June 1923 School Magazine

BRISBA)'

June, 1923.

ukiSBANE GIRLS' GRAMMAR· SClH)OL MAGAZiN.El.

June, 1923.

Much Ado AbotJt Nothing.

giving the co:w a final pat, we departed still laughlx>g. Anon.

So great wa.s our relief 'that we laughed loudly and heartily. Laug·hecl at the cow, at one ano(.her, at everything, u.ntil the whol

laughed heartily at her, and when she round she had no bones broken, she joined in. Weak with laughter we cautious1y sat on an o1d battered couch. This, •hapJ!ily, _heltl us. The moon \\-·as risen nO'.w, and, through thi..! open door we could see the little clouds scudding across its su rface. The moonlight served as a lamp, lor although both ol u~ hac! our bike lamps neither had brought matches. We lay down on the couch and spoke scarcely at all . After a whill' we went to sleep. Suddenly I was ruwakeued l>Y heavy root- steps in the other room. Then I heard·· a dull thud, as or a falling ·body, and then silence. "Ethel! Ethel!" 1 whispe·red, and shook her. · "What's up?" she murmured sleepily. Then I shook her again and begged l]er to wake up and listen. ThLS s·he did. We beard faint breathiiig, W·hich sometimes became so laint that we could scarce1y heat: it at all. Although we were very anxious to know what was in the next room neither of us dared to investig~te. · ' To g:o to sleep after that was impossible. Wide a wake we Jay there hardly daring to · breathe . The back door, which Jed into the other room, creaked and slammed, and the eerie cr.y of the curlew sent shivers dOown my back. · Then ca•me a movemellt from the other side or the partition. I drew close-r to Ethel . and ;;taretl at the doorway. f-IO'wever, nothing ·a,ppeared. A!ter some minutes ol awful silence I concluded that, whatever it was, it hact de·cidecl not to slrow itself. Time dragged fearfully. As soon as clay- light came we stealthily arose, au

'"It's clearing up, Ethel," ·I ·shouted, "we can go for a ride atter all ." Togetller we got our bi-kes, and were soon speed·if\g menily along. After 'about a quarter of an hour, we came to the creek, w~1ich we forded on our bikes, lor it was only a few inches deep . On and on we went. This was our fav- ourite ride and we had often picnicked here for a whole sh of the w~ter~ . By comma~· consent we raced back, racetl as we had never done •before. We knew that the stream would swell, and ·that we must get back beCore it beca•me too deep to lonl. Ho1w car away th.e creek seemed! I had not realised hOIW far we had g9ne. At la.st we came to it. But, we were too late. The muddy water raced by with. tre- mendous force . It was far too deep l'o cross. IWe gazed at one another in horror. It would be impossible to return for some hours. "We had better sleep in Godfrey's Hut," I said a:t length. "We will ·be quite sale there, and the creek will 'be down by morning." "But It's supposed to be haunted;" E.the·l said. 'l'·m not going to sleep in the open," I an- swered. .So We went back along the road and tumed ore htto a little clearin·g, in the centre Ql. which stood a sla.b hut with a shingle roof. The door w·as almost off its hinges , and we wheeled the bikes In and looked a·bout U$. The hut was divided into two apartments by a partition which had a doorway connect- ing the two rooms . It had au earthen ftoor and little furniture. ·We both knaw that a Mrs . Godfrey hat! lived in the hut until about· six mon t hs al(o, ant! that she had disappeared suddenly. Bn t neither or us had been inside the hut befor e. Ethel made a dash lor the only ehair , which promptly collap.sed tllltler her .

(Editor's N'ote.-'Wllat were parents doing i.n the· meanti~me?)

--**-- The Story of the Jacaranda.

,I ,,

,:;:\,. ln the " early spring when all the tree:; unda were amazed to see her •breaking out in- began to burst out into new green shoot• , the to blossoms which in the course of time be- jacaranda stood stark and naked. When the came ·beauti'!ul lavender bells.

I I

When l'hs fairy made her next visit. shi!' said to the ja-caranda, ''Your tlowe11s are not to •be picked, but as th ey fall your bells w!.JI riug and call all the fairies to their midnrg t revels. They will use your fallen ftowers as a car-pet on which to dance." ·'l'he jacarand!J. than'ked the fairy tot;' this great honour, and said she was glad she could no'w give pleasure to the sprites or Fairy- land. '!'he jacaranda lost her ftowers at the ·be- ginning of summer, but instea,d or bells tha branches were covered with green 1e11ves, which helped to make a ·beautiful shade in which weary trave.Jlers could rest. P.E..P., IV. B. "Ha! lla!" cried the ·kookalJurra, wiping his eyes; "How a·bout t'he winter, when the basket•ball Hes On a court surrounded bY laughing .girls, All sporting and merry with straight hail• and curls?" Then the wise old oiwl ·heaved a montrous sigh: ""'l'llat wouldn't do me, I'm a~raid. I 'm to.o shY. . I'll have to stay here in . this lovely, green tree, Sleeping and wakin 1 g: , careless and free ." 'l'hen Vhe ·kookruburra laughed and rulllerl h-is wings, li'lew through the air, saying pointe!} things , Ant! the owl remainetl on his perch all d;!Y. Not caring at all ror song or play . L. G., IV. B.

~'airy of Spring came round to see how all the trees were managing with their young leaves she . found the jacaranda crying. Being- -very kind-hearted she as keel her what w a" the matter. The jacaranda replied: "Kind li"airy , all the tree-s o.f the B u::;h shun -me, and say 1 am a disgrace because I am bal'e or leaves in svrlng. 1 am a tall anti shady tree when there are leaves on my branches, bu ~ 1 am u·gly without them." The !airy promised to remedy this , :-:;aying· ·she would make her prettier than her neigh- bours. In a few weeks the sc_orners of the jaear- A kooka•bnrra sat in a gum tree tall, Lau·glling, till lli·s lau.gh resounded through all . 'l'hen t.urni,;g to a wise old owl, he said, "Aren't you up yet, old sleepy-head?" Tile <>WI shook out il llu!ly grey feather, Warm and tlry iu all sort;; of weather. Wibh a grunt he ans•wered the kookal.>urra rude, "Why should I get UJJ "I I've had my rood."' Then the other bird cocked his perky heail, And with ~ puzzled frown , nodded and said. "What would you do if yon went to school, · You couldn't lie ther~ . keeving nice and cool. 11 'fhe ow1 1 with a yawn, ope·necl one ~lee1)Y f~yc, Antl replied. in a voice. or laziness ::;ly, "'I'd be the basltet-bal!, Lheu J could staY, Resting "II summer, from day to day."