The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 26, 1897, Page 26

26 lamp anc of Sinbad thesailor, there OUR OWN STATE was enough going on all the time to IN STORY. keep the minds of chiliren busy WAY back in the days of Aladdin’s and their imaginations awake. It was the easiest thingin the world to get uvon a flying carpet and make a journey over land and sea, it being neces- sary only to speak a magic word or to rub a magic ring to get a fair start. Then, hurrah! Over the roofs and mina- rets, and hanging gardens, and the silvery Cigris would- we all go to unknown countries a-sailing! Times have changed. The whistle of the locomotive has frightened the fairies into places of hiding. OId Sinbad must pe taking a long voyage, for he has not been seen lately. But there is a land whers the mountains, capred with snow, and an ocean that extends away ‘beyond the sunny Western horizon tend to keep awake the imagination California, mother cs S0 many dream- ers, takes her own children to ber heart and whispers wonderfui secrets into their g ears. This must be tiue, for there re scores of boys and girls in California who tell stories the like of which were never heard before. Many of these bright children write for THE CALL. Now it is proposed to invite the gifted mem bers of the C. R. C. and all otuer chil- dren on the coast to write a story about California. It may be a fairy California received her be a story of the early or it can be purely at will hapoen in our story, telling how ame, or it da: in Cailtormia, imaginary, telling w the year 1949 in California. These are only suggestions. Every boy and girl must counsider this a personal invitation. California must be the theme. own may The best five stories will be published with the photographs of the young au- rs, on some Sunday morning during the next few wecks, side by side. No story should contain more than 600 words. 1t would be b-tter to fix the limit at 500 words. The Boys’ and Girls' Page will be set aparton one selected day, and will be known as “The Young Authors’ Page.” That will be the young authors’ aay. Later on stories making Oregon, Wash- ington or others of the Pacific Coast sis- terhood of Stat: the theme will be in order. The competition will begin at once, and will close October 25, just one month from date. The names of the competing au- thors will be published from week to week. All children attending the public schools are entitled o strive for the credit | of being declared by a jury the bast | young author of the Pacific Coast. | raph, with name and postoffice | snd_ the nume of the school of which the author is a member, all written legibly upon the back. e IN THE GROVE. | OLDILOCKS went to the cavern n the mountains of the Genie of the GOLDILOCKS Sierra, in California, and found the | Genie chained to a rock with a chain | of gold. She went into the heart of the | mountains, erossing the Bridge of Elves, | which was guarded by two black giants, in search of the Talisman in the En- chanted Grove. 1 She secured the Silver | Arrow, which had magic power to help | her. She fell asleep at nightin the Vall oi the Sleepy Fiowers, surrounded by noc ding drowsy blossoms. When Goldilocks awoke the next morn- ing she first looked for the wonderful Sil- row. Some one, perhaps one of the black giants, had stolen it from her while she slept. She was sorry, but sbe could not turn back. Near ner was a cup made of | leaves. This was full of sweet milk. | So Goldilocks knew that the Genie was still belping her. She went on and won- dered how she should find the Talisman to break the Genie’s golden chain and to open the gate of the mountain to let her g0 home to her papa and mamma. Just then she saw the Great Stork that the King of the Water Fairies had told her about, and a very funny-looking bird he was. at him at any other time. His legs were so long that he could pick fruit from the top branches of the trees. He was covered with short, stiff feathers. His bill was halt as iong as his le | yod-day, little Goldilocks,” he said. *“Good - day,”’ answered Goldilocks: “‘but can you talk?”’ “Yes, of course,” said the Stork; “why | was a question Goldilocks counld not answer, and so she kept still. *“Where are you going, asked the Stork. “lam | to get the Talisman to break the chain of the Genie of the mountain.” Goldilocks thought that the Stork laughed. He certainly made a chuckling noise. from a pocket under his left wing and carefully balanced them upon his long bill and looked at Goldilocks through them. This was so funny that the child jaughed. **’Scuse me,” can’t help it.”’ “Very well,” said the Stork, ‘‘verr-r-r-y well. I am giad that you can laugh. Now I think you want me to show you the way to the Enchanted Grove. What will you give me if I do that?” Goldilocks felt in her pocket and found there only a small pair of scissors and a very small piece of candy. *Candy,” said Go'dilocks; “show me the way and I will give you the candy.” “Very well,”” said the Stork, “Idon’t know just what candy is, but if you say it is nice it will do.” kin Goldilocks said, *“‘but I lacung so, there was no wind. Goidilocks would have laughed | Goldilocks?” | : for the Enchanted Grove | Then Le took a pair of eyeglasses | “Oh, yes,’ | gooa.” | *Come on, then,” said the Stork. | The two went along a red road and came | to a blue road and then traveled on a pink road and a yellow lane, and then were in | the Encbanted Grove. The bark of all | the trees seemed to be of silver or copper | or brass. The limbs of the trees were all moving as | if a hard gale wasblowing. Every minute | a great limb would be torn away and said Goldilocks, *“it is real | fell to the ground. The limbs fastened | themselves to other trees, so that one | trunk woutd have many kinds of branches. Nice task vicking out the tree where the Talisman is,” said the Stork. **Where is the Talisman ?” asked Gold:- locks. “In the heart of one of these trees,” an- swered the Stork. “It is a magic word, |and itisin a small ivory box. You see | the trees are changing all the time, so that they are like new trees every minute.”’ | **Help me, gooi Stork.” | “Icannot help find the tree, but when | you know the tree perhups I can help you to get the ivory box out of it.’" Ivery contribator is requested to send | =¥ | thrown through ths air, but not one limb | LITTLE MINA’S DEAR OLD MAN. i | E sat in an unfrequented part of the | H park. His hair wa« gray and his | nands were bony. The few passed bim by unthinkingly, with hasty glance. It was not an unusual sight to see a man thus sitting in meditation. An bour went by, and still he was there. Many hours passed—the hours when the fashionable were abroad. As they, with their splendid equipages, bezan to file along the driveway, which was plain to his view, the old man’s face lost some of | itscold gray; it brightened and warmed. ! The deep lines during these times were almost obliterated. The eyes eleamed— an expectant look showed in them. The da; rolled on. Into the weeks they ran, and still day aiter day tbe old man sat on the rustic bench, half hidden from the tbrong, but alw where he could scan the featuresof the peoplein | the carrages. His eager, searching eve missed not one of the faces back of the well-groomed teams. “Pupa, there sits the man there yet w. 1 ho | mainder of their drive, but he held Littie One’s hand and she chatted to him and looked very happy. She had taken a fancy to the old man on the bench in the park. She had gained one point in regard to him, and un- doubtedly she meant to gain another. eatlier than usual. Right there, crossing the driveway, not a hundred yards from the entrance, she caught sight of him—her old man. “Quick, Papa Burton, open the door. Teli James to siop. Our old man—here he isl”) Ths horses were brought to a halt, and the door opened. Mina sprang out. Her hand was upon theold man’s arm. “Would you mind telling us if you live here—that is, near here? Papa and I are interested in you and wish to know you.” | Mr. Burton’s eyes are bent upon the | gray face and head. Now thev open wider. He, too, leaves the carriage, and is by | that other man’s side. | “John!” “Yes, Eugene.” **After all these years. The three enter the carriage together Goldilocks Gets Possession of the Box Containing the Talisman That Will Set the Old Genie Free. The strangest thing in the Enchanted [ looks like you—in the very same spot | As they were being driven to the big Grove was that, although the trees were The wind was made to change by the magic of the black giants, who had the Genie chained. Goldilocks coula not pick out the right tree. She went to a spring of water and drank. All at once pains went through | her head and eves. She had drunken from the Magic Spring. Now she could see right through all the trees, and in the trunk of the biggest of | | them all, a tree with a bark of silver, she saw the ivory box. But the trees would not stand still. They chased one another about like children playing tag. Goldi- locks chased the big tree, and when she to it by taking off her apron and using it | for a rope. As soon asshe had done this | the tree stood quiet. “Well,” asked the Stork who had hopped around after Goldilocks, “how are | you going to get the box out?” “felp me, good Stork.” Then the great bird flew away and came | back with a seed. “This is the seed of the | Giant Vine,” he said. | Then the Stork filled his bill with water i from the Magic Spring. He poured this | water upon the seed and then put the seed in a crotch of the tree. “Look,” saia the Stork, a minufe iater. The seed sent out roots like wire, that pushed themselves downinto the trunk of the tree, and soon split it open wide. “Thanks,” said Goldilocks, and she seized the ivory box. Just then one of the black giants ran toward Goldilocks to take the box away. | The roots of the Giant Vine snarled itself around nis feet as he ran, and threw him down. Then the vine drew him into the tree, which closed up all around him, helding him tight, so that he could not get away, but he roared like a lion and waved his arms furiously. Goldilocks was scared when che feit a tug at her sleeve, not knowing what was coming next. “‘Give me the candy,” said the Stork. Goldilocks gave the candy and went out of the grove holding tbe ivory box fast with both of her hands, after thanking the Stork for bis heip. She did not look back for she was in haste o zet back to the Genie. She even her, but that was & mistake. had caugnt it, being tired, she tied herself | fancied that she could hear him caliing | where [ saw him that last time you drove me out, before I was so very sick, you kn ow.” The small voice reached the ear of that old man. It continned: “If he were not o very old looking I would think he were vour twin. Twins are always alike, are they not, Papa Burton? Mr. Burton had married late in lite. | Mina, this little one who was speaking, now nearly 9 years old, was a mite of 2 when he had first met her mother, a widow struggling in poverty. Before Mina haa reached her third year the widow had become his wife and her little daughter his by adoption. Now Mina only was left to him—his idol, his all in the big uptown housz, He had taught her to respect poverty eveu as riches, which were theirs in abundance. This old man in the park she could not | put out of her mind She continued to discuss him for a long time after the carriage had rolled between the opened gates, far beyond the hearing of him whose face had again taken on the gray iook, and the lines in it deepen- ing brought back to it the appearance of great age. “Do you think he has a home, papa? T've been thinking perbaps he hasn’t. Do you know be lcoked to-day as if he be- longed to that seat—that it was his only resting piace, and—and—our home is so big, papa.” She hid the brown eves in the sieeve of the great man’s coat. There were tears in them, and Mr. Burton’s were not quite dry as he looked on the golden head and gently stroked the silken khair, fluffed about her fair face. *Do you think we might drive throngh the park again—very early—to-morrow and see if he is still there?”’ her face yot hidden in the rich broadcloth. *Why, of course, Mina, if it pleases you to do so.”” “But will it please you to do so, Papa Burton?™” “Yes, little one, it will please me to do 20. Mina’s head eame up in an instant, and small arms_stole caressingly about the bigger arm and the big man stooped and | kissed the little one tenderly. When his | head came up, there were real tears in his eyes—through which his heart shore. He was silent during much of the re. house Mina sat by that other man’s side. With one hand in his—the uther on her father’s knee—looking into his tace, she said: “You two are so much alike I shali cali you Papa John.” ’s” old man does not seem “‘Little One's old now, although some years have passed since he became one of the Burton house- hold. She still calls him “*Papa John,” though her own little ones call him Uncle John. FLETCHER GILMAN. 411 Van Ness avenue. TR GibEN: INGERS.. Fairies in Faces. Ilike to sit on Daddy’s knee, And watch the fairy in his face, That slways has a smile for me, And never wanders from her place. And mother says the eyes of joy Will make a thousand faces shine When Love can spare each little boy A father half as sweet as mine. NORMAN GALE in Songs for Little People. Siomr Baby Did It Why is my hair strung up in knots? You never could have guessed it. Look at my shirt—d’you see those spots? There baby’s fingers pressed it. 'Twas she who rumpled up my hair— What father could forbid i1? His friends will oniy smile, nor care, 1f romping baby did it. Perhaps I wish to leave the house— All heaped up in a corner 1 find & quiet little mouse. Like erstwhile J Then papa says I wonder who has hid 117 1find her sitting on it flat; But theu—the baby @id it. The cunning elf, with wond'ring eyes, May sometimes break the letter. *Twill really be a sad surprise _ When age shall teach her better, Then let the baby have her way— Her pleasure—why forbid it? You may be proud that you can say, “My little baby did 1t T e following day found them out much | *“SHORTY ” ¥TREED BY THE SNAKES. TSSES on every side. ‘Shorty” of San Jose was in a quandary. If he went forward he might step on arat- tler. There were ratilesnakesenough to charm a snake-tamer, but they did not charm “Shorty.” In fact he would have been glad to get out of the neighborhcod he was in. Hiss-s-s. Hiss- Throush the grass snakes were crawl- ing. “Shorty” could hear the grass rustle. He might have been interested 1n a bat- tle between two rattlers of which he was a witness, if he had not fcund his own position one of trouble. As it was the rapid movements of the tighting rattlers had a strange fascination for him. When the victorious snake struck the fatal blow “Shorty” turned to go away as carefully and as silently as possible. ‘**Shorty”’ was no coward. On his way out of the bushe he kept his eyes open for snakes.. He was rewarded by seeinz a rattler about to spring. The snake’s head was up and the serpent w. tightly coiled. Its iorked tongue played in and out, and from its rattle came a humming sound. “Shorty” struck the snake with the butt of his good Winchester rifle, killing it in the act of springing. This was a victory, but it was at the same t me a defeat, for the noise started up other reptiles. Off from the bushes they rolled in every direction, stopping their feast upon the berries with which they were gorging. Then “Shorty” saw for the first timea fiat rock which had been warmed by the sun until it was a very comfortable place for snakes. There seemed to “Shorty” to be at least fifty snakes on the rock, some large and some small. They were of nearly every kind to be found in Cali- fornia. The representatives of San Jose, Fresno, Oakland and Los Angeles were auxious to get their sh:re of glory. Here was a chance for **Shorty.” “Shor:y” wasnot long thinking. ‘‘The old powder horn,” be said, “that is just | the thing. I will clean out this snake den in short order.” The reptiles continued to sleep, not dreaming of danger, all exceptone. As “Shorty” moved noiselessly around in the tree his hands suddenly closed upon a cold object. One of the snakes had found its way into the tree. Holding the snake firmly with one hand, “Shorty” drew his hunting-knife with the other. He cut off the reptile’s head. He was so much in haste to try a plan that he had made that he did not care as much for this as he o:herwise would have. \Yllh his knife he cut a strip from his striped flanpel shirt and prepared to make a car- wridge of it. Some powder was carefully poured into the flannel and then the flan- nel was tied up with a string. “Now,” said Shorty, “for a little surprise party for the snakes.” Crawling far out on a limb until he was over the snake rock, “‘Shorty”” made the cartridge fast and proceeded to lower it. His string was not long enough to reach the ground, and so *“Shorty” did s little gymnastic act that he haa learned at the military school of which all the boys in the camp were pupils. First he tied the string around his neck. Next he sus- pended himself from' a limb, hanging down by his feet. His head was now directly above the snakes, only a few of which took alarm and crawled away. “So far so good,” said “Shorty,” as he pulled himse!f back upon the limb, after he had placed the cartridge in a tuftof sun-dried grass near the rock. ‘Now for the next act.” He had greased the string with a piece of beef taken from his lunch. Now he proceeaed to light the end of the string as it hung from a twig upon which he had managed to place it. The striking of the match was answered by hisses from one old snake, but that was all. How slowly the spark crept along the greased string! It seemed to “‘Shorty” that the fire must have gone out. No, look there! The spark makes the string smoke close to the cartridee. Then there is a sudden flash that sends a cloud of powder smoke rolling up into the tree “““Shorty’ did a little gymnastic act that he had learned at school.” As “Shorty” saw that they had all been suddenly awnkened he made for a tree, into which he climbed as soon as he could. He was instantly out of the way of the snakes. They acted strangely. After rolling their heads about a little to see what was goineg on, the most of them curled up comiortably again to take an- other nap on the warm stone, Here was a pickle. *‘Shorty’ was treed by a hundred snakes and did not dare to come down. He wasin a tree with wide- spreading branches. He had with him an old-fashioned powder horn with some powder in it that he had bought as a relic to take home to San Jose frcm a Pitt River Indian whom he met in the woods. When * Shorty” found himself in this fix he began o think very hard. He saw that there must be some way in this ad- venture to make of th's a *“ San Jose day”’ in * Camp Call.”” Thecapture of a moun- tain lion by Binnie and Ned a few days before had left San Francisco with all the honors of the hunting field up to date. and hiding the view for a few seconds from ‘‘S8borty.”” When the smoke was blown aside *‘Shorty” saw the grassaflame on all sides of the rock. In the middle of the flaming grass was the snake rock. Upon it were the snakes, squirming, fighting, vainly trying to find a way to escape. They were gradually overcome by the heat. The fire brought ths boys in **‘Camp Call” to the scene. They soon put out the fire and counted the snakes that *‘Shorty” bad cleverly trapped. There was a round dozen of rattiers and many others that did not connt so much for glory to *“‘the victor of snake hill,’” as Binnie humor- ously named “Shorty’’ on the spot. That night as the embers of the camp- fire smo!dered and all the bovs were won- dering ' whether stout-hearted Daniel Boone ever enjoyed the wilderness better than they, Billy of Oakiand, Sam of Los Angeles and stout Tom of Fresno won- dered also what they could do to uphold tne honor of their towns. LETTERS FROM THE CHILDREN. ETHEL MCCLURE, 204 Waller street, hag sent an original heading for the Bogy and Girls’ Page, which may be used, ELLA M. C. TUBB writes & pretty let. ter describing her visit to the country, DELACE CLARK has contributed a story en. titled “Little Tot and Bessie.”” Delace livesa; Callabans. Siskiyou County. R. MAUD MALLORY of Reedley has writteg & poem, “Somebody’s Darling.” It has mer but the subject is too sad to make it appro priste. HELEN SINCLAIR writes from Scotia: [ have three brothers and they all go to school but the baby. Iam going to send in & stery.” Helen is in the fifth grade in the publicschool IRENE MCARDLE writes that she is attend. ing the Agassiz Primary School. She lovesto read children’s stories. | - MINNIE A. VALLADAO writes from Pa. noche. She is preparing some scrapbooks for little children in the hospitals. JOHN FLYNN, Oakland, writes: “Am glad 10 see some stories for boys in the Boys' and | Girls’ Page. Let us bave some more.” There will be more. The page will be for the benefit and smusement of all, boys and girls alike. NONIE E. HERBERT wishes to correspond with Maud Mallory and Eva Navone. MAMIE M. KELLOGG, C. R. C., wishes to correspond with Retha Waldau Mamie's postoffice address is lgerna, Cal. ATILEEN MORRISON, Forest Ranch, Butte County, has written a story sbout a pony. It shows a creditable love of our friends the dumb animals. The story will be considered, ELLA THORNTON, 2620 Yolo streat, writes that she would like to belong to the C. R. ¢, She will send a story. A. KNUTZER, C. R. C., sends puzzies, and likes the boys’ and girls’ page v er e uch, Answers to Gorrespondenis Fugene P. Conway, Los Angeles.—Y sign for the Boys' and Girls' Page nandsome. It will be used, Floyd Smith.—The story is good ar tainly entitles you to now place the C. R. C. after your name. Ida Wightman (C. R. C.)—Yes. Pictures new members of the C. R. C. will be pu as they come to hand. These pictures ar: sired. Please send them in. le T. J. Fellowes—Design received. It fs well conceived, but it is more appropriate for Christmas. Later it will come handy. M. K. L.—Yes. The purpose is to give the Boys’ and Girls’ Page a Pacific Coast flavor Pictures of types will be used if they are good F. L—Please do not write upon both sides the paper. The Puzzle Department. Answers to puszles of September 13 L 1 Bern. Rome. Ynkohama. Africa. . Norway. . Thames. Bryant. (a) P sap©R IL E HEeT S ET) w>H LE PEA AC Ha»> E L] ° wZzo2 PHEHEE~Y sE@ZO HAplE g ST I Rhomboids. (@) HA N e = ] o et mw ®) w ] b m W<t gmE~E oz L) 0% " " . Word squar: CETRT T L] FEpPH myao V. Anagrams. Santa Rosa. Stockton, Sacramento. Santa Clara. Cloverdale. Fresno. Woodland. Calistoga. Petaluma. Los Angeles. Additions. Marigold (eye). Mantle (tell). Martin, 4. ElCapitan (eye). VIL Hidden birds. 1. Martin, 2. Stork. 3. Larks. 4. Wrens. 5. Swallow. VIIL Triangles. (a) A\ fd ol o e CEET T T IX. Klondyke. X. Double acrostic. 1-J 2—-0CT 3-80 47 5—ED 6-FRANKL 7—-F E 8—EQ 9—RIN 10-81 11-0 P 12-N1 Initiais—Jos. Jefferson. Finals—Rip Van Winkle, Puzzles and answers have been received from the following: R. Maud Mallory, Reed- ley; W. W. Case, 2159 San Jose avenue, Ala~ meda; Hazel Bell, San Francisco; Thomas D. Lewis, Stuart, Cal.; Gertrude Klempm, San Francisco; Jennie Edwards, Gilroy; Ethel Mce Clure, San Francisco; Bessie Sullivan, San Francisco; Alice Bell, Dora Willard, Escondi- do; Carrie Gonsalves, Ida Wightman, Maurice Harrison, Andrew J. Branagan, Lelace Clark and Nellie Hudnett of San Francisco; Alleen Morrison, Forest Ranch; Hazel Bell, San Francisco: M. Fanetta Reuter of Visalia. The )nckku[ space prevents their publication this week. A L —Z »o Zr <o Fl [} ZrCOq L™