Page 24 (Supplement)

THE GIRL GUIDES

PATROL EMBLEMB. THE PRIMROSE. The primrose seems such a friendly flower, and what a dainty plant she is, with her flower of delicate yellow, which is supported by a graceful stem. The flower is beautifully regular and has a most refreshing fragrance. Her leaves are Jong and rather thick. She is beloved of the poets, who are full of her praise. The primrose stands for youth, probably because she is beloved or all children. Also because the primrose is essentially a spring flower, and spring is the season of youth and of hope. The Legend. Once upon a time mere was an old castle, which had been built in the middle of a wood. It was very, very old. its big thick walls were covered with ivy, wnioh had grown all over them. iS’o one in the village could remember the time when the castle was Inhabited. Rut there was a story aoout it. I\"o one knew who first told it, and no one knew if it were true, it was said that inside the castle was hidden priceless treasure, and that the nrst person to enter through me lront door would be entitled to it. ihe door was very old and very heavy; it was tightly iueked, and the key lost. .Many people had tried to break the door down, otuers to climb Uxo castle walls, but no one succeeded; Indeed, the people nad given up trying and Ju-st told the story to their children. One day the woodcutter’s little daughter was standing by tbe door; of course, sbe knew the story. She peeped through the key hole, but it was all black inside.

iu front of the door grew masses of primroses. Idly she plucked one. •• Oh, dear, ir only 1 could pick up the key of the door as I picked you.” bo saying, she pushed the small flower into the keyhole. Immediately the door flew open. The child was so surprised she nearly ran away; in fact, she was starting to when she heard a voice near her saying; *• My dear, you have round the key. The Fairy Queen changed it Into a primrose flower, so as to keep the treasure sale until some one came who would use it well. IT the key had been left, heaps of greedy people would have rought and struggled to have been the first to enter the castle and win the treasure. But it is only meant ror generous, unselfish people who will share it with those round them.” Turning round, the little girl saw a small elf sitting on a stone close to the door. “ Enter, my dear,” continued the eir. “only remember the treasure is hidden in big flower vases, in which stand lovely flowers; remove these, hut when you have taken what you want be sure to replace the flowers, otherwise the Fairy Queen's black dog will be very angry and will stop you taking away the treasure. He is the guardian of it, and is very charming, unless his temper is roused. Good bye, enjoy yourself.” So saying, »he elf disappeared as mysteriously as he came. The child entered the castle and round everything as the elf had said she would. She collected as much gold as she was ablo to carry, but she was very carerul to replace everything as she round it. As she left the castle, she met the black clog, who wagged his tail in a very rrlendly manner as she passed him. Ns soon as she was out in die wood, the door clanged beh'nd her, and ir it had not been lor the go'd she carried, she would have thought it She ran home and told her parents ail that had happened, and very soon everyone in the village knew the storv or how and why the key had been turned into a primrose.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK. "He who overcomes others is strong, y But he who overcomes himself is i, mighty." b e a SHIPWRECKED AT A RANGER MEETING. 1 An extract from a letter from an overy seas Ranger:— “ But what ao you do at Ranger meetV ln 8 s ? 1 4111 °ften asked by my Trlends. i “ Oh, er-well, we country dance, and —er—do Rangery things, and—. Well, anyway, this is what we did last week: “When we arrived at our Ranger room 1 we round this notice pinned on the notice j hoard;— > Important. : “At 8.30 prompt, the middle or this j room will be turned into a ship being wrecked by a terrifllc gale. The ship is i sinking rast, so the captain (who is very • gallant and is going down with the ship ■ ! will shout: ‘Every man ror himseir,’ ami W, H take to a small boat, which, unfortunately, they have had no time to provision properly. Each Patrol !f. wasll / e<l U P on a separate and desert island (your own Patrol corner:) ami jou have now to set to work to live on it until you are rescued by a passing veswill n »d a list or the things island aVG BXII t 0 KCt done on i° ur desert Special Note. 1. You will he rescued at ©.15 p.m. 2. lou may use anything you can lay your hands on. * ~3 . - y°M don’t understand anything you will find the captain of the ship washed “f?„ ] by J th ! P lano / but tb e chier point that will he taken into consideration in this game will he intelligence and resourcefulOn Our Islands; done-t!? Bre the IWn * l -vve bad 10 * el 1. Build a hut or tent to live in (scale approximately one inch to a foot) 2. Make a map or the island as r'ar as you have been to explore it. (You may rake the Island as looking exactly like la- 1 year’s camp site.) a Ltllon Jar k and hoist It. « e ,i, ou i two days’ meals to be cooked on the desert island, supposing the Island to contain those plants and creature* which you could have found on last year’s bush Site and thG nelferbbouril, S‘ fields or 5. improvise furniture that you think would make for comrort on a de*ert lsland - (Scale one inch to one Toot.) thoioii a ?° e ™ describing the wreck and the sailors adventures afterwards, m an Intelligent message Tor help Liii M hl «n °h 8 P ass,n «‘ sb ‘P. (Lieutenant U- ? n board to la ke the message.) rmS,!’-- Rro , al run - and we really did 0? Th« U i e ™ n f a rr , orn 0,1 r cupboard and In tht room, though Captain had brought r!*. Wb ,® r oddments. For Instance, 2»nir C °«i dl Jh, h » av ? made a miniature flagf.Wl’- -i ’ll hu f’ without tlie bundle or chants a Snr 1 il OWn ; ( We had string. Snri mti J .S. f pins, needles m l mlm 't and nnft Pa,r ”l made a price-Vo-n ! h 0111 ” r 1 triangular bandage. which they unthrirtily tore up The poems ranged rrorn a limerick to an epic £emi?r t prt Ve * P « eS f; “.H nn,y ° ne Patrol reSiwnw 1 ’ < n . V i Un,on Jack upside l _rV,, ' lf f nal •;> distress. Lieutenant iWJ "■ 1 “ an <l we llion hart a good laugh over our menus and i>oem« and exploring each other’s islands.