MLADINSKI LIST October 1941 Mladinski List j**-**.******.****************.******.***.*.**.*.)«.*, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ i ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ JUVENILE Editor --- Business Manager - IVAN MOLEK PHILIP GODINA ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ i ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ i ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ * ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ s 'k ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ if ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ -- ■ ■ —. ■ - . ______________________________________________________________ ★ * Published monthly by the Slovene National Benefit Society for the members of its ■* Juvenile Department. Annual subscription, $1.20; half year, 60c; foreign subscrip- J tion, $1.50. Address: 2657 S. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, 111. Entered as second-class * matter August 2, 1922, at the post office at Chicago, 111., under Act of August 24, 1912. 5 * CONTENTS FOR OCTOBER Vsebina oktobrske številke POEMS, STORIES, PLAYS, ETC. Page Detektiv (pesem) ......-____________________________________ 1 Friend Like This, A................................................ 31 Janko in Metka (nadaljevanje) 3 Marauder’s Demise ................'............................... 5 Snežnjak in vrabec ................................................. 10 Šolski zvonec (pesem)............................................ 1 Tinčkovo voščilo teti za god (pesem) ............................ 12 ARTICLES Iz sive davnine ......................................... 6 You and the Movies................................................... 9 FEATURES Birthdays of the Great Men .................................... 2 Introducing Book Friends............................................32 Just for Fun. 11 Our Own Juvenile Circles of the SNPJ 23 Our Pen Pals Write ......................................................... 26 Our School ..................................................................... 15 Stamp Collecting ...................................................... 14 ★ **■*+*-*** *******•*******-*-K-K*-|<.K*-fc-K********************* MLADINSKI LIST JUVENILE LETO XX—Šl. 10 CHICAGO, ILL., OCTOBER, 1941 VOL. XX—No. 10 Šolski zvonec Katka Zupančič Šolski zvonec se oglaša — Jakcu bije plat zvona . . . Z novo torbo se ponaša, a na tihem godrnja: “Črka, pika pa številka -— naša paša dan na dan; vsako jutro bo svetilka se bom svetil čist, opran . . . Oh, da bi bil Papuanec, ki o šoli nič ne ve; džungla ga zaziblje v spanec, ko do sita se naje. V ušesa njemu ne škilijo, kot da v njih je skrit zaklad; uhljev njemu ne vrtijo, mar jim je njih zadnja plat!” “Prazne marnje, prazne sanje Prostih ur je konec . . . Ceni snago, zbiraj znanje!” poje šolski zvonec. DETEKTIV Katka Zupančič Pes čuvaj? Nisem jaz le pes čuvaj, marveč sem i detektiv. Muc naš, veste, je kradi j iv . . . Dasi ga prav rad imam — varati se le ne dam. Sveta je prepoved meni! On? On se zanjo nič ne zmeni. Če zavoha kje meso — brž ga noge tja neso. A mu jaz takoj sledim, pa preteče zarenčim. Muc prisluhne, se potuhne —. Ali ko me blizu ni, o, tedaj se pogosti —. Nato ‘nedolžen’ leže spat A jaz vem, da je bil tat. Nos pove mi, kod je šel; vem natanko, kaj je vzel. Birthdays of the Great Men FEODOR MIKHAILOV DOSTOIEVSKY Feodor Mikhailov Dostoievsky, the celebrated Russian novelist, was born in Moscow, Russia, on October 30, 1821. His father was a military surgeon. Young Feodor received his primary and secondary education in Moscow and his higher education at the military engineering academy at Petrograd (Leningrad). He graduated from the academy as 2nd lieutenant at the age of twenty-two. Two years later he resigned his commission in the army in order to devote himself to literature, and at the age of twenty-four embarked on a literary career which brought him world fame as a giant among the greatest world writers. In addition to the old Russian masters of letters, Gogol and Pushkin, Balzac and George Sand supplied him with literary ideals. His first story, “Poor People,” excited the Russian critic, Bielin-ski, by its power over emotions, a quality which accompanies all of his later works. Dostoievsky became a regular contributor to the “Annals of the Country,” a monthly magazine, for which, however, he was poorly paid. All of Dostoievsky’s early works show extraordinary power and intensity. It must be remembered that poverty and physical suffering robbed the young author of the joy of life and filled him with bitter thoughts and morbid imaginings. At the age of 26, Dostoievsky became an enthusiastic member of the revolutionary movement. At their gatherings were discussed mainly the theories of economy. However, exaggerated reports reached the police and in April of 1849 Dostoievsky and thirty other members were arrested. During his imprisonment he wrote “Little Hero.” In December, he was condemned to death with his companions. As the soldiers were preparing to carry out the sentence, the prisoners were informed that their penalty was commuted to exile in Siberia for four years and enforced military service in the ranks for life. Dostoievsky graphically narrated his Siberian experiences in “Buried Alive.” In 1859 he was recalled from exile. He obtained ex- ceptional insight into the dark and seamy side of Czarist Russia, and he formed new conceptions of human life, of the balance of good and evil in man, and of the Russian character. Psychological studies have seldom, if ever, found a more intense form of expression than that embodied by Dostoievsky in his novel called “Crime and Punishment,” his masterpiece. The hero is a poor student named Raskolnikov. Unsurpassed in poignancy in the whole of modern literature is the sensation of compassion evoked by the scene between the self-tormented Raskolnikov and the humble girl of the streets, Sonia. The book gave currency to the idea that in every life there are worthy qualities, and the ideal of a Russian people forming a social state at some future period bound together only by mutual understanding and kindness. “Crime and Punishment” electrified the reading public in Russia, and its fame was confirmed when it appeared in all languages of the civilized world. It has been translated into Slovene and appeared serially in Prosveta several years ago. Other of his famous works followed; the chief of them are: “The Injured and the Insulted,” “The Demons,” “The Idiot,” “The Adult,” and “The Brothers Karazamov,” which also appeared in the Slovene version in Prosveta in 1937-38. During the last fifteen years of his life, Dostoievsky was absorbed in a succession of journalistic enterprises, in the Slavophil interest, and suffered severe pecuniary losses. Often, his work was interrupted by epileptic fits and other physical ailments. And it was under such conditions as these that his most enduring works were created. After traveling through Germany and Italy, he returned to Russia and was manager of “The Russian World.” His last years were spent in comparative prosperity, and he became an extremely popular figure. Dostoievsky’s main theme was the superiority of the Russian peasant over every other class. Feodor Mikhailov Dostoievsky died in Petrograd on February 9, 1881. JANKO IN METKA (Nadaljevanje.) Seveda, o tem se ne da dvomiti, ugotavlja sam v sebi Tonač. To je tolikšna sreča za otroka, da o tolikšni sreči niti sanjati ne more. Le kaj bo Janko dejal k vsemu temu? Ah, tudi Janko bo vesel, ker se bo Metki dobro godilo! Dolgčas mu bo, že res, toda če prav premisli, življenje na gmajni ni za deklico. Naj zboli—kako bi ji pomagala? Da, če bi se vrnila Jankova mati, potem bi se Tonač prav nič ne bal, tako pa ... Ne, ne, tu ni kaj razmišljevati! Gospa je privedla Metko nazaj v sobo. Tonač strmi vanjo . . . Gospa jo je bila oblekla v svetlomodro oblekco, lase je imela počesane tako kakor jih nosijo razvajeni otroci, plašček iz bele kožuhovine . . . Da je to naša preprosta Metka? In v naročju ima punčko, veliko, dragoceno punčko! “Ali sem lepa, stric?” je vprašala Metka. Tonač kar gleda in strmi. “In Metka je že obljubila ostati pri nas!'’ je dejala gospa. “Ali res, Metka?” se je čudil Tonač. “Jaz bi že ostala . . .” meni Metka, “če bo Janko lahko sem prišel?” “Kadar hoče in kolikor krat želi, jo lahko obišče!” je zatrdila gospa. “No, Metka, potem pa ostani in zbogom!” je dejal Tonač in glas se mu je tresel. Metka ga gleda, čudno ji je v srcu, potem se ga oklene in mu zašepeče: “Reci Janku, da ga imam hudo rada in da mora kmalu priti. Ter škarje in cunjice mora prinesti s seboj!” Tonač hodi po ulicah in bolj se bliža semnju, bolj je počasen. Zdi se mu, da nekaj ni v redu. Težko vest ima. Le kako bo Janko sprejel to vest in ali je prav storil, ker je kar na svojo pest odločal? Od daleč ga je že zagledal, kako ponuja svoje igrače. Opazil je, da mu jih precej manjka, torej dobro kupčuje! “Dolgo časa vaju ni od nikoder!” mu zakliče Janko. “A kje imaš Metko?” je vprašal, ker je ni videl. “Veš, Janko, ko sva prišla tjakaj, je bilo tam tako lepo, da si moraš to ogledati! Tam imajo vsega in—” Tone Seliškar “Kje je Metka, te vprašam?” “Eh, vihra, počakaj, da ti vse po vrsti povem!” se togoti Tonač, ker ne more spraviti resnice iz grla. “Gospa, veš, je bila z Metko tako domača, oh, saj moraš zares tjakaj in Metka mi je naročila, da ji moraš prinesti škarje in cunjice.” “Kaj pa bledeš? Zakaj je ni s teboj?” zavpije Janko in srce mu zadrhti v neznanski slutnji. “I, tam je ostala! . . . Kako pa si ti prodajal?” “Tonač, zdaj pa mi po pravici povej, ali pa pojdeva narazen! Kaj se je zgodilo?” sili vanj Janko. “Obdržali so jo. Nič otrok nimajo in gospe je Metka tako ugajala, da je ni hotela nič več pustiti od sebe. Janko, ne bodi žalosten! Mar nimaš Metke rad?” “Saj zato, ker jo imam rad, drugače bi mi bilo vseeno!” zašepeče Janko in možato se brani solz, kajti za grlo ga stiska ihta in rad bi zakričal od bolečine. Ali mar ve Tonač, kako mu je zdaj, ta hip, ko nima nič več Metke? Kakor da bi mu ukradli naj dražje na svetu! To je bil vendar edini človek, ki ga je vedno z veseljem pričakal. Ta majhen človek je bil zanj največja skrb, zdaj pa bo hišica prazna in nič več ne bo zvenel v izbi njen prisrčen smeh. Pusto bo zdaj ha gmajni! “Če jo imaš rad, tedaj ji moraš privoščiti tolikšno srečo!” ga tolaži Tonač. “Dobro se ji bo godilo, nikoli več ji ne bo treba jesti grdih, črnih vran.” Fant pa je postajal bolj in bolj potrt. Vse te igrače in vse to vrvenje na semnju se mu je priskutilo, vrgel je igrače čez rame in zataval skozi ulice, da sam ni vedel kje in kam hodi. Tonač pa za njim in mu razlaga in dopoveduje. Toda Janko kar molči. Le enkrat samkrat ga je še vprašal: “Ali je Metka rada ostala tam?” “Rada, seveda, saj veš, otrok je še in vse te lepe reči so jo zamikale in povrhu je deklica in vsa dekleta so ničemurna. Ti ne veš, kako je bila zala v kožuščku in kako imenitna je tista punčka!” pripoveduje Tonač. Tedaj je Janko razočarano in nekako posmehljivo zamahnil z roko po zraku, potegnil si je kapo na oči in je tako hodil kakor ena sama velika, goreča žalost, da je še Tonač postal žalosten in nista mislila ne na mraz ne na glad. Šla sta mimo tiskarne in iz veže so se vsuli raznašalci s pravkar natisnjenim časopisom in na ves glas so se drli: “Posebna izdaja! Nova vlada! Splošna amnestija!” “Kaj je to amnestija?” je vprašal Tonača. “To je tako, da pomilostijo kaznjence, če se pripeti kak velik dogodek v državi. Ali pa jim kazen zmanjšajo.” “Potem bo morda tudi moj oče pomilo-ščen?” vzklikne Janko in skozi vso grenko žalost mu zasije žarek veselega pričakovanja. “Le potrpi, v nekaj dneh bova že zvedela!” ga miri Tonač. Doma pa je bilo pusto in prazno. Tonač je zakuril ognjišče, Janko je snel s stene edinega pajaca, ki je ostal doma in bilo mu je tako hudo, da bi najraje zajokal. “Janko, le nikar ne obupaj! Morda bo čez nekaj dni že oče pri naju!” ga bodri Tonač. In potem sta molčala. Zunaj je vekala mrzla burja in zavijala kakor gladen pes. Janko je na hrbtu ležal in premišljeval: “Življenje teče in teče. Na neki način je treba živeti! Tudi brez Metke? Tudi brez Metke!” 9 Znova je pričelo snežiti. Ko je pojenjala burja, se je nebo pomračilo, oblaki so obviseli nizko nad zemljo in bele ptičice so se spet vsipale na gmajno. Nič pravega veselja ni bilo več v hišici. Hodila sta v mesto, ker sta morala živeti na neki način, toda vse drugače se človek trudi, če ve zatrdno, da je nekdo doma, ki ga z veseljem pričakuje. To-načev posel je zdaj na zimo šepal, ker so bila vsa smetišča zatrpana s snegom, Janko pa je le prodal zdaj pa zdaj kako igračo, tako da stradala nista. Vsakokrat pa, kadar je bil Janko v mestu, je šel pred tiskarno, kjer je bil na deski nalepljen časopis, če bi le zasledil kakšno novico o pomiloščenju. Nekega dne je zastrmel nad sporočilom: NAŠI DELAVCI IZ FRANCIJE SE VRAČAJO . . . Val svetovne gospodarske krize je zajel tudi Francijo. Ker preti na ta način tudi francoskemu delavcu nezaposlenost, je francoska vlada odredila, da se morajo vsi inozemski delavci vrniti v svoje države. Prizadeti so predvsem slovenski rudarji, ki so bili zaposleni v severno-francoskih rudnikih, in pa naše poljske delavke. Prva skupina teh zavrnjencev bo prispela v nedeljo z jutrnjim tržaškim vlakom. Vse socialne ustanove pozivamo, da priskočijo tem najbednejšim na pomoč na ta način, da jim priskrbe v domovini primerno delo. Nenadoma se mu je nabralo v srcu toliko prečudnih čustev, da je bil zajet vanje kakor mušica v pajčevino. Mar ne prinaša ta novica tudi dokončno vest o njegovi materi? Oče, mati, Metka . . . Kako je vendar to naše življenje prečudno zamotano! Veselje in žalost, pričakovanje in odpoved, vse to prežiga srce, da je prepolno nemira. In če se bo mati zares vrnila, kakšna le bo? Ali bo dobra z njim? Ali ga bo poznala? Na trg, kjer je bila trgovina z igračami, ni maral iti. Prav za prav se ni upal, ker bi ga preveč spominjalo na Metko. Bolečina bo minila, vse mine, življenje hoče tako! Premnogo spominov je še hranil nanjo, toda krepko jih je odrival na dno srca, kajti živeti je treba! Ulica je surova, cesta neskončna, mestni zidovi so hladni, lakota ne pozna nežnosti. Ko je za naslednji dan kupoval hrano in je nameraval kreniti proti domu, se je iznenada pojavil pred njim Miha. Bil je hudo premražen in sestradan, toda iz njegovih oči je plamtelo sovraštvo. “Čakaj, danes ti povrnem!” je zaškripal skozi zobe. “Bodi pameten, Miha!” je dejal Janko presenečeno. “Če se ne bi spozabil nad ubogim otrokom, pa bi te ne!” Janko je šel skozi mesto. Slutil je, da mu Miha sledi. Če se je zares mislil maščevati, tu v živahni ulici se ne bo! Zdelo se mu je, da sliši več korakov, pa se ni maral ozreti. Miha je v resnici pregovoril spotoma še dva svoja pajdaša in tako so hodili nekaj metrov vsaksebi in čim bolj so se bližali samoti, bolj so postajali zasledovalci glasni in podjetni. “Licemerec!” “Otroška varuška!” (Dalje prihodnjič.) MARAUDER'S DEMISE At the bend where I stood, Haddens Creek was shallow, and splashed gayly over its rocky bed before quieting down to a smooth flow under a narrow wooden bridge, emerging to keep its distant rendezvous with White Oak pond, which nestled in the lower end of the valley. Its sparkling limpid waters seemed to rejoice over their release from winter’s grip. Beautiful rainbow-colored brook trout swam in its currents, always facing up stream, watchful of flies and bugs which came floating down on its surface. Deep shaded pools and eddies with long intermittent stretches of open water, where the stream meandered through lush fields and meadows before disappearing into woodland again, made this my favorite trout stream. It was indeed a beautiful cool mountain stream. A sudden splash, sounding as if someone had thrown a heavy stone into the water hurried me to the bridge, where I arrived just in time to see a large snake disappear into the deep bridge pool with a quick flash of his obscurely blotched body. Apparently, he had been sunning himself in the warm sand along the roadside, heated by the early spring sun, and, upon apprehending my presence, slid under the bridge to safety. Summing up the situation quickly, I could see no opportunity to wreck vengeance on this old fish destroyer right then and there, but decided to watch for him more closely on future trips. I judged him as a real “old-timer,” well acquainted with every nook and corner of the stone walls supporting the wooden bridge. This was not the first time I had seen him, and always he ranged within easy access of the protective bridge. The wise old reptile! Undoubtedly, his days afield were ended, and the ground close by the bridge, where food and shelter were abundant, now provided his last retreat. Never having to forage far, either up or down the stream, he spent most of his time curled in the warm sand along the roadside. Here scarcely any traffic disturb the peaceful solitude of the valley. It was, in fact, a Sleepy Hollow, and the old snake had chosen well his abode, for he could lie for hours at a time before some horse-drawn buggy or rattle-trap auto came along to interrupt his nap. Even then, he moved not far, for many years of experience had acquainted him with all his natural as well as human enemies, and he knew instinctively the necessary precautions. Besides, it was becoming too much an effort to bestir his bulky body every time a noise was heard. All this I kept in mind when hunting or fishing within the vicinity of the bridge. Life’s trials and tribulations were not ended for the snake, however, and less fortunate days were coming. For with each new Spring, upon emerg- ing from his long winter sleep, the snake found a greater scarcity of food, just as each Spring I caught less trout in my favorite stream. Even in places of former abundance fish-life was noticeably scarce. Nests of fish eggs were no longer easily found in the shallow waters along the banks. Even the chubs and frogs which once inhabited the bridge pool in great numbers were gone. Slowly but surely, another stream was being poisoned with acids. A booming saw-mill located on the river was killing all aqua life. A few weeks after seeing the snake,_ I again responded to the call of the wild. The trees were now abundant with life, the grass was luxuriantly green, flowers were opening their petals to the sun, pussy-willows had burst forth and were stretching out long fuzzy tails, and a multitude of birds warbled in the quiet meadows along the stream. Everything stirred with new life as I wandered idly in search of some unsuspecting woodchuck. Abruptly I awakened from my idle mood by excited shouting near-by. Two farm lads, on their way down the stream, came running toward me, gesticulating wildly: “Hey there, Mister! Come here with your rifle; there’s a big snake in the water!” I lost no time reaching them, pleased at the prospect of perhaps again encountering the old snake. Curled up on the bottom of the stream, with his head and half of the thick body hidden under a submerged ledge, he laid motionless, certain he had again evaded his pursuers. But all his cunning this time was in vain. I immediately recognized the age-old inhabitant of the bridge pool, who must have at last wandered off in search of food to appease his hunger. He must have been ravenously hungry to leave his shelter, defying all danger, and openly travelling sections he once carefully avoided because of his slowness in getting away from danger. This was indeed the opportunity I had wished for every time I thought of the scarcity of fish in the stream, which I attributed partly to the snake. I drew a bead on the middle of his body and fired repeatedly; one of the shots found its mark and sent the snake churning round and round in the water. Soon he squirmed no more. With a long birch pole we fished him out onto the bank, where he stretched over four feet in length. Reflecting upon the untold damage the moccasin had committed, the bushels of fish eggs he undoubtedly consumed from year to year along the banks of my pet trout stream, I was pleased at the sight of his lifeless body. Perchance, this too was a merciful end for the old snake. JOSEPH DRAŠLER. IZ SIVE DAVNINE Priredil Vlado Klemenčič 1. Mamula so ulovili Kamor se obrneš: gozd, gozd, gozd. Stoletna drevesa tiho šume v vrhovih. Zdaj pa zdaj zareže v tišino žvižg plena željne ujede. Sliši se godrnjajoče momljanje. Nekje v bližini se igra medvedka z mladiči. V daljavi nekaj topota in lomasti skozi goščavo. Morda mamut. Na jasi sredi gozda se zbirajo ljudje. To so ljudje kamene dobe, lovci, ki s kamenim orožjem pobijajo divje živali. Ne poznajo še železa ne bakra ne brona. Iz trdega kamna so si naredili sekire in nože, iz jelenjih kosti konice na sulicah, iz zob merjasca zakrivljena bodala. Njih telesa so odeta v medvedje kože. Ljudje se sklanjajo k tlom, kjer so zapazili sledove mamutove. Odtisi mamutovih nog se razločno poznajo na močvirni zemlji. Na stezi je vse pomandrano. Ljudje gredo po stezi dalje in dalje, dokler ne pridejo k samotnemu jezercu. Tu se steza konča. Tudi ljudje obstanejo in si polglasno, a živo nekaj dopovedujejo. Našli so pot, po kateri hodi mamut k jezeru pit. Kratek posvet in že gredo na delo. Izza pasov izvlečejo “lopate”, ki so jih bili vzeli ubitim jelenom in medvedom, in na stezi ne daleč od jezerca začnejo kopati veliko jamo. (Še danes imenujemo lopatasto kost, ki je služila tem ljudem kot orodje, “lopatico”). Pot jim lije s čela, ko pripravljajo past orjaškemu mamutu. Že so skopali globoko in široko jamo. Nekateri so s svojimi kamenitimi sekirami posekali nekaj ravnih, močnih debel, jih na obeh konceh priostrili in jih zabili na dno jame. Drugi so pripravili dolgih košatih vej. Z njimi so jamo čez in čez pokrili. Bliža se že večer in čas, ko se hodijo živali napajat. V gostem grmovju žde skriti naši lovci. Napeto poslušajo v gozdno tišino, oči upirajo v večerni somrak. Sence se daljšajo, kmalu bo noč. Lovci šepečejo med seboj. Trudni so od naporov in lačni. Ali se je mamut “premislil” in si izbral danes drugo napajališče, da ga še ni? A čuj iz mraka šumot, kakor da se lomi sehljad! Že se slišijo težke stopinje. Čez nekaj trenutkov zagledajo lovci na stezi temno gmoto. Ne razločijo natanko mamutovih oblik, vendar dobro vedo, da je mamut: njegova bela okla se dobro vidita v temini. Lovcem zastane dih: nedaleč od jame se mamut ustavi. Videti je, kakor bi slutil nevarnost. Stresa glavo in izteguje rilec. Ali je zavohal ljudi? Ako se mamut obrne, je ves trud zaman. Najbrž ga nikoli več ne bo k temu jezeru. Toda ne. Obotavljaje stopa naprej. Že je tik pred jamo. Še ena stopinja! Resk! Bum! Mamut pade v jamo na priostrene kole. Iz skrivališča prihite lovci in ga pobijejo s kamenjem. Njihov trud je poplačan. Zmagovalen krik se razlega po gozdu. Zdaj bodo imeli mesa za dolgo časa. Mesec se dvigne izza obzorja. Kakor nalašč. Mamuta je treba odreti in razkosati, celega ne morejo spraviti iz jame. Čez nekaj časa je tudi to delo opravljeno. Treba pa je za silo utolažiti glad. Ves dan niso razen kake jagode ali sladke koreninice zaužili ničesar. S kamenitim nožem si odreže vsak svoj kos še toplega, surovega mesa. Zelo jim tekne mamutovina. Kožo razdele na štiri dele, nalože nanjo meso, privežejo vse skupaj na kole in odneso plen proti domu. Najmlajši med njimi vzame mamutova okla in pohiti naprej, da prvi oznani svojcem novico o uspelem lovu. II. Ogenj z neba Žgoča poletna vročina pritiska že več tednov. Taka suša je, da venejo rastline in usihajo studenci. Nekega soparnega dne pa se začno nad pragozdom kopičiti temnosivi oblaki. Mahoma se zabliskne in zamolkel grom pretrese ozračje. Strašna nevihta se razbesni nad pokrajino. Strele švigajo in grom za gromom udarja. Ljudje lovci so se stisnili v svoja podzemeljska bivališča. Ne plašijo se medveda, ne trepetajo pred volkom in pogumno napadejo merjasca. Marsikdo med njimi se ponaša z brazgotino, ki jo je dobil v boju z divjo zverjo. Toda groma in bliska se boje. Ko neurje preneha, si upa naj mlajši in najdrznejši iz jame. Kmalu prihiti nazaj in zakliče: 'Pojdite in poglejte! Ognjeni zmaj nam bo požrl gozd!” Oklevaje pridejo možje iz jame. (Ženske in otroci se ne upajo.) Kaj zagledajo? Pragozd na oni strani reke gori. Užgala ga je strela. Spremenil se je v morje ognjenih zubljev in dima. Prasketaje se širi požar vedno bliže in bliže. Že so se priplazili plameni do reke. Tu objamejo še zadnja drevesa, ki mole svoje veje nad vodo. Ljudje so radovedni, ali se bo pognala ognjena pošast čez reko. A reka je na tem mestu široka, in obgorele veje, ki vise nad vodo, padejo cvrčeč vanjo. “Reka je premagala ognjenega zmaja!” vzklikajo možje in ploskajo z rokami. Trije najradovednejši mladci prebredejo reko in preiskujejo pogorišče. Pod pepelom še tli in marsikaterega speče v nogo, da poskoči in zajavka od bolečine. “Ognjeni zmaj še vedno grize!” pravi tisti, ki si je prvi upal iz jame. Z dolgo zakrivljeno gorjačo beza po žerjavici in privleče iz nje zoglenelo ptico. Ostrga z nje vrhnjo plast, pod njo je prijetno dišeče, mehko meso. Pokusi in da še tovarišema. Vsem tekne pečenka. “To je pa mnogo okusnejše kakor surovo meso, ki smo ga jedli doslej,” pravijo mladci. “In to nam je pripravil ognjeni zmaj! Saj ni tako hud, kakor je videti! O, da bi ga imeli v votlini!” Še niso izrekli, že eden izmed njih izvleče iz kupa žerjavice tlečo vejo, jo zavihti visoko, da na novo zagori in hiti z njo proti domu. Res drzno, drzno dejanje, kakršnega je bil zmožen izmed tisoč in tisoč ljudi tedanje dobe le eden. V votlini izgrebe mladenič jamo, dene vanjo še vedno tlečo vejo in naloži nanjo sehljadi. Kmalu vzplapola v podzemeljskem bivališču prijazen plamen. Tako so ljudje lovci ukrotili in udomačili “ognjenega zmaja.” Spoznali so v ognju svojega prijatelja, ki jih je pozimi prijetno ogreval in jim razsvetljeval stanovanje. Poleg tega so se priučili peči meso pa tudi rastlinske plodove. Ob dolgih zimskih večerih sedi vsa družina pri ognju in si pripoveduje razne junaške zgodbe iz svojega nemirnega lovskega življenja. III. Starec zaneti ogenj Nekega dne je ogenj v votlini ugasnil. Ženska, ki so ji poverili nalogo, da bo ostajala doma, pazila na ogenj, prinašala drv in jih nalagala na ognjišče, je zadremala. Medtem je bil tudi “ognjeni zmaj” zaspal. Ženska se je prestrašila. Pihala je na vso moč med ugaslo oglje, pa zaman. “Ognjeni zmaj” se ni več prebudil. Prebivalci votline so doživljali hude čase: nič več niso pekli mesa, ki so se mu bili privadili, in ob zimskih večerih sta zavladala v jami zopet tema in mraz. * Vsi moški prebivalci votline so odšli na lov, ženske in otroci pa so nabirali po gozdovih užitna zelišča, gobe in jagode. Le neki starec sedi pred votlino in izdeluje razno orodje in orožje. Danes hoče dovršiti žago, ki se muči z njo že nekaj dni. Po-dolgast, trd kamen obdeluje z drugim še tršim kamnom. Izklesati in obrusiti mora še dva zoba. Mož se trudi, da mu pot kaplja s čela. Zdaj pa zdaj se ukreše pod kamnom iskra in odleti v loku na tla. Končno sta napravljena še zadnja dva zoba in žaga je izgotovljena. Veselje žari starcu v očeh, pa ne toliko zaradi žage, kolikor zaradi poskusaj ki ga bo sedaj napravil. Že večkrat je žagal, zabijal ali pa vrtal les s kamenitim orodjem in vedno opazil, kako se je les segrel. Videl je celo, kako se je iz njega pokadilo. Danes je naredil večjo in močnejšo žago in si pripravil vejo, ki se je več mesecev sušila na soncu. Ali se mu morda le posreči izvabiti iz lesa “ognjenega zmaja?” S tihim upanjem se loti dela. Vzame novo žago in začne žagati suho deblo. Žaga in žaga. Vedno hitreje. Poskuša, ali se je les segrel. Vroč je, da bi se opekel. Še z večjo vnemo nadaljuje in končno opazi: tanek dim se vzdigne iz lesa. Iz polnih prsi začne pihati na tisto mesto. In glej: iz lesa se pokaže plamenček! Hitro pograbi pest pripravljenega suhega listja in ga vrže na plamen. Hej, kako to plapola in gori! Starčev obraz se raztegne v širok, zadovoljen nasmeh: “Priklical sem te, ‘ognjeni zmaj!’ In odslej te bom znal še večkrat obuditi iz sna, če mi zaspiš!” Ko so se vrnili ljudje zvečer iz gozdov, so se čudom čudili, da gori pred votlino ogenj. Poleg ognja je sedel starec in jim na dolgo in široko razlagal, kako je naredil ogenj. Odslej so starca spoštovali kot svojega največjega dobrotnika in mu pripisovali višjo čarovniško moč. In ko so prebivalci sosednih votlin slišali o njem, so ga prosili, obsipajoč ga s častjo in darovi, da je tudi njim s spretno roko naredil ogenj. IV. Poljedelci in živinorejci Minila so desetletja in stoletja. Ljudem lovcem so bila bivališča v podzemeljskim jamah in pod skalnatimi pomoli pretesna in prevlažna. Nekateri so se naučili graditi preproste koče iz protja in ilovice, ki so jih postavljali na strmih gričih. To so bili gradiščarji. Drugi so si napravili stanovanja na močvirjih in plitvih jezerih. Na dno jezera so zabili kole, položili nanje debla in si postavili na teh mostiščih svoje kolibe. Ti ljudje že niso bili več zgolj lovci divjih zveri, marveč so se priučili loviti tudi ribe. Posebno mostiščarjem so bile ribe glavna hrana. Ker so imeli sedaj bolj stalna bivališča, je v tistem oko-lišču kmalu primanjkovalo divjačine. Le prečesto so se vračali lovci brez plena. Zadovoljevati so se morali s hrano, ki so jo pripravljale ženske. Ženske so nabirale razne gozdne plodove, pa tudi vodni orešek. Vodni orešek so mlele v preprostih žrmljah v moko. Iz nje so pekle na razbeljenih kamenitih ploščah kruh. Spoznale in gojiti so začele tudi žito. Ko so pred svojimi kočami mlele zrnje divjega žita, nabranega po okolici, jim je izpod kamnov odletelo zrno na mehka tla. Na tem mestu je pozneje pognalo klasje. Oplele so ga in odstranile plevel ter tako nehote zrahljale zemljo. Videle so, da je žito sedaj lepše raslo in se zrnje bolj debelilo. Orodje za rahljanje so sčasoma izpopolnili, dokler niso končno izumili pluga. S plugom so obdelavali že večje zemeljske površine. To so bili prvi poljedelci. Izmed živali, ki so jih udomačili, je bil prvi pes. Najprej je pomagal lovcem slediti divjačino. S svojim ostrim vohom je često zavohal v skrivališču nevarno zver, ki je prežala na človeka, in tako rešil gospodarju življenje. Človek je vračal psu zvestobo za zvestobo. Dovolil mu je, da je spal v koči in mu privoščil ostanke svoje hrane. Sčasoma je človek ukrotil tudi konja, govedo, ovco in svinjo. Neprecenljive koristi je imel od teh živali. Preskrbovale so ga z živežem (mleko, sir, meso), obleko (koža, volna) in mu služile za vprežne in jezdne živali (govedo, konj). Tako je postal človek živinorejec. Odslej je imel od poljedelstva in živinoreje največ dobička in ni bil več odvisen le od lova. Zemlja, ki jo je obdelaval, ga je navezala nase, da se ni več nemirno selil iz kraja v kraj. Ustanovil si je stalen dom. V. Rdeči kamen Kamena doba, ko so ljudje rabili le orodje in orožje iz kamna (ali kosti), se je bližala koncu. Nekoč najde človek na pobočju gore, ki jo je razoral pomladanski plaz, zamolklordeč kamen. Bil je baker. Udari s svojim kamenitim batom po njem in glej čudo! Kamen se ne razbije. Še in še tolče po njem. Kamen se polagoma razširi in splošči. Mož vzame kamen domov. Znano mu je, da se reči v ognju spreminjajo, zato vrže “rdeči kamen” v ogenj. Čez čas vzame kamen s pomočjo dveh kamenitih nožev iz ognja in se uveri, da se je zelo zmehčal. Radovednost mu ne da miru. Z različnim orodjem obdeluje mehko gmoto. Slednjič napravil iz nje lepo, rumenkasto iglo. Še mu ostane precejšen kos bakra. Kot pravi pravcati kovač se loti posla in napravi iz bakra nož. Žal, da je ostal baker tudi še potem, ko se je ohladil, premehek. Noževa ostrina je kmalu otopela in se zvila. Mož pove svojim sovaščanom o najdbi. Gredo k najdišču in začno kopati. V globini nalete na velike sklade bakra in bakrene rude. Spravijo jo na dan in v vas. Mož, ki je prvi našel baker, ima sedaj čez glavo dela. Možje, še bolj pa žene iz vasi prihajajo k njemu, da bi jim napravil iz “rdečega kamna” to in ono. Ta želi iglo, da si bo šivala obleko, druga lasnico, da si bo spenjala lase, najmlajše prosijo, do bi jim napravil ovratne verižice, zapestnice, prstane ali uhane. Kovač se v zadregi praska za ušesom. Kako bi ustregel tolikim in takim željam! Kako bi naredil iz bakra uhane! Misli in se domisli. Lončarja poprosi, naj mu napravi glinast lonec z debelimi stenami. Nad vročim ognjem napolni lonec z bakrom, da se raztopi. Medtem si napravi kepo mehke ilovice, stisne vanjo lesen ali komenit uhan in podrži votel kalup nad ognjem, da se strdi. Nato vlije z žlico raztopljene bakrene kovine skozi malo luknjico v odtisnjeni prostor v kalupu. Ko se kovina shladi, razdere kalup. Uliti okrasek še nekoliko obrusi in zgladi, nato ga izroči ženski. Kovač je ulil še marsikateri predmet iz rdeče kovine, vendar so bili to večinoma okraski. Še mnogo časa je poteklo, preden so ljudje začeli uporabljati baker v koristnejše namene. VI. Trgovci so prišli Kakor izumrla je vas sredi močnih nasipov, ki jo branijo napadalcev. Skoro vsi prebivalci delajo na polju. Le stražnik stoji na najvišjem braniku in oprezuje po okolici. Zdajci se zgane, nastavi volovji rog na usta in trikrat zateglo zatrobi. Ta znak pomeni: Vsi v zbor sredi vasi! Vsak popusti delo in odhiti na zbirališče. Še niso vsi zbrani, že opazijo, da se bliža od zapadne strani nevelika skupina tujcev. Od nje se odtrga jezdec in skokoma pridirja do nasipa. Stopi s konja in se vljudno pokloni. Nato spregovori v domačem jeziku: “Pozdravljeni, kmetski možje! Ne bojte se! Pošteni trgovci smo, ki vam prinašamo soli, tkanin, raznega orožja, nakita in še drugih lepih reči v zameno za kožuhovino.” Toda vaški župan odgovori tujcu, naj se vrne k svojim ljudem in tam počaka, sam pa se posvetuje s sovaščani, kaj naj ukrenejo. “Že pred leti, kakor se spominjate, so prišli tuji ljudje k nam, si ogledali vas, nato pa izginili. Drugi dan pa so nas napadle oborožene čete, nam odgnale živino in nam hotele zažgati vas. Komaj smo se jih ubranili. Ne zaupajmo jim!” Pa se oglasi ugleden starešina: “Svetujem, da jih sprejmemo na travniku pod vasjo. Poprej pa naj odlože orožje. A bodimo oprezni, da nas ne ukanejo!” Starešinin predlog sprejmejo. Obveste prišlece, naj pridejo na določeno mesto, toda brez orožja. Res se zgodi tako. Poglavar trgovcev pozdravi vaškega župana in reče: “Prav je, da ste previdni. Marsikdo je zaradi prevelike zaupljivosti izgubil imetje in glavo. Tudi mi trgovci smo na svojem potovanju vedno v nevarnosti. Divje zveri preže na nas, pa teh se še ubranimo. Bolj se bojimo razbojnikov, ki se klatijo ob trgovskih stezah in iz zasede preže na trgovske tovornike. Zato moramo biti tudi mi oboroženi. Tudi blaga ne nosimo vsega s seboj, marveč ga hranimo na skritih krajih.” Še mnogo zanimivega pripoveduje tujec. Vaščani se polagoma prepričajo, da imajo opravka s poštenimi ljudmi. Medtem so trgovci razprtili svoje tovorne živali in razstavili blago po zeleni travi. Ej, ej, kaj vse vidijo tu zavzete oči: pisane tkanine, lepo obšite, živordeče plašče, ploščice in bisere iz jantarja, bleščeče ženske ogrlice in še drugo lepotičje. Moške pa najbolj privlači orožje in orodje: ostra bodala, sekire, zakrivljeni noži, lepo okrašeni meči. Vse je napravljeno iz neke rjave kovine, podobne “rdečemu kamnu”. Za te reči se najbolj zanima kovač. Od vseh strani ogleduje in otipava kovinske izdelke, preizkuša ostrino orožja. Neki tujec poprosi, naj mu prinesejo hleb, nato vzame nož in v hipu razreže kruh na tanke kose. Začudenim vaščanom razlože trgovci, da se ta kovina imenuje bron. Vaški kovač s tem odgovorom ni zadovoljen. Povabi enega izmed trgovcev v svojo kočo, mu ponudi tri lepe bobrove kože in ga poprosi, naj mu razodene, kje se ta kovina dobi. Trgovec mu odvrne: “Bron ne leži v zemlji kakor baker, bron narede ljudje.” Nato vzame iz svoje vreče kepo težke, belobleščeče kovine in nadaljuje: “Glej, to je treba primešati bakru, zato postane baker trši in se tudi lepše topi in obdeluje. Ta zmes se potem imenuje bron. Ker je trd, izdelujejo iz njega ostra rezila.” “A kako se imenuje belobleščeča kovina in odkod jo dobivate?” vpraša kovač. “Cin ali kositer ji pravimo,” odgovori trgovec. “Dobivamo jo od ljudi na Cinovih otokih (na Angleškem) in jo prodajamo livarjem, ki delajo bron.” Kovač prinese trgovcu še več bobrovih kož in ga prosi, naj mu da cinovo kepo. Tudi se zmenita, da bo trgovec v kratkem zopet prišel in mu prinesel še več cina. Kovač pa mu bo dal v zameno baker. Po odhodu trgovcev je kovač najsrečnejši človek v vasi. Ko se povrne njegova žena z različnimi lepimi rečmi, ki jih je dobila v zameno od trgovcev, pravi kovač: “Kaj boš s to šaro! Vse to je zanič! Le poglej, kaj sem jaz zamenjal!” In ji pokaže cinovo kepo. “In kaj si dal za ta bleščeči kamen?” vpraša žena. “Vse svoje bobrove kože/’ odvrne kovač. Žena ga začudeno gleda in ne razume njegovega početja. (Dalje na 12. strani) You and the Movies By Mary Jugg Did you ever stop to think why you go to a movie? Is it because you like to see action? Is it because you believe everything that the movie tells with its story? Is it because you believe that somewhere things happen like those the movie tells about but that they do not or will not happen where you live? Is it because you feel there isn’t enough excitement in your life, and that you must go to a movie to satisfy your desire for it? Is it because you want to learn new things? >!< Whatever your reason for going to movies may be, it is certain that you will not be looked upon as a “grownup” person until you learn to ask certain questions about the movies you are seeing. One of the first questions you will want to ask about any movie is: “Does this movie give a true picture of things as they are or as they happened in the past?” No wise pers_on likes to be fooled. And no wise moviegoer will be fooled if he learns to insist that the movie will present true facts. How will you find out if the facts are true? There are books that give answers to questions. If you don’t know which books to consult, ask your teacher or your parents, or experts who know about certain matters. Schooltime is with us once more. Why don’t you take your questions to your classroom. Ask your teacher to permit you to discuss certain movies in the class period so that you may learn about them. Set up a set of rules within your classroom for the pictures you are seeing. These may be in the form of questions. Consider the following as a possible list of questions: 1. Did we learn anything from the movie? 2. Did the movie have a good effect on our attitudes? 3. Did the movie help us to understand anything about our world? 4. Were the facts in the movie true? If not, how many of them were? Why were the untrue facts put into the movie? 5. Did the movie make us eager to learn more about any particular custom, our country, or ways of living? 6. Was the movie good for anything else besides supplying us with some action pictures for an hour or so? 7. If we were to see this movie again, could we learn something more from it? 8. If the movie was not of the kind that would teach us something but simply for the sake of giving us an hour or two of pleasure, was the humor wholesome, possible, and true-to-life? Or did it dig up every sort of out-of-the-way situations simply for the sake of producing a laugh? If we learn to set some standard for our movie-going in our own minds and judge the pictures we see according to these standards, then we may be classed as intelligent movie-goers. But if we do not learn to do this, there is danger that movies will become nothing but places to while away our time, and even give us many distorted ideas which will not be at all helpful in our understanding of the world. Find the Slovene Names This game of hunting for the Slovene names under what appear to be genuine American names is interesting, isn't it? Six Slovene names were hiding in the list of twelve in the September issue of the Mladinski List. Were your guesses correct? Compare them and see. Here they are: Stevenson—Štefančič English—Inglič Gorance—Gorenje Preottle—Prijatelj Streeter—Stritar Seneca—Senica Here is another set of twelve to play with and sweat a little under your cap. Six of these names originated from the good Slovene ones. Which are they? Moore, Clair, McClautz, Thomas, Savage, Swan, Russell, Small, McMillan, Clifton, Busyjack, Kelly. HALLOWEEN Everything is black and gold, Black and gold tonight; Yellow pumpkins, yellow moon, Yellow candlelight. Black and gold, black and gold, Nothing in between — When the world turns black and gold, Then it’s Halloween! Teacher—Your story is excellent, Johnny, but it is exactly the same as Philip’s. What shall I conclude from that? Johnny—That his is excellent, too, teacher. 10 MLADINSKI LIST SNEŽNJAK in vrabec Nekoč je živel vrabec, ki je od jutra do večera gostolel v vrtu neke hiše in bil srečen. Brezskrbno je skakal z veje na vejo po velikem starem drevju, si prepeval vesele pesmi, ko pa je postal lačen, se je spustil na zemljo in skok-podskok, skok-podskok šel h kurniku, kjer ga je zmerom čakalo nekaj ječmenovih zrnc. V kurniku pa so živele štiri kokoši in petelin. Ena kokoš je bila bela, druga rumena, tretja siva, četrta pa črna. Petelin je bil pisan in je imel velik rdeč greben in oster kljun, katerega so se bali vsi sosedni petelini. Zjutraj, ko so domačini še spali, je petelin že skočil na plot, zamahal s krili in zapel: Ki-ki-ri-ki-i-i-! Tedaj so zaspanci odpirali oči, vstajali s postelj in šli na delo. Kakor vidite, bi lahko tega petelina s polno pravico imenovali budilnik, čeprav ni imel ne kazalcev ne zvončka in ga niso kupili pri urarju; nego se je izlegel iz navadnega kokošjega jajca. Ko je rumena kokoš ugledala vrabca, kako se vrti okoli kurnika in išče hrane, se je od jeze vsa nasršila in rekla ostalim kokošim: “Ne morem več trpeti tega lahkoživca! Le poglejte ga: ničesar ne dela, samo je!” “Toda —” je odgovarjala bela kokoš, “kar je še huje—rišejo ga v šolske začetnice, kakor da je bogve kaj napravil!” “Ne, če se bo tako nadaljevalo, bom prenehala nesti jajca,” se je zaklinjala siva kokoš. “Tudi jaz!”—je dodala črna. “Dovolj že!”—se je presedel petelin.—“Zvijte si vaše repe, ker vam bo drugače huda pela! Da morda ne mislite, da se je naš vrabček rodil samo zato, da bi jedel? Če ne bi bilo njega, kdo bi potlej čistil drevje od gosenic, a?” “O, kakšna važna zadeva!”—so soglasno zavpile kokoši in se razkokodakale, da je petelin izgubil potrpežljivost in se vrgel nanje in jim začel puliti perje. Toda mali vrabček ni razumel kokošjega jezika, zato je mirno hodil okoli kurnika in kljuval ječmenova zrna, raztresena po tleh. Neke noči je zapadel sneg in vsa zemlja se je pokrila z debelo sneženo odejo. Drevje je postalo belo kakor veliki kosi sladkorja, majhne hišice so se še bolj stisnile in po šipah na oknih se je zasvetil srež. Zjutraj je vrabček skočil iz svojega skrivališča pod streho hiše in zletel na plot. “U-u-u, kakšen mraz,” je dejal in ves vztrepetal. Bela kokoš pa, ki je prav takrat vstala in za trenutek pogledala skozi vratca kurnika, kakšno je vreme, je veselo zakokodakala, potem pa spet legla v slamo in znesla jajce. Pomislila je, da je zemlja postala bela od perja in ta misel jo je napihnila kakor meh. “Bežite! Ne dotikajte se me!” je govorila svo- jim prijateljicam in te so se tiho nasmehnile, ne da bi kaj rekle. Samo črna kokoš je globoko vzdihnila in iz oči so ji pritekle solze. Težko ji je bilo, zakaj ni zemlja pokrita z njenim perjem. Kmalu nato je prišla v vrt lepa deklica črnih oči in rdečih lic. “Bratec, napravi mi sneženega moža!” je veselo zaklicala in veselo zaploskala z rokami! In res je njen brat zvaljal po zemlji snežno kroglo, ki je postajala vse večja in večja, dokler se nazadnje ni izpremenila v čudnega sneženega moža z dolgo metlo v roki, z rdečim nosom od mrkve in z dvema črnima ogljema mesto oči. Deklica je ves dan radostna skakala okoli sneženega moža. Pa že se je zvečerilo in vsa hiša se je pogreznila v sen. Tudi kokoši v kurniku so zaspale. Le majhen, beden vrabček je še bedel, kajti od jutra ni še ničesar jedel. Ječmenčkova zrnca je pokril sneg, drugje pa ni bilo nobene hrane. Ko je vzšel svetel mesec, se je prikazal vrabček izpod strehe in poletel na rame sneženega moža. “Ej, prijatelj, le brž odtod, če dvignem metlo,” —je zavpil sneženi mož in črna oglja sta se mu zasvetila prav tako kakor človeške oči. “Saj ne moreš dvigniti metle, ker nisi resničen človek”—je začebljala lačna ptička. “Kaj, da nisem pravi človek? Kdo ti je to natvezel?” “Videl sem, ko so te napravili iz snega”—je odvrnil vrabček. “Nikar se ne jezi, prosim te! Ničesar hudega ti ne bom napravil. Postal bom malce na tvojem ramenu in spet odletel. Rad bi ti potožil, da nihče ne skrbi zame. Glej, danes nisem še pozobal niti drobtinice, kokoškam pa so dali celo košarico koruzne kaše.” Srce sneženega moža se je stisnilo od bolečine. Bil je mnogo boljši od pravih ljudi in smilila se mu je uboga ptička, ki je trepetala od mrazu na njegovem ramenu. Tiho je zakašljal in dejal: “Ali si zelo lačen?” “Oh”—je vzkliknil vrabček, “umiram od gladu!” “Veš kaj?” je dejal sneženi mož.—“Pa daj, kljuni malce do mojega nosu, ki je iz mrkve. Malo se boš le najedel. Pazi le, da mi ne poješ celega nosu!” “Kako si dober!” je zagostolel gladen vrabec in skočil na metlo. Iztegnil je droben vrat in lakomno zakljuval v okusno mrkvo. “Ej, ko bi vedel, kako lepo je na nebu!”—je zamišljeno dejal sneženi mož. “Vse te snežinke, od katerih sem napravljen, so bile nekoč majhne, demantne kapljice. Lesketale so se na listju rajskega vrta, kjer živijo prekrasne ptičke z zlatim perjem. Tam ni gladu, ne zime, tam je večna pomlad in majhni vrabci, kakor si ti, se hranijo samo z grozdjem.” “Kako je dobra mrkva!” si je mislil vrabec, ne (Dalje na 12. strani) JUST FOR FUN ANIMAL RIDDLES In each poem is a description of an animal, and two of the animals are household pets. Can you guess which animal is described in each poem? To help you, the name of the animal rhymes with the last word in the second line. I have four paws and a furry coat And cacth the mice or perhaps a rat; When you rub me I will purr For I am called a --------. My bark is fiercer than my bite For I drink my milk out of a cup; When I grow up, I’ll watch the house But right now, I’m just a-------. I cannot speak so I just grunt The whole day long I dig; My skin is pink, my tail is curled And I’m rightly called a -------. * ADD LETTERS If you add a letter to a word, you’ll get an entirely different word; for instance, if you add M to a drink (ale), you’ll get the word male. See what you can do with the following: 1. Add d to the past tense of eat, and you’ll get a fruit that’s good to eat. 2. If you add s to a writing fluid that you put in your fountain pen, you’ll get something you wash dishes in the kitchen. 3. If you add r to what happens to water at a low temperature you will get a word that is the favorite Chinese food. 4. If you add c to what you do to your door each night, you’ll get something that wakes you in the morning. 5. Add p to the past tense of lie, and you’ll get a word meaning the opposite of work. * DID YOU KNOW? There is,nothing to take the place of a smile? It creates happiness and good will, and it can be done in a flash. When you frown 65 muscles of your face have to work, but only 13 for a smile. How about a smile? Even though it’s hard to believe, perhaps, but there is such a flower as a black rose. * VEGTERIA One day as Farmer Plow went to the market, he forgot his glasses, and this is the way he thought he saw his vegetables spelled: 1. bage-bacs. 2. atoestom. 3. ocrn. 4. umcucerbs. 5. eansb. Can you help him name his vegetables properly? By Ernestine Jugg BRAIN TEASERS 1. Bobby Lee’s father gave him a dollar to spend for candy. He went promptly to a candy store and bought candy bars at 10c each, peppermint sticks at 3c each and bubble gum at 2 for a penny. He bought 100 pieces, so how many of each did he buy? 2. Which of the following is called a prime number? a. 28, b. 47, c. 66, d. 80. 3. If someone said to you that he lived on Sunset Boulevard, you would know that he’s talking about the city 1. Chicago, 2. New York, 3. Los Angeles, 4. Philadelphia. 4. If someone asked you where the famous Big Ben clock is located, you would answer: 1. San Francisco, 2. Hongkong, 3. Cleveland, 4. London. * DOWN SOUTH AMERICAN V/AY Here are three South American cities, and they all happen to be capitals of some South American State. Can you match the right capital with the right state? 1. Rio de Janeiro—Argentina 2. Montevideo—Brazil 3. Buenos Aires—Uruguay Some interesting facts about them—Rio de Janeiro is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and has summer the year round. Montevideo is known as the City of Roses. Buenos Aires is the great city of South America and one of the most modern. Portuguese is spoken in Rio, while Spanish is the language in the other two cities. FALL When summer goes The flowers fall; Their empty stems Fringe round the wall. The birds that sing All fly away; Their songs are gone Till another day. Now it’s so quiet And lonely too; Without my friends I feel so blue. (Answers on back inside cover page) Tinčkovo voščilo teti za god Zgodaj zjutraj — že ob sedmih mama Tinčka je zbudila, šopek rož mu v roke dala, potlej pa mu je dejala: “Tinček, teti pojdeš voščit, ki god danes svoj praznuje . . . Vzemi dežnik, ker dežuje . . . In med potjo nase pazi, nič po blatu mi ne gazi! Teti pa takole reci: “Živi, živi, ljuba teta, še na mnoga, mnoga leta!” Potlej ji podaj cvetice in poljubi jo na lice!” “Bom, bom,” Tinček mami reče in na hišni prag brž steče; tukaj dežnik svoj razgrne, mamo svojo še pozdravi — in po cesti se odpravi. Glejte Tinčka, kako modro pod dežnikom v dežju hodi! Nekaj mu po glavi blodi . . . Sam pri sebi premišljuje, čelo guba in modruje: “Bogve, koliko bonbončkov letos mi bo teta dala . . . Morda mi bo darovala polno pest jih ... in rožičev, čokolade, fig, rogljičev . . Tako Tinček sam pri sebi o dobrotah premišljuje in naklepe divne kuje . . . A nesreča ne počiva: kjer ne misliš, tam se skriva!” Sredi ceste se spotakne Tinček naš in v blatu lice si omoči in cvetice . . . — Šle so fige zdaj, rožiči, čokolada in rogljiči! France Primc. IZ SIVE DAVNINE (Nadaljevanje z 8. strani) VII. Bron in železo Kmalu je zaslovel vaški kovač po vsej okolici. Znal je izdelovati lepo bronasto orožje, kakor meče, sulice, loke, pa tudi kmetsko orodje. Ostrina na rezilih pa je bila v primeri s kamenim orožjem kakor dan in noč. Še bolj se je izpopolnil v tem rokodelstvu njegov sin. Ta je izdeloval že umetno okrašene čeia-de in ščite. Vedoželjnost ga je gnala, da je potoval v obmorsko mesto, kjer si je pridobil od ta-mošnjih rokodelcev še več spretnosti in se dodobra izpopolnil. In zgodilo se je, da je bron docela izpodrinil kamen. Vsak, kdor je hotel kaj veljati, je uporabljal pri svojem delu le bronasto orodje. Vojaki so se odslej ponašali z bronastim orožjem in nosili bronaste čelade. Tudi posoda imenitnejših družin in nakit—vse je bilo iz brona. * Minilo je še nekaj stoletij. Življenje je šlo svojo pot. Človeška iznajdljivost ni mirovala. Kakor so ljudje znali izpopolniti in izboljšati svoja stanovanja, obleko, se priučili razumnejšega poljedelstva in živinoreje, tako se tudi niso zadovoljevali z bronom. Gotovo jim je tudi sedaj pomoglo le naključje, da so našli železo. Spoznali so, da je v zemlji železa mnogo več kakor katere koli kovine, spoznali so tudi njene lastnosti. Napočila je železna doba. Tu in tam so nastali železni rudniki, kjer so pridobivali železno rudo v veliki množini. Začeli so graditi velike peči— plavže, kjer so rudo topili. In odslej so izdelovali iz železa ne le reči, ki so bile poprej iz brona, ampak še mnogo drugih potrebnih predmetov. Tako jim je obilica železa vdihnila iznajdbo Škarij, klešč, dleta, ključavnice in še mnogo drugega. Bron so uporabljali le še za razno okrasje. SNEŽNJAK IN VRABEC (Nadaljevanje z 10. strani) da bi poslušal pripovedovanje sneženega moža. ko nenadoma zasliši tenki glasič: “Ej-ej, kaj delaš? Dovolj ti je že! Ves nos mi boš snedel!” In majhen vrabček je prenehal jesti, poljubil je snežka na čelo in spet skočil na metlo. “Lepa ti hvala!”—je dejal. “Umrl bi od gladu, da ni bilo tebe.” “Lahko noč!” je zaklical vrabec in poletel pod streho. Tako sta postala majhna siva ptička in snežko prijatelja. Vsak večer je sedel vrabec na metlo. Sneženi prijatelj pa mu je pripovedoval o čudnem življenju ptičk v rajskem vrtu, on pa je kljuval mrkvo in si mislil, da tudi življenje na zemlji ne bi bilo prehudo, če ne bi bila tako ostra zima. Vsega je kajpada enkrat konec. Tudi mrkve je nazadnje zmanjkalo in snežko je ostal brez nosu. Toda brat majhne deklice mu je zasadil v lice novo mrkvo, še večjo in še slajšo od prve. Nato tretjo, četrto, peto in šesto. Vrabček pa je jedel in se ni šalil. Preteklo je veliko dni. Nekega jutra je zasvetilo na nebu sonce in pod njegovimi toplimi žarki se je sneg pričel naglo topiti. Sneženi mož je izpustil metlo, kmalu so mu odpadle tudi roke, glava se mu je zavalila po tleh, z ogljenimi očmi in mrkvo, ki je bila njegov poslednji, deseti nos. Zemlja je vpila raztopljeni sneg in od snežka ni ostalo ničesar. Samo tam, kjer se je raztopilo njegovo usmiljeno srce, so vznikli trije čudežni majhni zvončki. SVETOSLAV MINKO,—K. ŠPUR. WHEN WE PLAY Compiled by Ann K. Medvešek The month of October was the eighth month to the ancient peoples, hence the name. The Saxons called it Winmonat, meaning wine month. H< * BOOKMARKS Now that school is well on its way, and you/ have all your text books, it would be a wise thing to make bookmarks, so that you will not have to “dog-ear” your books by turning down the page corners. MATERIALS Grosgrain ribbon about twelve inches long, and about three fourths inch to one and one-half inches wide. Small pieces of balsa wood such as is used for moder airplanes. Razor blade of a very sharp knife. Glue and tweezers. PROCEDURE The little designs must be simple because they are cut in separate pieces. Houses, toys, and flowers make attractive designs. 1. Draw or trace separate parts of designs on balsa wood. 2. Cut out the parts with a razor blade. If you place the balsa wood on a glass to cut it, your edges will be more clean cut. 3. Paint the pieces with bright colors; let dry. 4. Paint the backs of the pieces with glue and place on the ribbon. Tweezers are necessary for picking up and placing the small pieces. 5. Press under a weight until dry. Note: Trace the designs on wood so that most of the cuts are either with the grain or at right angles to it. The month of October also brings us Halloween. Here are a few games which may be added to some of the well known old favorities. ARTISTS' CONTEST As the lights are put out, each guest is given a pencil and paper and told to draw something suitable to the occasion—a witch on a stick, a cat on a fence, a ghost, a scarecrow or an owl on a tree limb. The artist who finishes the best sketch in three minutes wins a box of crayons. EAT FOR YOUR FORTUNE Fortunes are either written or typed on small pieces of paper. These pieces of paper are folded and put into the hole of cored apples. Each guest then selects an apple and eats it. When he comes to the paper with the fortune on it, he reads it to the rest of the guests. The fortune receiving the most applause receives a quart of cider. DOUGHNUT RACE The guests are lined up at a starting line. Each one is given a doughnut and a witches’ wand (a strong, straight stick). At a given signal the players must start to roll their doughnuts to the finish line, touching them only with their wands. If a doughnut falls on its side on the floor, it must be retrieved with the end of the wand. The winner receives a bag of doughnuts. PUMPKIN TOSS A hollowed out pumpkin is placed on the floor in the center of the room. The guests stand in a circle about six feet from the pumpkin. Each guest is given 10 cranberries and in turn tries to toss them into the pumpkin. The one with the highest score wins. In case of ties, have those players toss over again, this time using 20 cranberries. OUR FRONTISPIECE The front cover illustration of this issue has been drawn by Benjamin Volk, age 16. 17 Second Avenue, North Tonawanda, N. Y., a member of the Lodge 405. STAMP COLLECTING Jugoslav Provisionals Have any of the ML readers come across the latest pieces of mail from the old country? Have they seen the known stamps of the King Peter II issue overprinted in Italian? We have seen a few covers with these stamps, and they mark the latest stamp “casualty” of the Hitler wars in Europe. An unknown quantity of the regular Jugoslav stamps at the Ljubljana post office has been seized by the Italian military authorities and some of these values were overprinted “Co. Ci.” meaning Comissariato Civile while others bear overprint in full—“R. Comissariato Civile Territori Sloveni Occupati—Lubiana,” which means “The royal civil comissariat for occupied Slovene territory—Ljubljana.” In Croatia the same values have been overprinted in heavy black type with a checker-board shield to cover the king’s portrait. Above the shield are the words NEZAVISNA DRŽAVA and below HRVATSKA. Serbia, another part of former Jugoslavia which fell under German rule, received the third set of provisional stamps, namely a series of fourteen values King Peter II portrait overprinted diagonally “Serbien.” These provisionals will probably be scarce as the supply of regular German and Italian stamps were rushed to Jugoslavia soon after its occupation. Do You Collect Postmarks? Recently a friendly argument concerning the merits of plain stamp collecting versus postal markings collecting brought it forcibly to the attention of all those present that the majority of our so-called postal markings collectors are actually stamp collectors at heart who want the clear markings as an added item of interest. It is apparent that the ideal cover to show postal markings should be the prestamp cover of early days for there is no stamp to obscure the design or lettering. But these are not collected by the general run of postal markings enthusiasts except perhaps to clarify a marking which they have found on a stamped cover. Neither do these same collectors favor the embossed envelopes put out by the postoffice department altho it is a well known fact that many of the most interesting markings are found only on this type of cover. Since the postal marking group neglect stamp-less covers, and practically abhor embossed envelopes, it is almost self-evident that the adhesive stamp is the “sine qua non” of their hobby, but without the postal marking, the stamp itself would be without interest. As an added aggravation more often than not the postal markings collector insists that the stamps be perfectly centered. * * « The subject of postal markings covers a wide field and includes everything which may be hand-stamped or written or otherwise marked on a cover by a postal employe during the period of transmission thru the post. As all of these markings and inscriptions change thru the years a comprehensive collection covering the period of 150 years just passed would require a small public library to house it. For example the early pieces of first class mail matter could hardly pass by post without two marks. Most important was the town mark, which gave the town and state names as well as the month and day. This was usually in a circular form and rarely indicated the year. The second mark was the rate for the letter and this was handstamped at the larger offices and written in at the smaller offices. Since it was customary to send letters “collect,” the dispatching postmaster was required to stamp or write the word “paid” on a letter if such was the case. When postage stamps were introduced the town mark was retained but rate marks were discontinued for letters bearing stamps. New marks were sometimes provided for use in cancelling the stamps but in many cases the rate mark or other handy stamp was used for this purpose, thus giving the collector such items as 3 cent stamps with the unnecessary announcement “paid 3,” or with the untrue legend “free.” All of the various office stamps saw duty at one time or another as “killers” in cancelling stamps. Many offices used the town mark to cancel and such covers are especially desired as the stamps are almost always tied to cover. * * » This was before the days of rubber stamps and the town marks stamps were of boxwood or metal and saw many years of service. The killers most often bought by postmasters were the target of concentric circles and the grid of parallel lines in a circular frame. All handstamps were at the private expense of the postmaster and it is no wonder that small offices penmarked the stamps or even resorted to thumb prints when the pen was in use. Many postmasters cut a design in the cork of the office ink bottle and used this until worn out and then fashioned another with no attempt to make it similar to the first. A few postmasters appear to have enjoyed making novel killers and none outranked the postmaster of Waterbury, Conn., who with his clerks carried on almost daily variations for many years. Eventually it became a hardship to use two hand stamps on a letter and the duplex stamp came into use. This stamp mounted both the town mark and the killer and is essentially the same stamp as is used today by small offices and by the largest offices for the letters too bulky to pass thru an automatic cancelling machine. As the quantity of mail increased the larger postoffices required very large staffs engaged in cancelling stamps, and finally on March 9, 1876, a machine was placed in use in Boston which postmarked the envelopes as they were fed into (Continued on page 22) OUR SCHOOL AWARDS FOR THE BEST CONTRIBUTIONS A sum of not more than $200 is available for the SNPJ juvenile members who will in ihe last half of 1941 contribute to the Our School section of the Mladinski List: 1) The best letters, according to quality as judged by the Editor, on the subjects as suggested from time to time in this column; 2) The best original drawings in India ink on any subject deemed acceptable by the Editor, such as cartoons, games, cross-word puzzles, etc. The publication of such letters or drawings on these pages is not indication that they all will be awarded; contributions published elsewhere in the Mladinski List although intended for Our School will be awarded under the same rules if qualifying. The number and size of awards for this six-month period will depend on the number of qualified letters and drawings contributed. The next distribution of awards will be made in December, 1941, and the winners will be announced in January, 1942. RULES: 1) Every contributor must be a member of the SNPJ Juvenile Department. 2) State your age and number of the SNPJ lodge to which you belong. 3) Every contribution must be signed also by either parent. 4) Every contribution must be in the hands of the Editor by the first of the month if intended for the issue of the Mladinski List of the following month. ♦ PICNICKING IN THE WOODS Every Sunday during the summer vacation, if the weather is favorable, our family and some friends go to the woods. The woods is very large, and a real old-fashioned one, full of trees, grass covered hills and valleys. We picnic in a small level spot, under tall trees. At a nearby farmhourse we keep the things we need: tables, benches, a small ice-box, camp beds, a wagon and some camping clothes. Drawn by Ann Hotko, age 15, Oglesby, 111. Lodge 95. BUSY ANIMAL Drawn by Dan Gostovich, age 10, Raton, N. M. Lodge 297. The best part of all is the food. We sometimes roast chicken, loin of pork, a leg of lamb or some other meat. The ladies prepare the other foods: salads, coffee, vegetables. We make “mickies” (potatoes baked in red coals). We cut a slim tree and use it as a spit, and roast the meat over an open fire. The roasting meat must be turned continually on forked prongs. The turning of the spit is usually the work of the younger folks. After dinner we have the afternoon to ourselves. A snooze in the grass or a cooling walk in the woods, is what we usually do to pass away the hot afternoon. We also play ball and pitch horseshoes. Time for supper! We usually have cold leftover meat from the afternoon. We have “mickies” again and one or two hot green vegetables. We then sing old Slovene songs and new American ones, until dark and sometimes later than that. Thus ends a perfect day! When the men have their vacation or we have a warm, clear week-end we camp there overnight or sometimes for a whole week. Then we put up a large tent (15’ by 20’) and sleep on camp beds. We enjoy these visits both for health and enjoyment. We hope to enjoy many more years of the woods before it is replaced with houses. MILDRED PADAR, 11, lodge 589 222 Wyckoff Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. • TREE GUESSING GAME The answer to each question is the name of a tree suggested by the question. 1. What tree is dear to Irish hearts? 2. What tree keeps all dressed up? 3. What tree grows near the seashore? 4. What tree is feared by unruly boys? HERO OF THE SEASON Drawn by Benjamin Volk, age 16, N. Tonawanda, N. Y. Lodge 405. 5. What tree wears a warm garment?? 6. What tree is the father of others? 7. What tree offers shelter in time of rain? 8. What tree scorns death? 9. What tree would be most likely to bark? 10. What tree is the most tearful tree? Answers: 1. Evergreen. 2. Spruce tree. 3. Beech. 4. Hickory. 5. Fir. 6. Papaya. 7. Umbrella. 8. Live oak. 9. Dogwood. 10. Weeping willow. VIOLET MACHEK, 14, lodge 231 R. D. 4, McDonald, Pa. * OUR VIOLIN MAKER It is certain that southeastern Kansas has a good violin maker. Although our vicinity is small we are proud of its people. Only a few doors north of our home are three families of the same name; they are father, son, and grandson. Mr. John Bowin, the son, is handicapped by being totally blind. Although he is totally blind he carved a violin with a pocket-knife from a pine plank. He then used a piece of ordinary broken window glass to thin the violin pieces down. Then he glued it together and sandpapered it to make a smooth surface. A few years ago, Mr. Bowin made a bridge and tail-piece for his violin from an ordinary cow’s horn. In doing this he put the horn in warm water to soften it so he could carve and shape the pieces. He used these pieces on his violin and strung it. He has yet to varnish it. The violin sounds just as a high-priced violin. By using only a pocket-knife, plank, glass, sand-paper and glue, I should say it is a great thing for one who has such a handicap. Mr. Bowin is making his violin for his son. We should be proud to say we have such a talented person in our vicinity. I sincerely hope this letter is published in honor of Mr. Bowin. MARIE KUNSTEL, 14, lodge 206 Arcadia, Kansas. * RATIONS FOR THE ARMY (I obtained this information from discussions at school, a science magazine, and newspapers.) Feeding an army is a complicated job. But quantity is by no means the chief problem. It is the duty of the quartermaster corps to provide for the army’s needs of foods, shelter, and clothing. At Chicago is the Quartermaster’s Subsistence Laboratory, containing all the chemical and culinary equipment for preparing and testing foods. The laboratory has worked out the menus for scientific feeding of the U. S. Army. There are four standard rations labeled A B C D, each providing a meal that is related to the particular situation in which the soldier will find himself. Ration A offers the best possible feeding in the field. It is complete with fresh vegetables and meat and butter. The other foods, chiefly the breads and cereals, are bulky but nourishing. They give plenty of calories for husky bodies. Ration B is provided while the army is on march with only necessary equipment. The chief difference from A is that most of the foods are canned, jelly instead of butter and hard bread. Ration C is devised by the Quartermaster’s Laboratory to be used as an emergency handout. It is a two can meal; one can is a previously cooked mixture of meat and vegetables; the other contains crackers, sugar and coffee extract, which can be dissolved even in the cold water that the soldier carries in his canteen. Ration D is the “last ditch” food for the soldier, which he is not allowed to open unless he is lost from his company, wounded, or surrounded. It is full of calories, made mostly of chocolate, vanilla, sugar, milk, and oat flour. It tastes all right, but it is no substitute for a good hot meal. Ration D is to be carried in the pockets of soldiers sent out into trenches or “over the top.” It has three-wrapper—aluminum foil, white vegetable parchment that is waterproof, and a tough green wrapper. By thorough tests it has been made to keep out water, dust, and poisonous gases. That gives us an idea of how the soldiers of the U. S. Army will be fed. VIOLET MACHEK, 14, lodge 231 R. D. 4, McDonald, Pa. * THE CYCLE OF DEPENDENCE We are all dependent upon other people. No one is absolutely independent. To a greater or smaller degree, each one of us depends for certain things on other persons. For instance, I am dependent upon my mother and she is dependent upon my daddy who works in the mines. Then there is a janitor who takes care of a school. He is dependent upon the pay he gets from the city which employs him. The school children are dependent upon him to keep the school in good condition. Then we are dependent upon a nurse to take care of us and treat us when we are ill. On the other hand, she is dependent upon the patient, because she has to treat him in order to get her pay. She is also dependent upon the instruments and medicine which she has to use for the patient. We are also dependent upon repairmen, because if they wouldn’t repair things we would more likely have to buy new things. In that way repairmen are helpful. We are dependent upon the teacher to teach us something. We are dependent upon the cow to give us milk for cream in order to have butter and cheese, and, of course, milk. We are dependent upon the mailman, and he is dependent upon the people who write letters and cards, in order that he may make his living. We depend upon the coal to give us heat so that we may be warm in the cold winter. We depend upon the trees to give us shade; from them we make lumber to make houses and other things; and trees depend upon the water and sun. We depend upon the bus drivers to take us to and from school. The dependence of people upon people is just a cycle which is never ended. ANNIE ČRETNIK, 14, lodge 24 R. 2, Box 425, Ft. Smith, Ark. * A FEW JOKES Sailor—Did your watch stop when you dropped it on the deck? Captain—Certainly. Did you expect it to go through? Mary—How did you break your arm? Harry—Do you see those steps there? Mary—Yes. Harry—Well, I didn’t. Teacher—Does anyone know what causes petrified trees? A SKETCH Drawn by Bill Baltazar, age 16, Butte, Mont. Lodge 207. Bright student—The wind makes them rock! Mrs. Mop-—Did you sweep behind the door, Hilda? Hilda—Yes, I swept everything behind it. HELEN BOZANIC, 15, lodge 393 R. D. 3, Worcester, N. Y. * AN ORIGINAL "DAY" STORY Have you ever met Mr. and Mrs. Day? A more useful family you will never meet from one year’s end to the other. They are in fact, the best servants of the human race, and do as much work in their time as anything or anybody on the face of the earth. I must make their acquaintance. The seven-roomed house in which they live is called “The Week” and it stands in “North Street,” which is one of the twelve roads running through “Year Town” in the wonderful country of “Time.” If you enter this house you will first find Mr. Day, Mrs. Day in another room, and their five sons each have a room. They are only separated by “Sleep,” and they talk to each other through the telephone of “Dreams.” The first room is occupied by Mr. Day, who is very idle. He holds conferences and provides socials. “Hello, Mr. Sun Day! How are you? Glad to see you. There is no member of your family quite as popular as you are. Come, I hope you are glad to see me. I’ve brought some M. L. friends with me who want to know how you received your name. Do you feel like talking?” “How I got my name? Well, that’s an old story. Far back in the history people could see nothing as wonderful as the sun, so they worshiped it. As the world grew wiser they called this day “rest day.” Then they ceased to worship the sun and called it Sun Day.” Let us now visit Mrs. Mon Day. “I haven’t much time to gossip, for I am always busy. I follow Sunday. I am really Moon Day, the day that was originally sacred to the sun. In ancient times I was called “Diana, with the Silver Chariot.” Children loved my mercy. And now, Goodby, my friends!” Our next visit is to Mr. Tues Day. “Young friends of the M. L., I was named Tyre, the god of war. After a long time I became known as Tuesday. Mr. Wednes Day was named after Wodin. The name gradually changed into Wednesday. Mr. Thurs Day, who is very strong, was named after Thor, the Thunderer. Mr. Fri Day was named after Freya, Wodin’s wife. It was named after her so she might not tkB Drawn by Dolores Udovic, age 12, La Salle, 111. Lodge 573. be jealous of her husband’s memoriam, which is Wednesday. Mr. Satur Day was named after Saturn, in whose honor the Romans used to feast. ZITA BOZANIC, 14, lodge 393 R. D. No. 3, Worcester, N. Y. * HALLOWEEN There are many wonderful things On Halloween to do. Pumpkin faces and games so merry And Halloween parties too. The witches and goblins prowl about And bats fly around our head. Even though they’re “make-believe” We are scared to go to bed. And when we find our windows soaped, Cleaning them day after day, We know that those people haven’t learned That kindness is the best thing to play. ZITA BOZANIC, 14, lodge 393 R. D. 3, Worcester, N. Y. * SIS SIGHTS STARS The other night my sister and I Were looking at the twinkling stars As we both were gazing at the sky; All at once she said, “Oh! I see Mars!” At first when we quietly lie down The sky was clear and drak blue And we looked all up and around, But we didn’t see any stars, it’s true. After we were there about an hour or so The sky was filled with twinkling stars, And at places the stars were in a row But I’m sure sister didn’t see Mars. ANNIE ČRETNIK, 14, lodge 24 R. 2, Box 425, Ft. Smith, Ark. * PAN AMERICAN HIGHWAY From Fairbanks, Alaska, to Buenos Aires, Argentina—an automobile ride of 14,100 miles. There’s really a nice “spin” for you! But you can’t take it yet. About one-third of the distance has no roads, or very poor ones that can be used only in dry weather. The whole highway project from Alaska to Argentina, is known as the Pan American Highway. The 1,000-mile link between Hazelton, Canada, and Fairbanks, Alaska, hasn’t been started. Until it is, we call the Pan American Highway the part that starts at Laredo, Texas, and runs through Mexico City. From anywhere in the United States you can drive to Mexico City without getting your wheels muddy. You cross the Rio Grande at Laredo and you are on the '772-mile asphalt highway that goes through desert and over mountains to the Mexican capital. Mexico is mighty proud of her National Highway No. 1, as Mexicans call their section of the international highway. People are also calling the highway the “Road for Democracy,” because it helps to cement the friendship among all the American nations. Mexico opened her National Highway No. 1 in 1936, after eleven years of work on it. Most of the work was done by hand, though some road-building machinery was used. Last year, 59,678 automobiles from the U. S. traveled over the Pan American Highway in Mexico. You do not need a passport to cross from the U. S. into Mexico. All you need is a tourist card. However, since the proclamation of national emergency, stricter rules are in effect. After reaching Mexico City, the road is good for about 70 more miles, 25 of which are paved. Then it narrows down into an ox-cart road, and for stretches it is no more than an Indian trail. From San Cristobal, in southern Mexico, through the Central American nations to the Canal Zone is a distance of 1,350 miles. Only 650 miles are passable by automobile, and some of this distance can be traveled only in dry weather. Only 200 miles of this road are paved. A few miles south of the Canal Zone, the highway ends and the jungle begins. Through the narrow Isthmus of Panama and into Colombia there is a stretch of 225 miles through which only one white man has ever traveled. The idea for the Pan American Highway was made known in 1923 at the fifth Pan American Congress held at Santiago, Chile. Representatives of the American nations at the conference said that such a highway would do three things: (1) help the American nations carry on more trade with one another; (2) encourage people to visit one another’s countries; (3) this would help them to understand one another better, and build a stronger friendship among all the Americas. Today the American nations have still another reason for completing the Pan American Highway. This reason is the defense of the Western Hemisphere. The completed Pan American Highway would make it possible to go from any American country to any other one. Mechanized army divisions and supplies could be moved speedily wherever needed to protect the Americas against attack from abroad. JOSEPHINE VIDMAR, 12, lodge 747 2546 N. 37th St., Milwaukee, Wis. * ALL PEOPLE DEPEND UPON OTHERS All people, society, common, rich or very poor, must depend upon onthers. No one can live alone without other people working for or with him. Now, for instance, a doctor. When a person is ill or wounded, he depends on a doctor to cure him. But a doctor, too, must depend on someone else. He must depend on, if necessary in a serious condition, a nurse or another doctor to help. But further still, the doctor and nurse must depend on someone else for their living. They depend on the people that come to them for treatment or medicine to pay them for their work. Another example is of a janitor who takes care of an apartment building. All people living in the department depend on him to sweep, mop, and wash things assigned to him. It is his duty to keep everything in order. Still another example is of a baker. Many people that do not bake at home, and even some that do, depend on the baker for fresh bread, cakes, pies, etc. They buy from him, as some people work all day, which keeps them from doing the job of baking after a day of hard work. And still another example is of a forest ranger. All people depend on him to take care of the forests, so as not to destroy many acres of timber. It is his duty to watch closely, such as campers who are careless and cause many fires. Without him, probably many, many acres of timber would be destroyed each year. But all these people depend on someone else for their living. They depend on the people they work for to pay them, so as to buy all the necessary things in life. ZORA GOSTOVICH, 13, lodge 297 Box 531, Raton, New Mexico. VACATION MEMORY Drawn by Eugene Skoff, age 16, Cicero, 111. Lodge 559. ‘Y ° s v i a. Drawn by Violet Machek, age 14 McDonald, Pa. Lodge 231. NEW AND OLD JOKES Johnnie—“My father is a doctor. I can be sick for nothing.” Frankie—“Well, mine’s a judge—so I can be good for nothing.” Grocer-—Aren’t you the boy that was here two weeks ago asking for a job? Johnny—Yes, sir. Grocer—Didn’t I tell you I wanted an older boy? Johnny—Yes, and that’s why I am here now. Foreman—Hurry up there, Joe. joe—Okeh, boss, but Rome wasn’t built in one day, you know. Foreman—Maybe not, but I wasn’t foreman on that job. Doctor—How is that boy that swallowed the half dollar? Nurse—No change yet, doctor. Army Doctor—Weak eyes, eh? How many lines can you read on that chart? Draftee—What chart? Aunt—When I was a child I was told that if I made ugly faces I would stay that way. Niece—Well, auntie, you can’t say you wern’t warned. Teacher—Can you give me a good example of how heat expands things and cold contracts them? Pupil—Well, the days are much longer in the summer. STEVE GOSTOVICH JR., 11, lodge 297 Box 531, Raton, New Mexico. * SCIENCE FACTS Gravity is the attraction of one body for another. Heat makes matter expand. Friction makes work hard to do. A rising barometer indicates fair weather. The pressure of air at sea level is 15 lbs, per square inch. When we breathe we give off carbon dioxide. Fish breathe with organs called gills. Water is called the universal solvent. Water is made chemically pure by distilling it. Opposite (unlike) poles of magnet attract each other. Cold air can hold more moisture than warm air. VERA BOZANIC, 13, lodge 393 Worcester, New York. * HISTORICAL EVENTS IN OCTOBER October 5, 1803—Erie Canal completed. October 8, 1871—Great Chicago fire. October 10, 1845—U. S. Naval Academy opened. October 12, 1492—Columbus sighted land. October 18, 1931-—Thomas A. Edison died. October 27, 1904—New York subway opened. October 28, 1636—Harvard College founded. VERA BOZANIC, 13, lodge 393 Worcester, New York. * AUTUMN BREEZE Autumn brings a refreshing breeze, Which is heard among rustling trees; It cools and comforts everyone, When the hard day’s work is done. It sways the shading trees and flowers, And takes away the lonely hours; Still appears this breeze of autumn, Which one enjoys from top to bottom. FLORENCE ALICH, 14, lodge 111, Box 607, Aurora, Minn. * SCHOOL IS HERE September means that school is here, That disliked time of the year. So be ready to carry your pencils, books, And don’t make any more funny looks. So again put on your thinking cap, And when you feel your mother’s tap, Just get up because school is here, Go off to school in your best good cheer. FLORENCE ALICH, 14, lodge 111 Box 607, Aurora, Minn. £ LEBRATINI "‘Prepared for the big night!” Drawn by Mildred Hoiko, age 16, Oglesby, 111. Lodge 95. WE ARE DEPENDENT ON OTHER PEOPLE Every individual that is living today is dependent on someone else. It doesn’t matter if he is a small child or an old man. A janitor is a very good case to illustrate. Take the school that you go to. Here the janitor is depended upon in many ways. First, to have the building heated at all times when needed. Also it is his responsibility to repair anything that may be out of order around the school. The halls and stairways must be clean and it is his job to do it. Nurses are depended upon where accidents occur. They are needed by the thousands to take care of the wounded, sick and injured. They are needed behind the war front. Last winter when Germany bombed England day in and day out, nurses were depended upon greatly to take care of the wounded. Our country depends on its governmnet to provide proper leadership during the present emergency situation. The government depends on the workers to construct ships, planes and other necessary equipment for national defense. It also depends on its armed forces for protection. Efficient defense depends on unity, and unity depends on the cooperation of all the people. Combing it all together, a Democracy is a country where free people in order to survive, depend upon each other. JOSEPH MADEIRA, 17, lodge 292 Box 44, Avella, Pa. * YES, WE ARE ALL DEPENDENT Yes, we are all dependent upon other people every day and in every way. In fact, our de-pedence on one another is so important and so complicated that it is impossible for any one to think that he is not dependent on others. There are any number of examples to show this. Let us consider a can of pork and beans, for instance. First, the can. Before a can is made for use, it is necessary to obtain iron from some iron ore mine. Many people have a hand in the making of a can. The coal miner digs the coal to smelt the ore, the railroad hauls it to the blast furnaces. In the rolling mill the hot mass is rolled into thin sheets. The next step in this process is a tin plating mill. Tin cans aren’t made of tin but of iron and simply plated with tin. The tin plated sheets are sent to the can factory where they are made into cans. But before that, inside of the cans must be varnished, and the varnish comes still from another factory. Oils and chemicals are mixed. Many people have had a hand in making these things usually called “tin cans.” Now for the pork and beans. The beans are raised on the farm, also the pork which comes from hogs. Here, again, many people have a hand in making it possible to grow beans and to raise hogs. In the cannery, the beans are soaked and cooked, then tomato sauce and grated cheese are added and also a slice of pork. All these products come from the farm. These products are then mixed together and put into the can. The can is then sealed and labeled. It is interesting to know that the label starts in the forest. The wood is crushed into pulp, sent to the paper mill where chemicals are mixed with it. It is then rolled into rolls of paper. The paper is printed and cut into right size to cover the can. Glue is used to fasten the paper to the can. The glue usually comes from animals. All in all, hundreds of people and many machines have a hand in the making of a can of pork and beans. MARTIN LENICH, 17, lodge 209 700 Sandford Ave., Nokomis, 111. * AUTUMN IS HERE Summer is gone and autumn is here, Still the birdies bring us cheer As they fly from tree to tree, Singing sweetly and merrily. Soon the flowers will fade away, And the trees, no leaves will stay. Chilly days and nights will come, Nice cool breeze, but still hot sun. MARGARET POLONČIČ, 14, lodge 124 R. F. D. No. 2, Union Dale, Pa. * JUST TWO JOKES Ray—“Say, Dad, do teachers get paid for teaching?” Dad—“Certainly.” Ray—“I don’t think that’s right when we pupils have to do all the work.” Census Taker—What party does yoyr husband belong to? Mrs. Peck—Take a good look, mister, I’m the; party. MARGARET POLONIC, 14, lodge 124 R. F. D. No. 2, Union Dale, Pa. * TELESCOPES The 200-inch telescope of the California Institute of Technology is located 5,600 feet above the sea level on Mt. Palmar. It has been 12 years in construction and will cost about 6,000,000. The telescope is of the reflector type. Its great concave glass mirror is 201 inches in diameter, required two years to cast and cool, and about five years to grind and polish. It weighs 14 Vz tons and its mounting weighs 500 tons. Observers will be able to see objects one billion light years distance! (Light year is the distance over which light can travel in a year’? time. It is used as a unit in expressing stellar distances. It is more than 63,000 times as great as the distance from earth to the sun.) The new mirror will collect 4 times as much light as the 100-inch mirror at the Mount Wilson observatory, now the largest in the world. There are many other telescopes in different parts of the world, and all of them are used for the study of stellar problems. ROSIE J. MATKO, 14, lodge 560 Rte. 1, Box 244, Hoquiam, Wash. * RIDDLES What is the difference between a gossipy woman and a looking glass? A.: One talks without reflecting, the other reflects without talking. What is the difference between a conductor and a cold in the head? A.: The conductor knows the stops and the cold stops the nose. When will there be only 25 letters in the alphabet? A.: When “u” and “I” are one. Of course you know how to make a coat last. A.: Make the pants and vest first. What two numbers can you multiply together that will produce seven as a product? A.: Seven and one. ROSIE J. MATKO, 15, lodge 560 Rte. 1, Box 244, Hoquiam, Wash. * JUST A FEW JOKES Tough Chick Diner: “Say waiter, is this an incubator chicken? It tastes like it.” Waiter: “I don’t know, sir.” Diner: “It must be. Any chicken that has had a mother could never get as tough as this one.” Bald Men John: “Have you noticed that must successful men are bold? Will: “Naturally, they come out on top.” Man: “Did you make that face at me, my lad?” Boy: “No, sir, you walked in front of it.” “What became of that little kitten you had?” asked a visitor of a small boy. THE AUTUMN VIEW Drawn by Rosie J. Maiko, age 15, Roundup, Mont. Lodge 560. “It growed up into a cat,” replied the boy. Teacher—Is ‘trousers’ singular or plural? Lupie—It’s singular at the top and plural at the bottom. DOLORES UDOVICH, 12, lodge 573 Rte. 1, Box 90, La Salle, 111. * JOKES “There’s something wrong with this cake,” said the young husband, “it doesn’t taste right.” “That’s your imagination,” said the bride, “it says right in the cook book that it’s delicious.” “There are some spectacles,” said the traveler, “that one never forgets.” “Tell me where I can get a pair,” said an old lady in the audience, “I’m always forgetting mine.” Dad: “Well, I received a note from your teacher today.” Son: “Honest, Dad. Give me a quarter and I won’t breathe a word about it.” ROSIE J. MATKO, 14, lodge 560 Rte. 1, Box 244, Hoquiam, Wash. STAMP COLLECTING (Continued from page 14) it. It is not within the size of this article to discuss all cancelling machines except to say that at the start they were hand operated and hand fed. Even in this advanced mechanical age collectors may find a few of the flag type marks made by hand operated machines. A few years ago many of these machines were located in smaller offices and were brought into use only when the volume of mail made it necessary. Present day motor driven cancelers are responsible for such marks as are used by the Chicago postoffice, and by all of similar type, whether with or without a slogan or other device in the killer of horizontal lines. Our Own Juvenile Circles of the S. N. P. J. Send all your questions and requests for your Juvenile Circles to Mr. Vincent Cain-kar, president of the SNPJ, 2657 S. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, III. He has been appointed the Director of Juvenile Circles, and your Advisers should keep in touch with him. STRUTHERS CIRCLE 32 REPORTING STRUTHERS, O.— This is Juvenile Circle 32 of the SNPJ broadcasting its news. First of all, it is necessary to state here that during the summer months meetings are not very well attended. This is true of any kind of meetings, in general, be it here or anywhere else. Our August meeting was held at our Adviser’s residence. I am sorry to report this, but only one fourth of all our members attended the meeting. Yet, considering the above statement, the attendance wasn’t so poor after all. I hope that during the coming months more members will come to the meetings. Follow members, let’s show the proper spirit at our future meetings. It is very important that more members attend the meetings. If only a few are going to attend the meetings, we can’t do much in the way of progress. But if we all pull together, I’m sure we can achieve success and at the same time enjoy ourselves. So come on, fellow members, let’s all turn out for our important October meeting. At the August meeting it was decided to hold a dance on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Croatian Hall, 199 Lowell Road, Struthers, Ohio. All our friends from far and near were invited to attend. I hope that the dance was a success. The dance was announced several times in the Prosveta in the Juvenile Circles column. ELIZABETH GALICH, Circle 32 185 Perry St., Struthers, Ohio. ACTIVITIES OF CIRCLE NO. 11 GIRARD, O.—Here I am again with my report of the activities of Juvenile Circle No. 11, the Jolly Kansans. Our regular monthly meeting was held Aug. 3 at the Casa Vecchia Hall at Camp 50. A large attendance was present, showing an increased interest in our Circle. It is always encouraging to see members attend the meetings. Former President Henry Jelovchan—our president since the beginning of our Circle—has reached the age of eighteen and is now transferred to the adult division of the SNPJ lodge. Carl Ulepich was elected as our new president. Plans for the picnic which was to be held at Sterle’s Farm were discussed. The meeting adjourned and refreshments were served. DOROTHY YOGER, Secretary R. R. 3, Box 1612, Girard, Kans. "WEST VIRGINIA SNPJers" CIRCLE 16 IS ACTIVE PIERCE, W. VA.-—I am writing to thank the SNPJ headquarters for all the help they have given us this year. We will never forget their generosity and aid they have given us in the past. Our Circle No. 16 had its annual picnic this year at Horseshoe Recreation Center. We all had an enjoyable time and we certainly had enough to eat and drink. We also took pictures of the officers and the members. However, all the members that attended did not consent to take their pictures. The pictures are enclosed in this letter. Not very many members attended our picnic this year. I wonder why? Usually about fifty or sixty members attend. What’s the matter with the rest of our West Virginia SNPJers? Our Circle had a festival June 16. It turned out very well. We were pleased to know that it was successful. And we are now planning to have a third anniversary dance sometime in the near future, as our anniversary date is coming soon. So you see, we West Virginia SNPJers are still active. Our next Circle meeting was scheduled for Sept. 14. That will be after these lines appear in print. Therefore, I am announcing our next meeting which will be on Sunday, Oct. 12. It is very important that all memmbers attend. It will be held at our usual meeting place. HELEN WIDMAR, Secretary Pierce, West Virginia. * CIRCLE NO. 24 VISITS SNPJ OFFICE NORTH CHICAGO, ILL.—Our Jolly Juvenile Circle No. 24 took a trip to Chicago on Aug. 7. We left SND at 8 a. m. by bus. On our way to Chicago we saw Riverview Park and many carnivals along the streets. We arrived at our destination—the SNPJ Office—at 9:15. We were received very cordially and we were shown many interesting things in the building. There were 42 in our group and we all registered upon entering the building. We saw the printing shop where the M. L. and Prosveta are published. Each one of us received his name set up in print, as a souvenir. We really saw the M. L. and Prosveta “in the making.” We also saw all the offices in the building: the editorial rooms, the manager’s, president’s, secretary’s rooms, etc. Then we entered the main hall where the Su- The Officers of the SNPJ Juvenile Circle No. 16, Thomas, W. Va.—Left to right—Angelyn Vidmar (Treasurer), Frances Bozic (Rec. Secretary), Ernest Selak (President), Helen Vidmar (Secretary), Frances Komat (Vice President), Mary Gasser (Adviser). preme Board of the SNPJ was in session. President Cainkar addressed our group and Mrs. Stritar, our adviser, responded. We then went downstairs and ate our lunch. It was delicious. We left the SNPJ office and went to the Brookfield Zoo. We saw all kinds of animals there. I got lost in the crowd and started to cry. A lady took care of me and soon I was back with our group. I was very happy to be with my sister and the rest of the members, again. We enjoyed the entire trip very much and had a very good time. We arrived in Waukegan at about six o’clock that evening, tired but very happy. JULIETTE GABROSEK, Circle 24 906 Adams Street Waukegan, Illinois. * FLASHES FROM SHARON CIRCLE NO. 21 SHARON, PA.—These are the flashes from the Sharon Juvenile Circle 21. These flashes include all the news of the Circle and its members from the past few months. We started the summer season out with a bang when we went to the SNPJ Day celebration at Girard, Ohio, on July 4. Our Circle chartered a bus and at about 1 p. m. we started on our way. A friend of ours from Colorado came with us and she brought her accordion with her. We did everything from singing to dancing in the aisles. In Girard, some of the boys went to a creek and most of the girls went up to the dance. In the latter part of the afternoon our Singing Club presented a program. We received many compliments and were very pleased. Our bus didn’t come for us till late that night; by the time we got started for home it was almost 11:30. In the evening we stood around outside and sang with a group of people. We met many people from different cities and we really did have a “wow of a time.” The next stop on our calendar came on Aug. 1. Our Circle spent a whole day at Fruitsmille, about 8 miles from Sharon. We went up on a truck in the morning and didn’t get back until late that night. During the day we went swimming, played ball, got suntans (and some burns), and in the evening we had a wiener roast as a treat. All the members’ parents were invited and a good time was had by all. Still another stop on our calendar was the week of the Sharon Centennial, Aug. 24 to 30. Our Singing Club was invited to present a program as part of the celebration. We staged some old Slovene dances and we had lots of fun practicing them. Then, on Sept. 13, our Singing Club has been invited to sing at the SNPJ convention program in Pittsburgh. We all feel that this is quite an honor. On Aug. 15 we had our regular monthly meeting and are making plans for a dance which is to be held soon. We had refreshments after the meeting and danced for about an hour. Chuck Zager, a guest from Barberton, Ohio, attended our meeting and we were glad to have him. During the summer our members went on their different vacations. Frank Kramer went to Detroit and claims he had a swell time. Frank Zag-ger spent practically all his vacation on his grandfather’s farm. Johnny Novak also spent a month on a friend’s farm. Dolores Steibly went to Buffalo for a week. Helen O’Korn went to New Castle for a week and her cousin Pat O’Korn was visiting in Michigan and Niagara Falls. Frances Novak, our manager, spent a week at camp and went to Detroit for three days. Yours truly spent two weeks in Warren, Ohio. The members certainly did get around this year. Well, that’s about all for our summer calendar, but here are a few nicknames I gathered from some of our Circle members: “The Shoe Shine Boy”—Louis Zickar; “Johnny on the Spot”—is newsboy Ed O’Korn, especially at all the meetings and doings; “Wisecrackin’ Country Boy”— Frank Zagger; “The Inseparable”—Nancy Stam-bal and Betty Locnikar, when you see one you’re sure to see the other; “This Year’s Prize Freshie” —Mildred Novak. We regret that we are losing two of our best members, Teresa Luin and Margaret Cimperman, who are now joining the Adult Department. Now that all the tidbits have been gathered— So long until again. FRANCES STAMBAL, Circle 21 1084 Sherman Ave., Sharon, Pa. Group of members of the SNPJ Juvenile Circle No. 16, Thomas, W. Va.—Left to right—Helen Vidmar, Frances Bozic, Ernest Selak, Frances Komat, Angelyn Vidmar, Franklin Komat, Rudy Gasser, Joe Johnson, Olga Osredkar, Ruth Buckbee, Mary Vidmar, Martha Gasser, Molly Nared, Hubert Hel-mick, Jo Ann Leneck, Betty Chick, Roberta Adams, Doreen Johnson, Sophie Vidmar, Mary Barkley, Harold Barkley, Robert Barkley, Grace Helmick, Edward Komat, Franklin Osredkar, Martin Chick. CIRCLE "DAWN OF YOUTH" TRIP TO PITTSBURGH GIRARD, O.—On Aug. 23, at 8:30 a. m., a group of 28 juvenile members of Circle 7 left on a trip to Pittsburgh, Pa. We enjoyed the trip immensely. Of course, we had refreshments on our way to Pittsburgh. Our trip by bus to and from the Smokey City was one we won’t forget. After arriving to Pittsburgh we stopped at the KDKA radio station in the Grant Building, which is a very big building. It has 37 stories. We were taken into the main studios, and also saw many other interesting places. We were also shown the room where Evelyn Gardiner tests recipes that she gives over the radio. It is all very modern. We did not have time to stay and see a broadcast. Maybe we can go again in the future and see a broadcast. Our next stop was back to the bus station where we ate the lunches our mothers packed for us. And then on to the Carnegie Museum. As you all know, there is a variety of things to see at a museum. If I wanted to tell you about everything I saw, I am sure I would have to write a book. I enjoyed looking at the collection of snuff boxes. They were prettier than any girl’s compacts that I have ever seen. Then we saw a Japanese norimon (carrying chair) and a bicycle that was used in the 80s. Then we saw all sorts of animals, pretty as well as ugly ones, stuffed, of course. There were all kinds of colorful birds, insects, fish and minerals. Another thing I enjoyed looking at, were the Indian models and antiques. There were models of Sioux tribe, of the War Chief, the Warriors and Indians doing the Hopi Snake Dance. (How would you like to dance with a snake in your mouth?) One thing all the girls enjoyed looking at were dolls from all over the world in costume. I would have liked very much if I could have taken one home with me, although I am rather big for dolls. On our way back, we stopped at the Slovene Hall in Pittsburgh for a few minutes. It is much bigger than I expected it to be. In fact, I was surprised at the size of the entire city of Pittsburgh. It has many nice buildings and many interesting spots. I want to thank Frank Rezek for making it possible for us to go, and I am sure everyone enjoyed the trip as much as I did. I hope that our Circle will have many more trips like this one. EDYTHE TANCEK, Secretary R. D. 1, Avon Pk., Girard, O. Waiter-—These are the best eggs we have had for years. Diner—Well, bring me some you haven’t had so long. Teacher—When is the best time to pick apples to keep? Boy'—When there ain’t nobody lookin’. Our Pen Pals Write (Naši čiiaieljčki pišejo) TAKES M. L. TO SCHOOL Dear Editor:—It has been a long time since I have written to the Mladinski List. But I like to send contributions to it; that is, not to try to beat anyone else, but to learn something. Because the ML is a fine magazine from which we learn many things. Drawn by During the school year zila Bozanec, 14, —Since I have been go- Worcester. N. Y„ lodge 393 ing to school in Raton—I took the ML to school and many girls said they liked it very much. They also asked me how they could get it. I told them that I receive it free because I belong to the SN-PJ, and that they could get it for $1.50 a year without belonging to the organization; however, if they would belong to it, that w’ould be so much nicer. I also wish to say that my teachers and the principal of Raton High School were proud of what I wrote in the June ML about my school. Well, vacation time is almost over and by the time this letter appears in the M. L., we’ll be back in school, again. I hope that all boys and girls enjoy school this fall, and not think of lazy summer days. From our house, six will go to school this fall. I will be in the ninth grade. Best regards to all ML readers and writers.—Zora Gos-lovich (age 13), Box 531, Raton, New Mexico. (Lodge 297) * HIS NAME WAS "BURMA" Dear Editor:—I guess we all got a good start using pencil, paper, and our brains again after our vacation. In a way I’m glad school did start, although we do always find something to do, especially in a new recreation building Oglesby built this year. It has a very nice bowling alley, a swimming pool, and other things for young and old. This year Oglesby also celebrated its first homecoming for four days. There was also a carnival that had a large elephant that did the most interesting tricks I have ever seen. His name was Burma. He did tricks you wouldn’t believe an elephant could do. There was a pet and a bicycle parade. My girl friend won first prize in the pet parade. All kinds of prizes were awarded. A daughter of a policeman won a hundred dollar diamond ring. On July 24, seven girls and I took a hike to Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, to see the fourth annual La Salle county day celebration. The hike was twelve or more miles. There was entertainment all day and in the evening was a big display of fireworks. When we came home we really were tired. I ate my supper and went immediately to bed. Best wishes.—Mildred Mary Hoiko, 226 Main St., Oglesby, Illinois. (Lodge 95) * AT THE ROYAL GORGE Dear Editor:—I didn’t write to the Mladinski List sooner because I was away on my summer vacation at Canon City, Colorado. In this vicinity, near Canon City, is the highest bridge in the world—The Royal Gorge. I visited this and also many other beautiful sites that are in that vicinity. The Colorado State Penitentiary is one of the interesting sites that visitors from all over the world come to visit, as well as the Royal Gorge which has a railroad taking passengers down to the bottom of the gorge. The Colorado State Prison is all built together, enclosed in one large wall. There are many buildings within this wall. In the cell houses every inmate is furnished with bed clothing by the state and if they desire any bedspread or fancy decorations, they have to furnish by themselves or by their relatives. After their job that is assigned to them is finished, they return to their cells and make whatever they wish: rings, rugs, souvenirs, etc. After these are made they are taken to one of the buildings to be sold, and this is how they get their money. Right at the present there are 1,338 inmates, of which there are 27 women and 90 lifetimers. Every inmate is assigned to some job. In the gas chamber there are three chairs. The warden’s home is a very beautiful place right next to the prison. In this yard there are fish ponds and fruit trees and flowers, all of which are taken care of by the inmates. I also saw the downtown of Canon City and the homes of different people. Almost every home has a lawn. There are four parts of Canon City: North Canon, South Canon, East Canon, and Canon City. I visited all four. Canon City is a very busy little town; it is well protected against all bad influences. On July 27 I attended the great SNPJ Day celebration at Rye, Colorado, at which Frank Zaitz was principal speaker. All of Circle 20 members that could possibly be there attended. I presented the speaker a boquet of flowers. The picnic grove was filled with people. It was a very nice day except for the showers we had in the latter part of the afternoon. By the time this letter is published school will already be started and I will be in the tenth grade at Aguilar High School. I hope that I can keep writing letters to the ML after school is started.— Mitzi Kosernik, Box 199, Aguilar, Colorado. (Lodge 381, Circle 20) ♦ BACK TO SCHOOL AGAIN Dear Editor:—I got ambitious and am writing to the M. L. again. I want to say hello to all SNPJ members. I hope you all had nice vacations. I was quite busy picking berries this summer. It won’t be long now and we’ll all be going back to school again. By the time this letter appears in the M. L. we will have about one month of school. We will have some new teachers this year. I hope some of my cousins in Colorado will see my letter and write to me. That is, families known as Mr. John Krall and Mr. Frank Krall but whose names are really Tomsic. I wish some day to see them all. Best wishes to all.—Delma Tomsick, Black Diamond, Wash. (Lodge 57). * VACATION IN CANON CITY Dear Editor:—I am finally writing to this fine magazine. I am in the seventh grade at the Aguilar Public School. School is here again and it will keep us busy every day. I spent my summer vacation in Canon City, Colorado. I got a ring from the State Penitentiary but my sister lost it at the swimming pool. We went to the Royal Gorge when we were at Canon City. Over the Gorge there is a bridge which is the highest bridge in the world. There isn’t much to say this month in the magazine. I want to add that during the summer months there were many weddings, and we were invited to most of them. I’ll try to write more next time. My best regards to all.—Josephine Kosernick, Box 199, Aguilar, Colorado. (Lodge 381, Circle 20). * OUR TRIP TO CLEVELAND Dear Editor:—It’s been a long time since I wrote my last letter to the M. L. In this letter I will write about my trip from Mulberry, Kansas, to Cleveland, Chicago, and Livingston, 111. The miners got a vacation—with pay, for the first time. My parents and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Strukel and son decided to go together in our car. We started at 3 o’clock in the morning, Thursday, July 3, and arrived in Cleveland at 10 o’clock the next morning, Friday, July 4. My father has a brother and sister there, so we went to his brother’s house but he wasn’t home. Then we went to his sister’s house. She didn’t know him and he didn’t know her. He didn’t see his sister and his brother for 31 years! You can readily see why they didn’t know each other. We stayed there for two days and we all had a good time. We went to the lake several times and watched the motor boats. Also we saw the Slovene Home on St. Clair Ave. A man showed us the whole building. He showed us where they have dances and where they serve refreshments; they certainly have many plates. Then he took us to his office and gave us some souvenir books. After leaving Cleveland on July 7, we drove to Chicago to see my brother and two sisters who live there. In Chicago we visited the Brookfield Zoo, the Municipal Airport, packing house, and the lake. On July 8 we went to SNPJ headquarters. Oscar Godina showed and told us about the things we saw. We saw where the Mladinski List and the Prosveta are printed. On the last day of our stay in Chicago we went to Riverview Park, which is a large amusement park. We all had lots of fun there. We left Chicago on Wednesday morning, July 9, and drove south to Livingston, 111., to see my mother’s brother Tony Bedenk. We arrived there at night and stayed overnight. The next morning we left for home. We had a nice trip and we all had a good time wherever we went.—Carl Ulepich (age 13), R. R. 1, Mulberry, Kansas. (Lodge 65). * IN SCHOOL ORCHESTRA Dear Editor:—I am in the eighth grade at school. I can hardly wait for graduation—although school has not yet started. (I am writing this letter on Aug. 18.) That’s how I feel now. Maybe I will feel different about it after school starts. I am in the school orchestra which has about 30 members. On Aug. 12, all the members of the orchestra went on a picnic to Cedar Lake. We spent a very nice day swimming, dancing, boat-riding, and we also roasted wieners. We had a wonderful time on the bus, too. We sang all the way home. I want to mention that I am a member of Circle 24. I am 12 years of age. Best regards to all.'—Beverly Brannon, 411 Tenth St., North Chicago, 111. * "A FAREWELL PICTURE" Dear Editor: — It’s strange how we humans rarely appreciate something until it’s too late. ’Tis so in my case, also. Not until my mother sent me the August issue of the Mladinski List did I realize that my days as a juvenile member of the SNPJ were over—that I am now an adult member of the organization. I want to thank the SNPJ very kindly for all the checks I received for my contributions to the M. L. A few days after our commencement exercises in June, my aunt and I left for Minneapolis to go job hunting. We hunted all right. For days we tramped the streets and went to almost all the employment agencies. But it was worth it, for I am now employed by the Family Loan Company. My work is very interesting. I learn something new every day which naturally makes it that much more interesting. Besides taking letters from dictation and transcribing, I type chattel mortgages, file, check applications for loans, supervise the mail, etc. I was pleased to see William Frantar’s letter and picture in the M. L. I remember him as Billy who came to visit the neighbors. Keep it up, Billy! Once again my Dad was elected as delegate of SNPJ lodge 61 to attend the convention in Pittsburgh. I believe he’ll stop to see me on the way there. I hope so for I am sort of lonesome for my parents. Enclosed is a picture—I might say a farewell picture. I hope that you younger members continue to send your original drawings and other contributions to this magazine. Very truly yours— Dorothy Zager (age 18), 2339 Sheridan North, Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Lodge No. 61). THEY ENJOY THE M. L. Dear Editor:—This is my first letter to this magazine. I just began receiving the Mladinski List two months ago, and I enjoy reading it very much. “It seems like we just take turns in reading it.” I am eleven years old and am in the sixth grade. I had a wonderful vacation. We went to the Washington Park Zoo at Milwaukee. We saw many animals there. Also, we went to the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. I had a very good time in Chicago. But now vacation is nearly over. By the time this letter appears in print, school will be well under way again. In spring we all anxiously wait for vacation time. We can hardly wait until school is out. But later in the summer, it seems that we are eager to go back to school. Our school was scheduled to open on Sept. 8. I am a member of Circle 24 of the SNPJ. Regards to all.—Elaine Brannon, 411 Tenth St., North Chicago, 111. * SECOND TRIP TO CHICAGO Dear Editor:—First of all, I wish to say that I think the M. L. is one of the best magazines that I ever read. I joined the SNPJ five months ago, and I should be ashamed of myself for not writing sooner. I am also a member of Circle 24. Our Circle is planning to go to Chicago in about two weeks. This will be our second trip to Chicago in August. Our first trip to Chicago was on Aug. 7, and our second trip was scheduled for Aug. 31. We were to participate in a program, entitled “Lemonade Stand,” at the 7th National SNPJ Day event. We hope it was a success. At the end of the program we are going to sing the song which was in the August issue of the M. L., “There’s a Circle in Your Town.” We all hope we will all do our share in making the trip a big success. Next time we will give a brief report about our trip. Best regards.— Beverly Brannon, 411 Tenth St., North Chicago, 111. * VACATION EXPERIENCES Dear Editor:—Upon reading the August Mladinski List, I found a letter by Margaret Sosta-rich. In it she is trying to “wake up” us Minnesotans. Well, I took the hint and here I am again, writing to our own magazine. My last letter was not published in the August issue. I hope it will appear in the September number. This fact somewhat discouraged my further continuation of contributing to the M. L. In addition, I have sent many pictures but they are never published. Are they too large or aren’t they on the right kind of paper? (Try and try again, and use white drawing paper, size 8 by 11.—Ed.) During my summer vacation I have had many experiences. I was visiting in Two Harbors for one week and nearly ended my days at Lake Thomas, where I nearly drowned. The reason for that I don’t know because I can swim a little. One thing I enjoyed this summer was horseback riding. I have been only once but I plan to go again before the summer is over. In my other letters I wrote about my hobby, which is rabbits. I still have many of them and have fun training the older rabbits to sit up. In closing I wish to say hello to all my pen pals and to those who have quit writing. As they say in Mexico, “Adios.” Best regards to all.— Marilyn Zdrasky (age 15), Box 315, Parkville, Minnesota. (Lodge 215). * STANKO ŽALUJE ZA OČETOM I Dragi urednik!—Že dolgo se nisem oglasil v Mladinskem listu. Večkrat sem že mislil napisati par vrstic. Da nisem, je bilo krivo odlašanje. Čim bolj odlašam, slabše je, zato sem se končno vendarle odločil. Sedaj moram pomagati moji mamici. Ostala sva sama. Očeta sem zgubil. On je umrl pred dobrim letom. Star sem 14 let in se učim igrati na havajsko kitaro. Morda si bom na ta način kdaj kruh služil in materi pomagal. To bo takrat, ko bom velik. Še par let—tri ali štiri leta—pa bom že velik. Takrat bom star že 18 let! Upam, da boste moj dopis priobčili v M. L. Prigibno pošiljam mojo sliko. Veselilo me bo, če jo boste priobčili poleg mojega dopisa. Potem bodo videle moje tete, da sem že dokaj velik. V tej naselbini se dobro dela. Ampak midva z mamo ne dobiva nobene “pede”. Le to dobiva, kar si sama zasluživa. Dečki, bodite pridni in ubogajte svoje starše. Kdor zgubi očeta, tisti pač ve, kaj je zgubil. Moja mama večkrat joka. Poleg tega pa je rahlega zdravja. Dobro je, da sem vsaj jaz zdrav in ji skušam pomagati kot vem in znam. Moja teta živi v Coloradu. Ako bo či-tala ta dopis, jo prosim, naj se naju spomne in naj piše. Upam, da se bodo tudi drugi dečki in deklice oglasili v M. L. s slovenskimi dopisi. Ni lepšega na svetu kot v miru in veselju živeti pri očetu in materi. Če eden teh manjka, ni veselja . . . Pozdrav vsem skupaj! — Stanko Nuncija, Box 493, Coverdale, Pennsylvania. * A REAL SURPRISE Dear Editor:—I am writing to thank the SNPJ for the check I received for my contribution to the M. L. It was a surprise, a very nice surprise. After writing my first letter, and winning a prize, this token of recognition will lead me on to write more letters. I have had a very nice time this summer. Soon we will go back to school. I will be in grade 6-a. My teacher will be Miss Lewis. My favorite sports are swimming, bicycle riding and baseball. I like to read the Mladinski List very much, especially the jokes and stories. The M. L. really is a fine magazine for juveniles.— William Potochnik, Waukegan, Illinois. * SCHOOL MEANS WORK Dear Editor:—Here I am again, writing another letter to the M. L. I nearly forgot to write this month but my mother reminded me to write. School will start in only one week. (I am writing this letter on Aug. 25.) It will start on Sept. 2. By the time this letter is printed, school will be in full swing. This means another nine months of hard studying. It also means that I will have to write my letters at night from now on. I’ll be in school during the day. Yesterday, Aug. 24, I attended a Jugoslav picnic at Gilbert, Minn. I stood on the sidelines and watched the parade go by. It consisted of floats and bands. I enjoyed the parade immensely. The weather certainly has changed. It is more like winter outside today, Aug. 24. It has been raining quite a bit also. But there will be many nice days yet before real winter sets in. The swimming season has also gone by. We’ll have swimming once a week during school anyway. One thing I like about school is football and basketball games. One thing I won’t like is our iniciation. The seniors initiate the ninth graders. Regards to all.—Florence Alich (age 14), Box 607, Aurora, Minn. (Lodge 111). • A LETTER FROM ARKANSAS Dear Editor:-—Well, down here in Arkansas it is getting a little cooler. I am glad it’s cooler, although I really enjoyed the hot summer days very much. By the time this letter is printed, school will start and I surely will be glad when it does. I have one brother 16 years old and is in the tenth grade, and one 11 years old who is in the sixth grade. I have a 9-year-old sister in the fifth and one 8 years old in the fourth grade. I am 14 years old and in the ninth grade. My sister, who is 8 years old, has the asthma and she is taking treatments at the present. My mother, too, has asthma and is bothered with it very much. She has had it for 17 years and she is taking treatments too. I sincerely hope it helps them. Many people don’t realize how people with asthma really have to suffer. Every morning mother has to sit down for about 2 or 3 hours before she can do any work. She coughs quite a bit and at night she can hardly sleep. I am hoping that she will get well soon. I know that mother would then enjoy life much better. I live about 10 miles from Barling, Arkansas. That is the place where they are constructing a camp. They have built a great many cabins already and many other things, too. It really is going to be a large camp when it is finished. They expect it to be finished Jan. 1, 1942. We all hope that this camp will be a great success. Good-by and good luck.—Annie Čretnik, Box 425, Ft. Smith, Ark. « "I TAKE IT EASY" Dear Editor:—I am 11 years old. School will start soon. I am one of the entertaining committee, and I like that job. I am speaking about our Circle. I like to pick things to do because I know what the members enjoy doing. Sometimes, when we have refreshments, I take it easy. We had a picnic on Aug. 3 and we all had a grand time. Scrambled animal names: 1. Sthroci. 2. Eoplaetn. 3. Olquia. A.: 1. Ostrich. 2. Antelope. 3. Quail. I will write more next time. Best regards to one and all.—Jean Cernoia, Delagua, Colorado. (Circle 25) * FROM A PROUD MEMBER Dear Editor:—This is my second letter to this fine magazine. I am proud to belong to this wonderful organization and to our lodge. We also have a Circle and our meetings are very interesting. We have contests and games, also refreshments. At the last meeting we had a spelling bee contest; the winners were Eda, Joseph and Rosemary Montero, and Anna Harvatin. On the entertainment committee are Jean Cernoia, Margaret Milita, Rose Milivic, and Josephine Anselmo. My birthday was on Aug. 7. School will be here soon. Regards to all.-—Mary Cernoia (12), Delagua, Colo. (Circle 25) * SNPJ DAY—A GREAT DAY Dear Editor:—Again I find myself writing to the M. L., which is usual each month at this time. Although some days were disagreeable in August, some were enjoyable. For instance, the last two days in August and September 1st. Saturday, Aug. 30, we went to Chicago for the SNPJ celebration. We had a grand time at the dance Saturday night. On Sunday we went to the picnic which was held at Horalek-White Eagle Grove. There we enjoyed listening to the songs that were sung by Sava and Prešeren. Also the Juvenile Circles, Milwaukee and Waukegan, which rendered several selections each. We saw so many of our friends at the picnic ground that we haven’t seen for a long while. It was a great day for me, and I hope to attend many more SNPJ celebrations in the future. I was very glad to see my picture in the September issue of the M. L. 1 am sending another picture which I hope will be in the M. L. Best regards to all.—Dolores Udovic (age 12), Rte. 1, Box 90, La Salle, 111. (Lodge 573) * VACATIONING IN SCRANTON, PA. Dear Editor:—I haven’t written to the M. L. for a long time. You’d think it is (was) vacation time and I should write more. I was on my vacation in Scranton, Pa., by my two cousins, Felix and Olie Vogrin, former writers to the M. L., and they showed me a really good time. I think I like Scranton the best next to Cleveland. I was in Scranton three days, then I went to Tunkhannock to see my grandmother and grandfather who have a farm there. I stayed there until Monday night and then I went back to Scranton for a week. I left for home the following Sunday at 4:45 a. m. and arrived home at 8 o’clock. My mother and father missed me very much because everything was so quiet around the house. When I came home my mother reminded me that the juvenile singing chorus had a picnic Sunday. They told me it was a success. About 3,000 people attended. Johnny Pecon’s orchestra played. In fact, there were so many people jitterbugging that the floor caved in. No one got hurt, however. I am quite sure that everybody had a good time at the affair. By the way, how are all the Juvenile Circles? Circle No. 2 is progressing along fine. I hope that the other Circles are getting along as well as the Jolly Jesters. Best regards to all from jny cousins and myself.—Violet Vogrin, 10708 Shawnee Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. * FUN AT CAMP Dear Editor:—I am sorry I did not write to this magazine for quite a long time. I didn’t write because I was busy. I am a member of the SNPJ lodge 680, Circle 15. I am 12 years of age and in the eighth grade in school. On August 18 I went to a camp at Warrendale, Pennsylvania. Fresh Air Home was the name of the camp. I spent two weeks of my vacation at this camp, and I got homesick. There were 20 to 21 girls to a cabin. There were 21 girls in my cabin. On the playground were many things to enjoy myself. Of course, the other girls and boys enjoyed themselves, too. There were swings, seesaws, basketball, maypole, double swings, and swimming. I learned new camp songs also. In my extra time I took up a little of nature study, making name pins, beads, art, souvenirs, leaf-booklet, also dramatics and newspaper. The thing that I liked best of all was that there were holidays at camp, too. August 27 was Indian Day and Aug. 29 was Carnival Day. There were different kinds of carnivals. On Aug. 26 was Hobby Day. Best regards to all ML readers and writers.— Matilda Doles (age 12), 110 West R. R. Ave., Verona, Pa. (Lodge 680, Circle 15). * ENJOYS READING THE M. L. Dear Editor:—These pages of the ML haven’t seen my name for a long time, so I decided to write. Vacation days have gone and with September comes school. I am a junior in high school now, grade 11-B. I hope all you other members had as pleasant a vacation as I did. I had my tonsils and adenoids removed on July 1 at the office of Dr. Jones, a local physician. I had to spend the Fourth in bed and missed all the fun. I know it is a little late but I sincerely wish to thank the SNPJ for the check I received for my contributions. I feel very proud to have received the honor. I would also like to congratulate all the other winners. Each issue of the ML seems to be improving, what with all the letters, pictures, etc. I especially enjoy reading the good jokes the other members send in. I’ve also noticed and read with interest some of the very fine letters appearing on the Our School page. Keep up the good work, members. I still seem to be the only SNPJ member from Aliquippa who writes to the M. L. I know that there are many others who could also write but somehow or another they never seem to get around to it. I am a post-card collector and would appreciate receiving any post cards you other members care to send. In return I shall be glad to send you some of Pennsylvania. And I would still like to hear from some other pen pals. So please write to me. Both girls and boys are welcome. I promise to answer every letter I receive promptly. A proud member—Violet Mae Maslek (age 16), 341 Park St., Aliquippa, Pa. (SNPJ lodge 122). * "AN EXTRA MONTH" Denar Editor:—I finally “picked myself up” and wrote a letter to this wonderful magazine. I haven’t heard from my Pen Pal Julia Tavelj from Detroit, Mich., for quite a while. I sent in a drawing, hoping it will be used. School is not opened yet (Sept. 5) because of the dreadful disease infantile paralysis. We get an extra month off and we don’t have to make up the time. Best regards to all.—Olga Wizar, Box 166, Cornwall, Pa. (SNPJ lodge 606). Waiter—Customer says his steak is too small. Manager—Take it away and bring it back on a smaller plate. A Friend Like This By Mary Jugg Far across the wide expanse of the green lawn they were romping—a boy and his dog. Now the dog ran a few paces ahead of the boy and then returned to him. Now the boy threw a small stick before him, and the dog rushed to retrieve it. Again the boy shifted his book from one arm to other and reached down and patted the dog. The play came to an end too soon. The boy and his dog had come upon the sidewalk. Now they walked side by side more thoughtfully. They crossed the boulevard with caution. The sidewalk and the pavement of the speeding cars were no longer the carefree world of the green grass. On they went—one block, two blocks. But then something happened. The boy walked on, and the dog stood still. Slowly the dog stepped away from the sidewalk and onto the grass. Not for a single moment did he take his eyes away from the boy. Passerby, attracted to the attentive dog, tried to distract its attention. But steadily, steadily the eyes of the dog followed the boy down the walk— down to the middle of the next block. The boy turned towards a building and cast a backward glance at the dog. Then tall bushes temporarily took him away from the dog’s view. Still the dog looked. The boy reached the top of the stairs of the school building. He turned around and gave the dog a parting wave of farewell. The door opened and closed, and the sight of the boy was no more. The dog slowly sank upon the grass, transfixed his eyes upon the door, and did not move. How long he kept his watch I know not, but far, far off I glanced back. And there was the dog, a small object in the distance, quietly, intently, still gazing at the closed schoolroom door. Still in Business Proprietor—What do you want? I fired you two weeks ago. Clerk—I came back to see if you were still in business. The best portion of a good man’s life—his little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. —Wordsworth. Important Dont's Read Them Twice, Thrice DON'T address your mail intended for publication in the ML to the Main Office of the SNPJ, to Slovene National Benefit Society, or to some person. The mail so addressed may be delayed and will be late for the intended issue. Address all such mail to Mladinski List, 2657-59 So. Lawndale Ave., Chicago, 111. DON'T write with pencil; use pen or, still better, typewriter. DON'T write on both sides of the sheet. Paper is cheap. DON'T draw your picture with ordinary ink. We cannot use such drawings. Draw only with the India ink. DON'T draw in colors! It's a waste of time because we cannot use it. DON'T fold your drawings! Send them between two card-boards in a large envelope. DON'T omit your name, address, age, and lodge No., together with the parent's signature on the back of every piece of drawing or beneath any writing. And most important of all: DON'T copy any rhymes or pictures! Be honest with yourself and us! You can't get away with it very long! We are checking on that. INTERESTING FACTS The Empire State building in New York City is the tallest building in the world. It is 1248 feet high. Mount Everest in India is the tallest mountain in the world. It reaches 29,002 feet into the air. The ostrich is the tallest bird in the world, being eight feet high. Guinea pigs are not pigs, they are rodents and are natives of Guiana, South America. Wormwood is a plant, related to the sagebrush of the west; at one time it was used as a tonic. New York state has a population of 13,000,000, while all of Canada has a population of only 11,000,000. The population of New York City is more than 7,000,000, while the population of the whole State of California is about 6,000,000. Lead pencils have no lead in them; they are made of graphite, a kind of carbon related to coal and diamonds. Salt is the chief load across the Sahara desert, and not water as is commonly supposed. When a native says, “He eats salt,” it means he is rich. The catgut used in surgery and for violin strings does not come from cats but from goats and sheep. Certainly, My Dear Little Jane—May I have two pieces of chocolate, mummy? Mother—Certainly, my dear. Just break what you have in two. Introducing Book Friends By Beiiy Jartz CHILDREN OF A PORTUGESE REPUBLIC Two Children of Brazil, by Rose Brown. Here is a story of a brother and sister who live on a coffee plantation. Their ordinary everyday life seems like an adventure we would like to experience. When we go to a zoo and see the odd tropical animals, we get a feeling that nature was full of pranks when she fashioned them. However, in Brazil, these creatures exist and thrive just because they were created that way. The ant eater, for instance, seems like a very queer creature to us, but this book tells us that this animal, which exists entirely on ants, fits right in the scheme of things. The ant eater, one would think, could easily perish, because it has no strong teeth to bite with, nor long legs with which to flee; but nature didn’t make a mistake here. Oh no, she gave this animal very strong front legs which are armed with the sharpest of claws. And, because this creature is so well equipped for self-defense, all the other animals of the jungle fear it. Even the pumas, the American lion, avoid meeting it. Is this animal so dangerous then? Not exactly, for it goes out of its way to keep out of trouble and the only thing that it wants to use its sharp claws on is an ant’s nest. And believe me, they certainly have to have sharp claws to get into these Brazilian ant nests as they are made of a strong cement which the Brazilian ant makes by mixing the clay earth with their own saliva. The ants that we are acquainted with make homes right out of the ground, and a kick here and there will turn the insect’s home into a shambles. The Brazilian ant mounds vary in size, some of them being as tall as a man. In Brazil, one has to go armed with a sharp pick in order to break into this ant’s hard-as-brick home. These ant mounds make excellent ovens. The plantation workers cut open a door-way, and scrape out all the soft parts leaving just the hard outer shell. A hole is then cut in the top to allow the smoke to escape. A fire is started and after the oven is hot the coals and ashes are raked out and the food to be baked is put in. Then the door and smoke hole are closed and the hot ant mound does the rest. Brazil is a wonderland of animal and vegetable life. Parrots, wild boars, armadillos; and bananas, pineapples, and other fruits, with fancy sounding Latin names, are native there. In this story of two Brazilian children, the author gives an account of that country’s greatest air hero. The high-lights are as follows: A man by the name of Santos Dumnont always dreamed that man could fly. He was almost killed several times in the machines that he hoped would stay up in the air. He finally did create an airship in which he made the first air flight over a set course in France. So, you see Brazilians are just as bright as any other people; and I’m sure that you will enjoy this trip to Brazil. All you have to do is go to the library and ask for the book and, believe me, you’ll find surprising accounts of strange things that I haven’t the space here in which to tell you all about them. I would like to add that we should try to get into the spirit of our American destiny. We should learn more about these countries to the south of our own. Perhaps, we could learn the languages of these peoples, just as our Vice-President is doing. We could try, anyway. If we try to appreciate and understand our South American neighbors, we will live in peace and happiness in the Western Hemisphere for ages to come. National Defense In these trying times, a nation must be strong in order to be free. The people should know something about its armed forces. The libraries are now circulating informative books on this subject. Some recent books are: Captain, the story of an army mule, by S. H. Crockett. Annapolis Today, by Kendall Banning. Fix Bayonets, by J. W. Thomason. I Wanted Wings, by Bevine Lay. What the Citizen Should Know About the Army, by Harvey S. Ford. What the Citizen Should Know About the Navy, by H. W. Baldwin. What Was That? Select a few persons in your group and show them a number of objects, such as a pin, a rubber ball, an apple, a pencil, etc. Then blindfold these persons and tell them to listen closely while the objects shown are dropped to the floor. As each object is dropped, the blindfolded person is asked, “What was that?” and is supposed to name the object correctly. Saily Ann has one favorite Chicken in the barn. There are a number of others. See if you can find them. 1. cabbages 2. corn 3. cucumbers 5. beans ANSWERS TO JUST FOR FUN PUZZLES: Animal Riddles: Add Letters: Vegteria: 1. cat 1. date 2. pup 2. sink 3. pig 3. rice 4. clock 5. play Brain Teasers: 1. 5 candy bars; 1 peppermint stick and 94 bubble gums. 2. 47 3. Los Angeles 4. London Down S. A. Way 1. Rio—Brazil 2. Montevideo—Uruguay 3. Buenos Aires—Argentina Mixed Up Sentences Something is wrong with these sentences! How can a gold fish swim on a roof? Can you take a pencil and connect each part propsrly so the sentences make some sense? swims a goldfish. On the roof The main street The automobile In the fish bowl Inside the raincoat The canary sings in the cage, was a dry little boy. was made of bricks, was a weathervane. said “chug, chug!” Don't We All? He—I donated a pint of blood when I was in the country. She—For a sick friend? He—No, those darned mosquitoes! TRY THESE RIDDLES What turned roadway into Broadway? A.: The letter b. What is it which never uses its teeth for eating purposes? A.: A comb. There is a key and on the key there is a stone, what is it? A.: A keystone. What is the difference between one yard and two yards? A.: A fence. Why are bad boys like cakes? A.: Because the more you beat them the better they are. There is a hill, and on the hill there is a school, in the school there is a bell. What is the teacher’s name? A.: Isabell. What has a thousand teeth and cannot eat? A.: Saw. What is everything doing at the same time? A.: Getting old. Mary—How did mama find out you didn’t really take a bath? Joey—I forgot to wet th’ soap. Dealer—Yes, furs have gone up in price lately. Customer—I suppose it costs the animals more to live than it used to. Motorist—Is it far to the next town? Native—Well, it seems further than it is, but you’ll find it ain’t. Teacher—And what lesson do we learn from the busy bee? Smart Boy—Not to get stung. What About Your Circle? Is It Active? Am I a Worthy Juvenile of the SNPJ? I, a member of the SNPJ Juvenile Department and a recipient and regular reader of the Mladinski List, want to ask myself as follows: * Do I write letters to the Mladinski List or otherwise contribute something I think I am able to? If not, why not? * Do I care to join an SNPJ Juvenile Circle in my town knowing that one exists? If not, why not? * Do I care to work for organizing an SNPJ Juvenile Circle in my town knowing that none exists as yet? If not, why not? * Am 1 prone to show my Mladinski List, after I am through reading it, to my closest friends with the wish that they, too, may enjoy reading it? If not, why not? * Do I talk in praiseworthy terms about the SNPJ Juvenile Department to my boy friends and girl friends, not members as yet, in order that they, too, may join and be as happy about it as I am? If not, why not? Yes, Why Not? What Am I Doing to Be a Worthy Juvenile of the Slovene National Benefit Society?