THE BOY AND HIS DOINGS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 179, 30 August 1929, Page 3

THE BOY AND HIS DOINGS

— By

" Leadcr "•

Hr W. D. Johns has been appointed acting-commissioner i'or Hawke's Bay until sneh time as a permanent appointment is jnade. * * Jn spi te of the fact that our issue last Saturday consisted of 40 pages the pressure on space was so great that last week's notes could uot be published. Judging bv the number of inquirics as to what happened to our colu mn received by "Leader,'' quite a lot of boys were upsct at missing a ueek. Never niind, boys, these things will happen in tjic best regulated familics, and "Leadcr" hopes that ncver aagin will readers liave to leverishly search a 40-page paper for fconietliing that was not there. Ari interesting letter Jias been rercived l'roni Scout Harry Etheridge. in London witli the jamboree boys, and this will appcar next week. * ■* A course of physical culture, uiider A Ti- F. O. ^faynard, is at present part of the programme of Congregational Troop- * # * At a nieeting of tlie rally committee of the Seouters* Assucfation ht Id on Thnrsday night it w*as amiouiited -th.it tbe next Scout rally would !.-e liehl in the Y.M O.A. rooms. that bodv having kindly placed its rooms at the Scouts' ^lisposal. The speaker will be Act-iug-Couimissioner Johns. * * * A son of Erin once described his first day's sliooting in the following wav : "The first bird 1 ever shot was a squirrel, and the first time I liit hini I missed him altogether. The next timo I liit him I liit him in the same place. After that I took a stone and droppcd him from the tree, and hc fell into the water and was drowned.. Tliat was the first time I ever shot oue. i" * * * ATiss Monc-ur has resigned her position as cnbmaster of tlie Napier South Cub Pack owing to her removal to Wellington. * * * Ciistomer- : • Hi ! You?re ■ giving ■ me too- mucli bone with that heef. Butch'er: I'm not giving it. You're paying for it ! Out of the "50,000 Scouts at the big jamboree, 30,000 only were camped in Arrowe Park itself, the remainder being camped in separate grounds adjoining. For this 30,000 the following provisions were required: — Ten tons of bacon, 80,000 fresli eggs, three tons of clieese, 18 tons of sugar. three tons of tea, five tons of suet, eight tons of lice, 15,000 pac-kets of a favourite breakfast cereal, 200 tons of bread, lOcwt pepper and 10 tons of kippers, as well as tons of other food. * & Small shopkeeper: '.Ere, vou! I don't like tlie ring of this florin! Shady custonier : What do you expect l'or two hob? A peal of hells? 4: * * The monthlv contest for the Corbctt Cup in Congregational Troop resulted in a win for the Weka patrol this time. However, the Seagulls, wlio have hcld tlie tropliy up till now, are in nowise downhearted, and have annouiiced their intention to win it back next mon th. * * * Visitor (discussing hatsman who has hadly lnistinied the new liowler's first ball) : He was very late for that first delivery. Native: 'E allus is. 'E's onr niilkman ! * * * Two boys wero arguing about the direction of the wind ; oue said, "West-south-west, and P1I prove it." He bent over a drying pool of rain-water and

dropped what seenied to be an ordinary needle on to the surface. The needle floated and tlien started to swing round until it settled down to point north and south. It was a magnetised needle, wliich the youngster treasured, and, wlien floating, it was free to turn to the magnetic north. 5ou can make anv fairly finc needle into a magnet by rubbing oue end bac-kwards and forwards about 20 times 011 an ordinary horse-slioe magnet. ^ The needle will be strong enougli to pick up pieces of nietal, but if you float it on water it will alwavs point north and sontli. With its lielp you can even navigate a boat. It may seem that I was talking a lot of nonsense whcii 1 said tliat needles will float. JJut anv fairly line needle, magnetised or not/ will float if you first rub it between your fingers to give it a fine coating of grease and the n lower it very gently, in an cxactly horizontal position to the surface of the turuhi er 01* saucer of water. * # * "Didn't you claim wlien you solcl me this ear that you'd replace anything that broke or was missing?" "Yes. sir. What is it?" "Well, I want four front teeth and a collarbone." THE HERO. He sits alone in the darkened room, Alone in the fading light; Wh v is his brow so heavy with gloom, And his cheek so deatlily wliite? But thougli his lieart is sick with care, His courage never ' blenclies ; His eyes are fixed in'a glassy stare, What is it his firin hand clenclies? "A little courage," he murmurs. "Y7es, A' little and all is won ; A choking gurgle more or lcss, A gasp— and the deed is done." Witliout a sliudder or eyelid wink (Ah ! it makes the heart recoil), That liero true did calmly drink — A glass of castor oil ! — R. Richardson. * ' I* . v Can you put your hand where the other cannot touch it? Try it and see 1 As a matter of fact there is onlv pne positipn of this kincl and. tliat £5 011 the opposite elbow. •There is anotlier trick to do with your hands that is quite simple. This is to place your micldle finger-tips together, stretching all your fingers out, and get someotie to grasp your wrists firmly and pull tliem apart. Unless they are extremely strong people thev will not be able to do it. It shoukl be a firin steady pull and not a jerk. Another trick similar to this is for one person to sit down on a cliair and place his hand 011 his head. Anotlier has to lift it off, also by a steady pull. This, too, is veiy difficult. * * * Tonimy (preparing home lcssons) : Father, is whisky-and-soda joined together witli a hyphen ? Father (absently): Siphon, my hoy, siphon. * * * Answer to last week's puzzle : — The shades of night were falling fast, As through an Alpine village passed A youth who bore, mid snow and ice, ice, A baimer with the strange device — Excelsior 1 * * * Fill in thc missing consonants and makg the words described. AxxIxxOxE A vegetable. xEOxAxx An animal AUxIxUxA A flower xUxxExxxx An insect AxxIxAxOx A rejitile. xExxAxIxE A fruit Answer will appear next week.