12
STORIES
PUZZLES
HOBBIES
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1950.
The BOYS and GIRLS PAGE
AN INSTALMENT OF THE CHILDREN'S FRIDAY SERIAL ABOUT KIDNAPPERS
Search for the Caravan
For new readers.
Jailan, Dick and Anus 2
27. ing with their cousin Merge for short and bee dog Invo Strange thinks
Tor Agus an trea ransacked a valuable selesite Cirotzr'a patirt longing inter, have been studieu, Geurga and Timmy toe bere kidnappra. Now Die les explored time ragama girt ralled do, who has been mixr gs in Be Hap penings, Sim boas feranser to
feust
Ja to dare father's muruyan, where score le imprisoned
She is wonte
We Just come out from the fritge and be held of her. Makre
ay in front of the
a friend of her fallier's.
CHAPTER 14
bg
have taken un-but at least we can go by the map,“
"Yes, I think we will," call Julian. Come on, then. Quick march!'
THEY all hurried up to A
WAY
bus did apparently go quite near Havens Wood, and was
Everyone got out at Ravens Market. Julim asked his way to
the place where Jake due in five minutes' time. had caught hold of Jo. ubsolutely Thore nothing to be seen except a few broken twigs in the hedge there. No Jake, no Jo, There was not a sound to
There's Ripsies. be heard, either. Not scream from Je, not a shout hordes of Biem there!" from Jake. It was as if both
7
Dick suddenly stopped and filted his hand.
Ravens Wood. "There it is," sald
Kone down-away "Simmy's the conductor painting down the
This time but the caravan hill to where treen grew thickly there," she said, "I never saw in the valley. "It's a big place. Don't get lost! And fook out for door was shut so maybe she was
at the
Jo
usually instle"
"Thanks," said Juli, and the fnd faded into the hedge three of them set off down the and disappeareil.
Bur-
hill into the valley. They caine to the wood.
a
Calendar: a tough job
By Dan Murdoch
THEN we hang up our
WHEN
new calendars, we seldom think of the long, interest- ing story about how they came into being. Inventing a good calendar has been one of mankind's toughest jobs, and it's still being im proved upon.
The earliest men figured time quite simply-so many "suns," "moons," "snows," and "sleeps." But as life got civilined it became more complicated.
more
At first, a day was reckoned from
A sunrise. sunrise to month from one new moon to the next, A your clapsed every lime the sun reached a certain But there three-time measurements didn't position in the sky.
at evenly into one another.
AG YET A PERFECT CALENDAR HAS NOT BEEN FOUND ~ We TRY M STRAIGHTEN THINGS OUT BY GIVING TO FEBRUARY AH EXTRA DAY BACH, FOURTH YEAR (LEAP YEAR)
CRAFTS
GAMES
JOKES
for mankind Teen Time
THAT MA KO OLDER
EARLY MEN WEREN'T! BOTHERED WITH CALENDARS→ THEY THOUGHT IN TERMS
OF GO MANY SUNST MOONG, GHOWS, ETC.
WITH CIVILIZATIONS, THE QUESTION OF AN ACCURATE CALENDAR BECAME A PROBLEM, IN ENGLAND, IN 1752, PARLIAMENT ORDERED #DAYS SKIPPED
FRIENDS, ROMANG. COUNTRYMEN! WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THEGE
GVON MONTHO
LATG
MAKE EVERY YEAR
LEAP YEAR
a whole month. Thus we hoped to correct The "lipplug" pro
a
4-0-35,
that skipping for "caping"
and
THE ROMANS WERE SUPERSTITIOUS - THEY WANTED TO OIVE THE MONTHS AN UNEVEN NUMBER OF DAYS - IT WAS CONSIDERED UNLUCKY FOR A MONTH TO HAVE AN EVEN NUMBER
A month was 20 days and a 12 fraction. A year was
363 months and a fraction, or
nys and a fraction. And even trouble
an even number of couple of days in order to werks, and down the Krown-ups can have on
weeks. Others say our holidays THEY walked
stretch out two other months. bath, which wound about with fractions,
went-confused and shift ton inuchs within the week- calendar took the carly
So It
New Year in on Dick squeezed through "1. # proper wood," ald
centuries to dicover
confusing. At one time, Europe sometimes the hedge and into the field Anne. "Nothing but trees and through the trees, following the
But the "leap" or "skip" also followed a new calendar figured Saturday, sometimes it's on Tues I should think clear spaces. Sometimes the trees makers was there trees and trees.
Pope
Gregory XIII day, and so on. Easter, too, can beyond. Nobotly
second neglected exact hours, minutes, out by
In 1940, seemed imporsible for a coravan your lastest-to split
her colonies, shift a whole month. few enws #gets very thick in the middle were in clote together that it exactly how long a month and
was England either, except a
-like a forest.".
to no between, But the wheel-accuracy, Because the fractions seconds. The "slipping" who looked at him in
ruts showed that caravans did go didn't pile up very rapidly, no slowed up, but not stopped. Be- though, stuck to the old calen- Faster came on March 24, but in une paid attention to the frac-ides, no two autions had the dar. After 203 years, the two 1913 : came on April 25. This prise, their tails whisking.
down the path.
or calendars were 11 days apart, year it was April 9, BOON Jame
and the confusion in 1752, the English government
Governments are still orguing out noi worse. Every few hundred decided to "skip" these 11 days,
from over itions for a "better" calen and jump everybody
14. Many dar. One suggestion calls for 13 2 to Sept. years, new calendars were tried and
actually months, each with four even calculations. Emperors, popes, ut. Scientists worked out new
ople thought they'd
Su and parliaments added months, lose 11 days out of their lives, weeks of 20 days. That would
give us a year of 304 days. revolu- tion. dropped them again, then added and wanted to start a
we'd have an extra day each Another
mix-up at about year, to be a world holiday called this time involved New Year's "Leap Day." In this entendar, It had always been cele- Jan. 1 would always be on a Day. into the DOPULAR superstitions also rated in the Spring, but now it Sunday. Every other holiday too
would always como the mixing was decided to make it Jan. 1. Romans More headaches, of course! Stub day of the week every year.
lot easier to figure were horn foiks kepi celebrating the would be a
salaries, birthday,
back Dick, there.
"There's a little cope at the end of the field," called "I bet they're I'll go and sep." He ran across the field to the copse. But there nobody there either. Beyond
Was
They came to a clearing where there was little gipsy camp.
tions at Arst, But it was They fell silent. The wood was pretty clear to everyone Three rather dirty-fonking cara-
slood together, and crowd of brawn they children Very quiet. There were no birds the years weren't coming
cilher too sort of a singing, and the branches of the right. They were were playing come
Julian looks were so thick that there shurt, or too long. The calendar Kaze with a rope.
was a kind of green twilight were getting out of gear. Seoul * quick look at the
winter when I would be
caravans.
All had their doors open.
of Dick "We don't know her untidy name," said Julian.
the copse War 11 row huddled-up cottages. looked along the roiv, exasperated.
"I suppose Jake's taken her to one of those," he thought, angrily, "Probably lives dire! Well, he won't let her go, Qui'n certain. 1c most likely guesses that she's in with us now. Poor Jol"
round theITL
new ones.
*
part in up.
The even numbers wanted
" on Bttle way in front should be summer and everyone "Can't we ask if anyone known and warn you if I hear or see would be mixed up.
caravan Is anywhere
anything," said Dick. Julian uod- As holidays began to run if Jo's about?" aid Anne.
ted to him and he went on around the
Усат vatli they father's ahead, peering round the trees spped right buck
when he came to any curve in proper season all over
played a again, the wheel-rut path. Jullan began
thought to think of what they would do people decided they had enough things
ideat unlucky. They when they reached the caravan. Ile was pretty certain that both
or months to have 31 days, not 30, New Year on April 1. The rest out interest, be Every so often, we'd add
mocked them, called them fools, and so on. George and Timmy would skip a few extra days, or even So they whittled February down and that's how April Fool's Day found locked up recurly inside.
marted.
"But we
n
would
وائد
it'n
caravan drawn by a horse called that a girl called Blackie, und
it with her father Jo lives in said Anne.
"Yea. I'd forgotten the horas," sald Julino. He went up to an woman who was stirring oki something in a black pot over a
tre of sticks.
it
"If we can undo the door and let them out, Timmy will do the rest," he thought. "He's as good ar three policemen! Yes-that's the best plan."
He went back to the others
Dick suddenly stopped and "Can you tell me if there's lifted up his hand in warning, at they had a low-voiced con-
wood drawn by He peered round the hole of ference in the lane. "Let's tell caravan in the
horse called Blackle?" the police now," begged Anne, asked politely. A girl called Jo big tree, and then turned and
"No. Let's get to Ravens Wood lives in it with her father. We ourselves," said Dick. "We know want to see her,”
ke
nodded excitedly.
of this kind of nonsense.
We invented
a new
Mr. Punch Was All Upset
-It Was. Someone's Birthday, He Was Sure
By MAX TRELL
(MODAY, Teddy
said Mr Punch to the Stuffed
Bear,
and
"He's found the caravan!"Mary-Jane the rag-doll, The old woman blinked. She said Anne, and her heart beitan | General Tin the tin soldier where It Is. We wouldn't be took an iron spoon out of the ita usual thump-thump-thump of today in somebody's birthday. able to go the way Jo would put and waved it to the right.
These Paper Butterflies
:
Really Fly
EAL. butterflies
Ꭱ.
do
warm
like
weather and so paper models which we're going to make. When you entice them away with a piece of warm paper they
fly up from the table as if they were alive.
A group of half a dozen makes an interesting: display.
The butterflies are cut from very thin tissue paper. They should be not over an inch la width or length for best effeck The wings should be marked with the familiar spots of the butterfly and be sure to colour the top of the wings a bit darker When than the undersurface. finished, bend the wings up
ACTUAL
SIZE
FOR cut our
THE FLYING
BUTTERFLIES
slightly as though the butterfly to take to their wings. So do were poised for flight.
not hurry the paper rubbing but stroke it with the palm of one -hand quickly and with ns much
pressure as you can give it
PECULIAR POWER
excitement.
I'm sure of it! But whose birth- today it is I can't seem to re-
member
sold Julian "Stay here," Anne, and went on quietly to Join Dick. Anne crept under a bush. She didn't like this dark, silent wood with the green light all round. She prered out, watch-Ar ing the boys,
Teddy said he was pretty sure wasn't his birthday.
"What date is your birthday?"
Punch asked Teddy
"The 25th of Septober I think,"
Dick suddenly seen the said Teddy.
Here General Tin interrupted was small, badly caravan. It
that voice to say needed painting, and appeared in a gloomy
*The No fire burned there was no such date, quite deserted,'
Septober."
I never heard of the month of intently
asked.
most
outside. No Simmy was sitting most days a month can have whose birthday ly (t?" Funch anyw
about. No1 even 31. So it can't be the 35th of ywhere Blackie the horse was to be seen.
The boys watched for a few minutes, not daring to Septober," said Mary Jane, & I've got to get him--or her—a i
There was "You must mean September," speak.
present." absolutely (lo sound or move she said to Teddy. ment from the tiny clearing la which the caravan stood.
HONEY
(**
were rested
By this time Mr Punch's wife, "Or October," sald Mr Punch.
Judy, who was in their little "But whose birthday is today? hoe on the other side of the Is it yours, Mary-Jnne?**
Shook Her Head
was
amo
It
Another suggestion is to shift holidays to Monday or Fridny This would give us a "long" break up & weekend, and not
the middle. WE have calendar trouble working-week in
enjoy holidays more, and nowadays, too. To correct "slipping" backward, we add n we'd save lots of wear-and-tear day every four years. But this from stopping and starting work- actually puts us a trifle ahead, so ing activities. we have to omit three leap years
One thing wrong with all these In the about every 400 years.
new calendars is that they'd in- year 4000, we'll have to start terfere with our religious life- omitting another leap year every regular Sabbath observance, and 4000 years.
the traditional holklays -uf.cer- It's taken us about 8,000 years tuin religions. Churches of all to do it, but we've now got a faiths, there
therefore, oppose changes calendar that works almost. of this kind. The arguments pro Experts say we'll "slip" only one and con will no doubt rage on for day every 20,000 years or 0. many years to come. But argu- Not bad!
But some people still ments over the "best" kind of aren't saticiled.
calendar are an old, old story Businessmen, for instance, with the human race. And after would prefer months of the same all, the one we have isn't so bad, length. They'd like every manth even if we do have to correct it
have the same number of once in awhile.
to
Things to Make With *Materials at Hand
1. Fold a Zin.square
DO-IT
By Dale Goss
PIN
of PAPER
ON
about
Purse
times.
Mr
2.Cut
3.Piniton
oll corners!
playroom cooking dinner, came out in her white apron, and sat Mary-Jane shook her head down on a stool next to General
little rest. and said her birthday was on Tin to take
What's all this talk July 4th. "So il can't be today,"
birthday?" she said. she said.
"General Tin," said Mir Punch;
"Aher, my dear," sold
"Is your birthday today?"
The "It must be your birthday, sir."No," said Judy.
WINDOWS and door
shut. The shafts crookedly on the ground. whole place seemned deserted. Julian "Dick," whispered Jast
"Sinuny doesn't seem to be about. 37.15 Is Our chance! We'll creep over to the caravan and look into the window. We'll attract George's attention, and ret her out as soon as we can. Timmy, too."
Tin
"Oh no," mak General My birthday
Chrisunna is on Day. So it can't be my birthday unless today is Christmas Day," he added. "Is it?"
"Dear me," shed Mr Punch; dear, dear me."
Knart and Hunid now noticed that Judy was winking to them. to her because They went over
It isn't," said Mr Punch. "That's what I thought," said she seemed to want to tell them When they reached General Tin, sounding quite something.
the turned and whis- her side, gloomy again.
pered
something to them. Then Just then Knart and Hand, doesn't bark," "Funny he
Shadows, came sald Dick, also in a
into the all of them smiled. whisper, the
"Well," gald Judy the next mo. "suppose he can't have heard playroom. "Congratulations!" Mr
that one or ment in a loud voice to Mr. Well-shall we get over to Punchi sald, hoping
sure it's the other of them would smile Puncli; "if you're so the caravan now?"
They ran quietly to the title and say: "Thank you, Mr Punch, somebody's birthday today. I caravan and Julian weered for remembering." But neither think you ought to get some sort It of them did. All they did was to of present for him or for her
Then, when right away. was too dark inside to see any-look aritonished.
"Mr Punch thinks it's your ally remember whose birthday thing at all.
"George!" lie whispered. birthday today," said Teddy.
Us.
Now place the butterfles in a row on the table. Then take a
Now when you hold the sheet sheet of brown paper about six
of brown paper over the butter- hy eight inches and heat
Mies they will fly from the table thoroughly in an oven or near a
Leels and smuggle up on the underside through the dirty window. When the paper slove. quite hot, put it on the inble of the warm electrified sheet. and rub It vigorously
For a different effect, if you for 01 least one minute being careful want to see the butterflies Rap-
to rub the paper in one direction ping around in the air, tother "George! Are you there?"
only.
each to a board by means of a very thin plece of thread about
NEXT WEEK:
Anno
-(London Express Service}
It is this rubbing process that four inches long and watch tho Docan't Like Adventures! atives
the paper peculiar butlerfiles try to fly up to the power of getting the butterflies magic brown paper.
BRONCHO BILL
BILL, OUR SHERIFF'S OUT OF COM- MISSION FER A SPELL
AND--
Confident Crook
BUT WHAT CAN
THE SETTLEMENTS FULL OF CROOKS AND
WE WANT YOU TO TAKE
HIS JOB FOR A WHILE
A NEMY ORGANIZED GANG IS LED BY ONE BLAZE GORMLEY ~
NOW
it is, you will have it to give."
A Prcsont
you
Mr Punch was getting more and more upset. "I know it's somebody's birthday today. I'm
While Judy wng saying this, sure of it. I've got it marked on Knarf and Hanid were quietly my calendar: BIRTHDAY. TO- DAY. And whoever's birthday it and General Tin, and whispering going to Teddy and Mary-Jane
By Harry F. O'Neill
OUR CHANCE, {MEN! THIS WATERIN' PLACE IS A PUSH-OVER ***
something to all of them. It must been something amusing, have
because all of them instantly smiled and said to Mr Punch loudly: "Yes, got the present! Get it right away!"
So finally Mr Punch got a pre- sent: a beautiful pencil-box with twelve pencils, an ornger, rubber six clips and ten red bands. This will do for a he or he said. "But which het Which she? Oh dear, if I only
knew.
And at this instant everybody in the room shouted, "It's your Happy birthday, Mr Punch! birthday to you!" Mr Punch was certainly surprised. He loved his birthday present, and he LOVED the b'rilay cake that Judy, without letting anyone know, had just finished baking. But ho couldn't imagine how he could have forgotten his own birthday.
inhalf two
RED FELT and to make atamundit. *
O O O
6. Cut in.
circle of BLUE FELT.
circle.
4.Pin it on GREEN FELT and cuta circle &in wider all around thanted circle,
5. Cut 3 leaves of green felt.
FORT BLUE FLOWED
7. Cut in. circle OF YELLOW FELT.
FORYELLOW CENTER
SLIP
COIN
8.Sew small SAFETY PIN on back of green circle.
9. Sew flowers and leaves on red circle. 10.Sewred circle on. top of green. Leave
Lin. opening at top.
Rupert and the Dragon Pills--22
eaving the buildinga on one side the great creature lands and Rupers slides off his back on to the cocky surface of hull. **Gracious,} don't much like the look of this place." he mutters."We must get Then he turns to back at once."
By Bess Ritter
IF you stain your clothes with luk, the spots can be re- moved by washing the garment That is, with warm soopsude.
If the writing fuld is the non- permanent kind. If it isn't, rosk the stained portions in ordinary milk for 24 hours. Finish by laundering.
4
A Jigsaw puzzle party is fun lo give. Prepare conventional invitations, then cut each ono lato n gsaw puzzle before plac- ing it in the envelope. Arrange to have a card table set up for every four people. Have a com- plicated jigsaw puzzle on each. As soon as all the guests havo arrived, let them and places and start working out the pieces. Blow
whistle
fvo minutes 11
signal for ono person from each inble to switchi to another one. Keep this up all evening. While your guests
BJ
every
te busy, ply them with
cake. Make sure each
is cut into Jigsaw and arranged
s
persons who happen
shanca Tha
to be alt-
ting at the table where the very first puzzle la actually completed AUSTLA should be rewarded with inex-
pensive prizes. It the evening
when
young happens, finish off the party by zle records," playing gsaw puzzle Simply move the needle from place to place after starting a "platter" on the machine, Have your guests guess the titles.
수
Don't feel badly if you're told sharply: "You can't have an in- xicase in your, allowance. Why o you need it anyhow?" Tell your parents: "I don't need the cash. But the gang does. They'ro always doing something I can't afford."
ALIBI IKE "MOTHE
[OTHER.
1
would have come home earlier if it hadn't been for Alice. Yackety- sho ynk-yak-you know how
is."
"Oh-oh," said her brother Bill, looking up from his home- work, "so you've caught the disease too, I always knew it was contagious."
and grinned.
DON'T BE
ONE
"What on earth are you talk- ing about?" Alice demanded.
"Allbi-itis," BILI answered
Blaming others for our shorteam Ings might well bo Bkened to A disease.
10
ALIBI IKE
וותי
Begin
your Cure o Fore pore
pro-
il
to weakening pro- portiona
gresses
Of course, It is never easy to
square your shoulders and take the consequences of something foolish that you did. It is hard numit personal weakness, But after the confession is made and the pualshment taken, you can face yourself. Honesty and courage have given you stature! You are on your way to bo- coming a personality rather than a noncity.
Alibi Ikes fool no one. Their very excuses are proof of their weakness. Alibis at any time constitute, poor sportsmanship. A champion will have none of them.
Thelma Conrad is a 7-year- old girl who has been building model acroplanes for only a year,
Λ
meet was held in Ohio and Thelma found herself matched against 20 boys all older than she was. No alibig for Thelma. She didn't back out. She took -her tiny
plane and called it aloft for nine minutes. And Thelma emerged with tops in honours and a victory over 20 boys!
Rainy-day game
RUMPUS ROOM SHUFFLE
UCE
CHECKER MARKERS
and is well up out of reach. When he looks for the per dragon he is past in time.to see it scuttle over the edge of some boulders and disappear into the dark crevice. "Well, those two both seem to know
in where they are.” cries Rupert. "But where are we ?' ALL SIONTÓ AÏSERVED.
And that the dragon has taken off
5
10/10
20
With checkers and a plece of chalk you can make a good shuffleboard game
the rumpus room or the basement. Mark of a triangle as shoron the diagram and flip checkers from a distance of six feet.
f
1