Balmoral Hall School - Optima Anni Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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15 Spring IS Coming Spring is coming! The snow starts to melt. The sun climbs higher and higher each day: The cold winds cease blowing, The river starts flowing, The ice on the pond Is wending its way. Spring is coming! .See birds flying home. And buds burst forth from their long winter's rest. The valleys are ringing, With meadow larks singing, And the world in Spring freshness Is wondrously dressed. DEBORAH FERGUSON-Grade VII A Surprised Robber The five children, Bill, Steve, Laura, Debbie and Michael were working diligent- ly on a muddy river bank. They had de- cided to make their own boat and sail brave- ly over the river which had a vicious cur- rent. The children loved to go on exciting adventures. How I'd love to pretend to be Christopher Columbus, said Steve dreamily. A'You'll never be able to be Columbus until we get this boat finished, so get busy, replied Michael. The next day the boat looked ready. I hope that after all this work our new boat floats! exclaimed Laura, who looked very worried. After a discussion, they decided to take the boat to the river to test it. Suddenly out of nowhere an exhausted man came running down to them. He had a 'Ahard face with a big scar. He grabbed the boat and started for the river. The children ran after him shouting and scream- ing, but they could not stop him. I-Ielpless. they watched the man put their boat into the water and start to paddle away from shore! As they walked away from the river they heard a siren and soon a car appeared. A policeman stepped out and asked, Have you seen a man with a scar and wearing a black torn jacket? The children were laughing so hard that they hardly managed to say, Yes! Grad- ually Debbie told the police that they had just finished their new boat and he had stolen it from them. . The police were astonished, and the first one exclaimed, Why are you laugh- ing? He just happens to be a robber!! Witli this the children laughed all the more. We had just finished our boat and were on our way to test it. We don't seem to be vcry good boat-builders because the boat sank and the poor robber is now hav- ing a very difficult time in the river. The police ran to the river bank. I'Ielp! Help! cried the robber, The police got some rope and pulled the ex- hausted man out. He gave the police the sopping money which he had stolen. The police asked the five children what they were going to do with the reward. I know! We can buy a new boat that floats! HOh boy! Then I'll be able to be Colum- bus, exclaimed little Steve with a smile. ANNE GARDNER-Grade VII Wild And Free A roaring river, an eagle's flight, A lone wolf's howl on a silent night, A raging blizzard, a stormy sea - Strangely appealing, wild and free. A bottomless canyon, a forest fire, An unchallenged peak with snow-capped spire, A tiger prowling with vengeful glee: Majestic, fearsome, wild and free. A sudden flood, clouds rent asunder By lightning bolts and Thor's fierce thunder, Wild steeds running with graceful glee: Awesome but lovely, wild and free. A royal buck with antlers crowned. A silent morning with sudden sound Of wild geese honking. This must be How God wants creatures - wild and free. KATHRYN NEILSON-Grade X 'si if J1- -Q E 7 Q cud . z ' 1 I ' l 47' rl!! U 'g , Q ' 1- I ii, ly ' ELIZABETH HUNDEVAD

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14 ability. West Berlin - city of hope and orosperityf' Hans, before the war, all Germans were equal, West Germans, East Germans. all Germans. Germany was one country and Berlin, a united capital city. But now, here he threw up his hands in despair, the allies have split our country in two, and ,who knows which is the better side to be on! The chess board crashed to the floor. The old man raised himself to his feet. All mirth had vanished from his face. You should be ashamed, both of you. Which side of the wall should you be on? This side, of course! Do you see foreign soldiers marching up and down in the streets? Are you chased off the street at ten o'clock at night? Are you forced to live under a gov- ernment you loathe? The old man paused for breath. As for jobs, they will come. You cannot hope to find a situation com- parable to the one you left behind, yet. But gradually things will improve. But why can we not get jobs? asked Hans, Most willing. 'iAh. yes, but can you expect one city suddenly to fill positions for the thousands who enter every month? Yes, long ago, there were no refugees, but that was in another country. JANET HARRISON-Grade XI of us have ability and are Hans, replied the old man. A Bitter Memory A large gnarled hand swiftly and care- fully stitches with the awkward needle and coarse thread. The strong wrists, thick from years of pulling in full nets, firmly hold the hemp taut. The deep-set, steel-blue eyes steadily gaze at the work before them, as the skilfully mend the holes. finished, he rises from his a shading tree, and stands tall, with shoulders thrown large fingers The nets bench under straight and back. Legs apart, he slightly sways from foot to foot, as though he were on the deck of a gently rocking boat. Walking down the pier with big strides and head high, he breathes deeply, as though he were taking a store of the salty sea-air. While calling to a ship-mate, his eyes quickly move across the horizon, and a faint smile flckers across his face. His wrinkled, weather-beaten complexion, darkened from windburn, relaxes a little. A deep sigh comes from within the sturdy body. The sailing will be good today, he says to himself quietly. The nets laid out yesterday? Yes. They're full now. The tuna run strong, and fast, and they are big. We have good catch, good catch today. The many crew members climb onto the deck of the Messana , named after its home port. The fast vessel seems almost to fly as it swiftly skims through the choppy waters. Being only a short distance from the port, the nets are reached quickly. There other fishermen and their boats join the Messana . The tedious job of pulling the nets, se- curing them, hooking the many large tuna. and then hauling them, one by one into the holds of the crafts, is begun. The mighty fish are heavy and thrash about, making it difficult to keep them on the grapples. One slides sideways onto the deck. The men quickly bend forward, to duck the swishing tail of the large tuna. A great splashing changes the deep blue wave into white foam and salt spray. A giant tuna is not to be convinced that he is going to be hauled aboard with the rest of his kind. There is a moment when the strong men slightly relax their arms so that they may fight with the large tuna a little more. The strong tail of the tuna lashes out, there is a muffled voice, sudden movement, splashing. Seconds later, a cry of anguish rings out, so piercing that even the gulls pause in their wild screaming. The fervent cries of, Man overboard! Cut the engines! Man overboard! are heard, as all the men rush to the boat's side. A man shouts, Carl! Carl! Someone get the ropes! Carl! We save you. Are you safe? Carl! A fait moan is heard and then the answer comes. i'No, leave me . . . you . . . cannot . . . save me . . . the tuna . . . the tuna more impor . . . tant. My leg . . A gasp is heard. The heavy woollen caps come off each bent head as Carl disappears in the warm Mediterranean. Giovanni Dallaszandro shakes himself abruptly. Remembering fate of dear Carl will never get this net mended, he mutters, and begins once more to mend a net he has mended a hundred times before -1 the same net he mended the day of Carl's death. MARILYN WILLIAMS-Grade IX

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16 The Uncrovvned King Noble and God-fearing men went to war To fight for a purpose as never before. Despite the fact that they seldom were paid. The people grew frenzied to join the Crusade. By Godfrey Bouillon, the first movement was led: For week after week over Europe they sped. He persevered till he reached what he sought -1 jerusalem at last was from Turkish rule brought. They chose Godfrey as king during that day, The people rejoiced, but all Godfrey did say Was, Hear! I refuse to accept my gold crown For t'was here that my Saviour wore one of thorn. JANE FERGUSON-Grade VIII The Revenge Of The Old Bell-Ringer The old church in Adelaide had been standing longer than anyone could remem- ber. Its five bells chimed every noon and midnight. The elderly bell-ringer, Elias johns, was almost a legend in the little town. People knew that he was beyond one hund- red years old, but none knew exactly how old he was. Old Elias was a dear, kindly old man, and grown-ups and children alike loved him. Cn a rainy autumn day, an elaborately- decorated four-horse carriage stopped in front of a small hotel in Adelaide. Out of the carriage stepped a lean, stooping, evils eyed man dressed impeccably in black silk. hith a top-hat, carrying a heavy oak cane. His eyes were hollow and resembled slits cut in his head. His inhumanly pale face had many wrinkles and a sharply protruding chin. The man limped into the hotel. Matthias Groon is the name. His oily voice slithered over the words. The attendant at the desk nodded. A'Yes, sir , he amiably replied. I want a small room overlooking the road, Groon rejoined and he added, with easy access to the door, for I have heard that this place is a terrible fire hazard and if it should catch fire, I will want either to jump out of the window or dash oht by the door. MYes, sir, again replied the attendant: that will be four shillings. Groon pulled the money out of his wal- let, and flicked it at the attendant. From that time on he was seldom seen except at meal times or in the saloon. One midnight, two weeks later, Groon silently crept out of the hotel to the bank beside the church. At the same time Old Elias had risen from bed and was about to ring the midnight chime. He chanced to glance out of the turret window and saw Groon enter the bank. Something is wrong: I've heard that this Groon is not a nice character, he thought. A few minutes later, Elias, too, had en- tered the bank. Unfortunately he tripped and Groon, hearing this, knew that he had been followed. He waited in hiding for 'Old Elias and then strucg him over the head with his cane. He cracked the safe con- taining two thousand pounds, and vanished from Adelaide with every penny. When morning came, the banker found Old Elias on the floor. He sent for a doctor, who pronounced Elias dead. Meanwhile one hundred miles away Matthias Groon gloated over his ill-gotten gains. One thing, however, troubled him. Although a master thief for over twenty years, he had never before murdered a man. This weighed heavily on his conscience. That night he heard footsteps climbing up the stairs to his suite. His heart began to pound in his sunken bosom, and his blood ran cold in his veins. A'Somebody else must have seen me kill that old gaffer and rob the bank, and have told on me! Now the police are on my trail! Groon panicked at the thought. The footsteps kept climbing and climbing. But, by the time the cock had crowed, the footsteps were heard no more, and the perspiration stopped streaming down his cheeks. Although the night's tortures were all a man could bear, the day had still more in store for Groon. He thought he could cool his nerves in a beer at the saloon, but as he walked in, to his utter horror the bar tender was nobody but Elias johns! This was too much for Groon, his face turned a ghastly hue and he ran as fast as his shaking limbs could carry him to his suite. The ghostly bar tenders hideous laugh rang in his ears all day. In his suite, dumbfounded, and hor- ror-stricken he stared into the oil lamp, but then there was Elias Iohn's distorted face laughing that spine-chilling laugh! A few