[This story is one of a number told in The Meeting Pool, a book by Mervyn Skipper, an Australian writer who spent some years on a little island near the big island of Borneo. The animals wish to stop the White Man from clearing their jungle, and they gather at the meeting pool to decide what to do. The Flying-fox suggests that they should use softness instead of force, and tells the story of the King of the Winds.]
One fine day, said the Flying-fox, when the winds were taking a holiday and all the small white clouds were drifting about happily as if they didn"t know where they were going and didn"t much care, and all the fishing boats were lying becalmed on the sea, which was peacefully smiling because it was being left alone for once, and even the leaves on the trees on shore had stopped whispering to one another and were hanging down fast asleep- well, one fine day the North-west wind, having nothing better to do, strolled over from Singapore and paid a call on the South-east wind, who lives round about Celebes. The North-west wind is a blusterer and given to boasting, and he never misses a chance of talking about how strong he is.
"Talking about blowing," he said, although they weren"t talking about anything of the sort, " yesterday, as I was passing through Kualalumpur, I blew the whiskers off a witch-doctor.""That was a good effort," murmured the South-east wind. "Blowing whiskers off witch-doctors is good practice. When I want a little gentle exercise I try blowing Kodok, the tree-frog, off his coconut-tree.""Fireballs and forked lightning!" growled the North-west wind. " Tree-frogs are poor practice. I wouldn"t waste breath over them.""All the same," said the South-east wind, " I bet youcouldn"t blow Kodok off his coconut-tree."
The North-west wind took a short breath, which made the little clouds swim about like gold-fish, and puffed it contemptuously at the little green tree-frog. The coconut- tree he was sitting on groaned and bent its head; but when it straightened itself Kodok was still sitting on his palm leaf smiling peacefully.
The North-west wind now took a deep breath, which made the breakers grumble on the reef and drove all the little cloudlets helter-skelter over the skyline. The coconut- tree screamed and bent nearly double, and some of its fruit went flop, flop on the ground. But when it was over Kodok was still in the same place and still smiling happily.
This made the North-west wind angry. He set his teeth, went purple in the face, and sucked in all the air for a hundred miles around. All the millions of little waves woke up, put their little white caps on, and started racing madly after each other, and the fishermen buoyed their nets and ran for home. Then the North-west wind turned on the unfortunate coconut-tree and blew and blew and blew until all the rest of the coconuts flew off one after the other, and the unhappy tree bent down, and down, and down until it nearly touched the ground.
And when the North-west wind had blown himself quite empty, so that he could blow no more that day, there was little Kodok, swinging himself happily to and fro on his palm frond.
"Now, let me try," purred the South-east wind; and he pursed up his lips and blew softly and gently, so gently that the little waves took their white caps off, stopped racing about, and went tinkling on the shore like music; and the grass-blades all whispered a song, and the leaves of the coconut-tree made such a quiet lullaby as they waved gently to and fro that presently Kodok, who was a tiny bit tired after being blown about so much by the North-west wind, fell fast asleep. Then the South-east wind suddenly stopped blowing, and Kodok was so surprised that he fell off. That is why they call the South-east wind the Rajah Angin, the Kingof the Winds. Which shows, finished the Flying-fox, rattling her bony wings, that sometimes you can get things done just as well by being quiet and gentle as by being rough and strong.
From The Meeting Pool, by Mervyn Skipper
Author.-Mervyn Skipper is a Melbourne writer and artist; for many years he was associated with the Sydney Bulletin. He has written two children"s books of jungle tales from the East Indies-The Meeting Pool and The White Man"s Garden.
General Notes.-Find in your atlas the places mentioned:-Singapore, Celebes, and Kualalumper. A witch-doctor among savages is one believed by them to have magic powers of healing or harming and therefore one to be greatly feared. Do you know the story of the Sun and the North Wind?
LAuGHING mARy
With cheeks that paled the rosy morn
She bounded o"er the heather,
And romped with us among the corn When we were kids together.
Her mother"s help, her mother"s mate, Her mother"s darling daughter,When riper mind and more sedate The rapid years had brought her.
As pure as air from mountain snows, As dainty as a fairy,As fetching as the native rose, And always-Laughing Mary.
A little mother round about
The happy sunshine bringing-
You"d see her bustle in and out,
A-working and a-singing;
And then the soul of Casey"s place,
The love, the light, the laughter, When friendship showed its cheery face,And music shook the rafter;
And many a lad went home to find
A haunting sweet vagary
Was rambling softly through his mind Because of Laughing Mary.
But when the smiling stars were blurred,
And some one"s heart was bleeding, She flew as flies the homing bird,With balms of comfort speeding. An angel in a sweet disguise,She filled the measure over,
While tears stood sparkling in her eyes Like rain-drops on the clover;And many a head bowed low to pray,
Howe"er her skies might vary,
The years would bless her on her way And keep her Laughing Mary.
- John O"Brien
Author.- "John O"Brien" is the pen-name of the Reverend Francis Hartigan, a Catholic priest, who was stationed at Narrandera, New South Wales. His book of poems Round the Boree Log and Other Verses (Angus and Robertson, Sydney), is widely popular.
General Notes.-What does the poet say about Mary"s cheeks, her steps,her character? A vagary is a whim, a rambling thought. What is meant by"She filled the measure over"? What by "howe"er her skies might vary"?
THE RACE FOR THE SILyER SkATES
[Winter-time in Holland brings happy days for the children, for then they can skate over the frozen seas and canals. Here is a story of a skating race for girls; the prize is to be a pair of silver skates. Most of the girls in the race are the children of rich parents, but Gretel Brinker is so poor that the only skates she has are a wooden pair made by her brother Hans. Another girl, Hilda Van Gleck, gives her a steel pair with which she is able to enter for the great race.]
The day of the skating match has come at last, and the frozen inlet is lined with gay pavilions and crowds of eager watchers. Twenty girls are formed in a line. The music has ceased. A man, whom we shall call the crier, stands between the columns and the first judges" stand. He reads the rules in a loud voice: " The girls are to race until one girl has won twice. They are to start in a line from the united columns, skate to the flag-staff line, turn, and then come back to the starting point; thus making a mile at each run."A flag is waved from the judges" stand. Madame Van Gleck rises in her pavilion. She leans forward with a white handkerchief in her hand. When she drops it, a bugler is to give the signal for them to start.
The handkerchief is fluttering to the ground. Hark! They are off! No. Back again. The line was not true in passing the judges" stand. The signal is repeated.
Off again. No mistake this time. Whew, how fast they go!
The crowd is quiet for an instant, watching eagerly.
Cheers spring up along the line of people. Hurrah! Five girls are ahead. Who comes flying back from the flag-staff line? We cannot tell. Something red, that is all. There is a blue spot flitting near it, and a dash of yellow nearer still. People at this end of the line strain their eyes and wish they had taken their post nearer the flag-staff.
The cheering is coming nearer. Now we can see! Katrinka is ahead !
She passes the Van Holp pavilion. The next is Madame Van Gleck"s. That leaning figure gazing from it is a magnet. Hilda shoots past Katrinka, waving her hand to her mother as she passes. Two others are close now, whizzing on like arrows. What is that flash of red and grey? Hurrah, it is Gretel! She, too, waves her hand, but toward no gay pavilion. The crowd is cheering; but she hears only her father"s voice, "Well done, little Gretel!" Soon Katrinka, witha quick, merry laugh, shoots past Hilda. The girl in yellow is going now. She passes them all, all except Gretel. The judges lean forward without seeming to lift their eyes from their watches. Cheer after cheer fills the air. Gretel has passed them. She has won.
"Gretel Brinker, one mile!" shouts the crier. The judges nod. They write something upon a tablet which each holds in his hand.
******
Soon Madame Van Gleck rises again. The falling hand- kerchief starts the bugle; and the bugle sends off the twenty girls.
It is a beautiful sight, but one has not long to look; before we can fairly pick them out, they are far away. This time they are close upon one another; it is hard to say as they come speeding back from the flag-staff who will reach the columns first. There are new faces among the leaders- eager, glowing faces, not seen before. Katrinka is there, and Hilda; but Gretel and Rychie are in the rear. Gretel is wavering; but, when Rychie passes her, she starts forward afresh. Now they are nearly beside Katrinka. Hilda is still in advance; she is almost " home." She has skated surely since that bugle note sent her flying; like an arrow still she is speeding towards the goal. Cheer after cheer rises in the air. "Hurrah! Hurrah !"The crier"s voice is heard again: "Hilda Van Gleck, onemile!"
******
The girls are to skate their third mile. Some are solemn, some wear a half-bashful smile, but all have made up their minds to win.
This third mile may decide the race. Still, if neither Gretel nor Hilda wins, there is yet a chance among the rest for the silver skates.
Each girl feels sure that, this time, she will skate the distance in one-half the time. How they stamp to try their runners! How carefully they look at each strap! How erect they stand at last, every eye upon Madame Van Gleck.
The bugle thrills through them again. They spring forward eagerly, in perfect balance. Each flashing stroke seems longer than the last.
Now they are skimming off in the distance. Again the eager straining of eyes; again the shouts and cheering; again the thrill of excitement as, after a few moments, four or five in advance of the rest come speeding back, nearer, nearer to the white columns.
Who is first? Not Rychie, Katrinka, Annie, or Hilda, not the girl in yellow, but Gretel-Gretel, the fleetest sprite of a girl that ever skated. She was but playing in the earlier race.
Now she is in earnest, or, rather, something within her is driving her on to win. She makes no effort; but she cannot stop-not until the goal is passed.
In vain the crier lifts his voice; he cannot be heard. He has no news to tell; it is already ringing through the crowd:
Gretel has won the silver skates.
From Hans Brinker, by Mary Mapes Dodge
Author.-Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge (1838-1905), was born at New York, U.S.A. She wrote for magazines and was editor of St. Nicholas, a children"s magazine, for many years. Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates is her best-known book, and has been translated into many languages. The deions of Dutch people, places, and customs were obtained from men and women of Holland who had settled in America; that is why the book gives such a true picture of Dutch life.
General Notes.-What were the Christian names of some of thegirls in the race? Which two names are exactly the same as two English names? Which two are like two English names? What three family names are mentioned? "Van" is part of many Dutch family names. It means "of" or "from."What Dutch name beginning with "Van" was for many years associated with part of Australia? Draw a plan of the course the girls skated over. The pavilions were tents from which the rich people of the town and their friends watched the race.
You will enjoy reading the whole of The Silver Skates. Other booksabout Dutch children are The Dutch Twins, by Lucy Perkins, and Afke"s Ten, by Ninke Van Hichtum.