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

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JUNIOR SCHOOL LEADERS Helen Strawbridge, Ruth Gemmel, Colleen Templeton, Alison Greatrex, Katherine Lederman, Martha Pennock, Virginia Spear. The Wilted Daffodil As Charys looked out on the green mea- dows, she was very sad. Her family had moved to Crawley, in Sussex because of her fathers business. For six years before, she had lived in Tanganyika and had loved the mystery of the jungle. Here there was no mystery. A week after the Kuranagas family had moved to Crawley, Charys' mother Sent her out to play with Ah-lien her Siamese kitten. Charys began to gather daffodils. Among them she noticed one that was wilted so she left it on the ground. After a while Ah-lien strayed away and when Charys saw her she was nibbling the wilted daffodil. Suddenly Ah-lien disappeared a n d Charys ran to where the kitten had stood. There was a hole with a rope ladder hang- ing down. Charys was afraid her kitten was hurt for she heard no noise below. She started down the wobbly ladder and at the bottom she found her kitten unhurt. Then ahead of her she found a dark tunnel so she decided to follow it. As she crawled along she heard a rumble and then no light shone down through the hole she had come. She was trapped! She thought she could fare no worse by going on so she went. Finally she came to the end and found herself in a roughly-built room. Leaning against the wall were many valuable paint- ings and among them a famous work of art. Could this be the hideout of the men who continually stole paintings? As Charys look- ed about her she saw a trap door above and standing on a chair she pushed it open. Right away she knew she was in the art gallery. lust then a man looked down at her and growled, So you're our thief are you? I'm going to turn you in. Before Charys could explain the man seized her and started to drag her off. lust at that moment Ah-lien stepped on the burglar alarm and right away Charys and the false guard were surrounded by other guards. Later she found out that the false guard had stolen a uniform and so had stolen and hidden the paintings. After that Charys' changed her mind about England for she had found and solved a baffling mystery. ALISON GREATREX-Grade VI The Little Folk Beneath the grassy moorland slopes The Little People live, They thrive on fun and mischief gay And drink of smooth rich mead. Under the ground so deep they live In a mystic land so fair, And this rich mead of which they drink, Flows from a fountain rare. Now when you see a smooth sleek hare, Think of these little folk: For chances are it may be one Dressed up in a furry cloak. HELEN STRAWBRIDGE-Grade VI l

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23 N S ,, - fwfylw X f g Q, Z 9, 1 Our uniofs fxy Z 7 K !!lX!!X'Af1 , , ff ff The Fairy Bracelet Once upon a time, on the coast of Scot- land, there lived a little girl named Gwen Maclntyre. Next door to her lived a little boy named Pen. One day Gwen and Pen went for a hike. As they were walking along the dusty road, Gwen saw a round, shiny object lying just in front of them. As she picked it up she realized that it was a small golden bracelet. When she tried it on, she found that it fit perfectly. What's that on it? Pen burst out rude- ly. It's probably tarnish. It's not tarnish, silly, Gwen replied mysteriously. I wonder what it really is, She took a closer look at it and finally ex- claimed, It's printing of some sort! That night, as Gwen looked at an old book, trying to decipher the printing, she read that the fairies often used a certain lettering. This lettering was shown on the next page. 'Al've found it! she cried excitedly, but just then her mother called her to bed and Pen had to go home. The next morning they deciphered the engraving on the bracelet and found that it said: SEEK BEHIND THE WATER- FALL AND YE SHALL FIND THE DOOR. Pen suddenly said, That must be Old Angus' Falls. Well let's go and look, Gwen sug- gested patiently. They set off at noon, and when they arrived, they put on their raincoats and boots and went under the waterfall. There they found a huge yawning hole in front of them. In it there was a huge stone door with beautiful carvings on it. This must be the door that the bracelet mentions! Pen said excitedly. They tried to open the door and found that it opened quite easily. Inside the door. X N I , i 1251 . ' li ll X XXX UQLDIIITTT there was the most beautiful place that Gwen had ever seen. As they were looking in, a fairy came to them and said, Not many children enter Fairyland you know, so you two are very lucky. They were taken to the king and queen who welcomed them warmly. After talking to many of the fairies, Gwen was told to keep the fairy bracelet she had found and Pen was given a little pendant saying: IN- TO FAIRYLAND THOU HAST EN- TERED. It had been made by the fairies' own qoldsmith. They were then shown to the stone door and as suddenly as all this happened, they found themselves outside the waterfall. When they had started to walk back towards home Gwen asked Pen to keep all this secret lest someone disturbs the fairies. They both did, but when they were alone they would always mention that adventur- ous trip to Fairyland. LYDIA KOWBUZ-Grade VI The Scientist I've found himl He's blue, The number is seven. I've found himl No blurring: The image is clearing. I've found himl It's Tuesday, With satellites flying. I've found himl Its Martin, My Favourite Martian. MARTHA PENNOCK-Grade VI

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25 The Bird A little bird came hop, hop, hop, To get some food to eat, I-Ie jumped upon my window sill To eat a speck of wheat. The birdy ate and ate and ate And grew so fat and stout One day he flew inside a tree But alas could not get out. RUTH GEMMEL-Grade VI The Golden Paper In the midst of the valley of Kenter- borough stood a castle where the sunbeams glittered through the open window. Inside, seated on the throne was the king and his faithful treasure-keeper kneeling beside him, On the table was a very precious thing called the golden paper and any mortal who read it could have wisdom which was long sought for. It was to be hidden until one person was chosen by heaven to read it. Anyone not chosen, and who did read it would perish! A'Oh, sighed the king, HI do wish that a person would be chosen to read the silly paper and save me from all the trouble of hiding it. Oh your Majesty, cried Simpkins, Hyou should not speak in that manner for if anybody should hear . . . What if anybody should hear, he in- terrupted. Well, um, blurted Simpkins, 'lit just would not be right. We shall not discuss this subject any longer. Be off, and mind you do not stum- ble down the stairs and break my best vase, shouted the king. I shall not, and he slammed the door. Do not slam the door! gasped the king. It was too late! The damage was done, for as he slammed the door a noise echoed through the castle. The vase had broken! Simpkins was thrown in jail that very night. He muttered that it was only an acci- dent until the king could stand it no longer. After the king had finished his dinner he went up the stairs to his bed chamber in a raging temper. The servants started flock- ing to their quarters, and the cape of dark- ness settled over the kingdom. Peace and quiet reigned now. Suddenly a glorious light illuminated the kingdom! Out of the sky descended an angel. Wake up, the glorious creature cried. The time has come for me to tell you who shall read the golden paper! The news spread like wildfire! People thronged out of their houses to hear the ex- citing message. Everybody was crowding around the angel and whispering to each other - everybody but poor Simpkins who was locked up in his lonely cell. The angel searched the crowd and cried. 'AThere is the one chosen to read the golden paper. At that very moment a golden light shone down from the dark sky upon a lone- ly figure. It was Simpkins! LORRAINE IVIURRAY-Grade VI Through The Knot Hole Once there was a little girl named Ginny. One summer holiday she went to stay with her grandmother. Her grand- mother lived by herself in an enormous house with a beautiful garden and sweet smelling flowers and trees. Ginny's room was on the top floor fac- ing a beautiful leafy tree. The room was very large and her bed was very soft. One night she heard voices in the wall. She got out of bed very slowly and felt her way around the room. Then she went over to the place where she heard the voices. She pushed the wall with all her might and the wall opened. There was a long winding staircase. She tiptoed down the stairs. The voices were getting louder and louder. There was a door at the end of the stairs with a round knot hole in it. She listened very carefully to what three men were saying. They were planning to rob her grandmother. She tiptoed up the stairs and up to her room. When she got there she turned on the light and hurried to her grandmothers room and told her all that had happened. Her grandmother phoned the police. They caught the criminals and a week later Ginny and her grandmother learned they had caught three of the most danger- ous men in the country. LINDA WATSON-Grade VI . a 4 Z Y 9 pl fl. IT? g r, 4 A-1-'1r , X- l i ff Q T u! ' l T I IM!! M T Tl fill ,Now new THIS on ma... may Two... imp THREE.. .' ' KATHRYN NEILSON