St Johns Ravenscourt School - Eagle Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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! JL 92 escne on the ce L Jhe A)ooJs 2 uringf a iStoym It was late in the night when Johnny Kootchuk and his friend, Nakum Kodak, returned from their hunting expedition. They were tired and glum. Their tribe had not been able to locate any signs of walruses . . . the situation was serious. “Nakum, we must find game soon or we shall starve. All the men of our village have gone to the trading post to exchange pelts for other goods that we need. Just the women and children are left and the men won’t be back for weeks!” “You are right, Johnny, the situation is desper¬ ate, but I have an idea. We will split up into groups, you will take Naki and I will take Chinook. We will depart first thing in the morning and meet here at sunset.” With this thought in mind the two friends parted. The next day would mean life or death. Next morning the two groups set out as planned. Nakum and Chinook found signs of their prey al¬ most immediately. A few minutes passed, the beast was now in range; a quick flick of the wrist and the animal fell to the ground . . . dead. The walrus was no sooner hoisted out of the water when the ridge of ice that the boys were standing on broke off! The ice sheet was over two miles in diameter. All they had were a few matches and a knife. The sun was setting. For protection they built an igloo. A storm had blown up so the boys retired to their igloo. Within an hour their hut was blown away! There they were, asleep in freezing tem¬ peratures. When they woke up they found them¬ selves in their rooms at home! Johnny and Nakum were standing over them and Johnny explained: “When the storm broke out we went back to the village, thinking you would do the same. When we found that you were not there we were worried. Then we went out to look for you. Soon we came to the carcass of the walrus. When we looked closely, we found the remains of a snow fort. Naki looked out into the bay and saw a mass of plain ice on which were two black figures. We took our kayak to the ice, carried you both back to it and paddled back to the village. Then we brought back the walrus and here we are. “Safe at last,” said Chinook with a weak grin. —Nathan Kobrinsky Form 7 The world was at the mercy of the storm. The lightning flashed. Above, the wind sheered the trees, the thunder cracked and roared making the earth quiver and shake. In the foreground, trees which couldn’t stand the fury of the storm came thundering to the water-saturated earth carrying everything which was in their deathly path. The creatures of the wild were terrified and some were running hypnotically into the falling trees and were crushed to death by the weight. Others ran to get away from the storm, not looking to see if the creature beside him was the hunter or the hunted. I, too, ran half out of my senses, stumbling over everything at my feet. The rain now came down in torrents and struck you with such force that the droplets felt like a thousand wasp-bites. I dropped in my tracks at the foot of a steep cliff and found shelter under an overhang of the moss and fungus covered rock form. There I sat, wet and gasping for air. During the most ruthless part of the storm’s fury a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and set a battered fur tree ablaze. The storm soon proved that it was weakening by having the rains subside and the thunder and lightning were limited to the center of the storm. By the time the next morning had rolled around, the sun was able to cast its golden beams on all the damage and destruction of the storm. —Jamie Campbell Form 7 EW cv Summer is the time for fun When I can jump and laugh and run, When I don’t have to wear a coat, And 1 can often sail a boat Upon the lake by rocky shore And listen while the rapids roar. This is the time when in the trees The birds sing many songs with ease; Their pretty colours catch the eye As they pursue the fire-fly. The lonesome loon with checkered back Disturbs me when I hit the sack. The chipmunks and the saucy squirrels Keep Mother Nature in a whirl; The snake glides softly through the grass Towards the wood-pile where I pass With fishing rod and spinning-reel, And Smokey nosing at my heel. 87 ■George Newman Form 6

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iteravy Jltil wa y While approaching the Midway, the first sign of it is the ear-splitting din of the calliope, but when you are right in the thick of it, the hubbub changes to the clamor and racket of the “rides”, each one with its part icular form of music. Then come the many barkers, with their raucous voices attempting to persuade people to see their shows or buy their wares. While the spectators observe the caged animals, the howling, roaring, growling, and bawling of the lions, tigers, monkeys, and others is distracting to the ear. The Midway has a smell of its own. There is the pungent odour of onions from hamburgers, the reeking fumes of hot fat used for some of their foods and for most of their cooking. As you pass by the caged animals, ammoniacal odours assail the nostrils. The overall pitcure of the Midway is bright and glittering. Everything which is paintable is painted in bright glaring colours. There are coloured, bright, fluttering pennants everywhere. The per¬ formers are dressed in shiny clothes and gaudy costumes. All this garishness is done for a purpose; it is to excite your senses and put you in a free spend¬ ing mood. —Jim Black Form 7. “hockey rink” but they didn’t know it. By climb¬ ing up a wall they found a trap-door. They opened it and saw the strangest things—some two-armed creatures with metal feet and leather hands . . . in these hands they held a wood thing with which they hit each other and a round black thing, and tried to get it into a type of cage. In front of the cage was a monster trying to stop the little thing. In the midst of a very exciting play, the referee looked up and saw, of all things, two monkeys dangling from a time-clock, while a player was about to shoot. He blew his whistle and asked everyone to remain seated while he closed all the exists and phoned the zoo. Later he came back and began to say, “I have just phoned the zoo to tell them about this. We will, since the period is only thirty seconds old, start again . . .” Very shortly the zoo attendant came along. “How can we get them down from there?” one asked. “That is a good question,” replied the other. They thought and thought. “Can you lower the time- clock?” they asked the referee. “Yes,” he replied. So it happened that they lowered the clock and put the monkeys back in the cage to take them to the zoo. The monkeys liked it too! —David Searle Form 5 A few years ago, a shipment of monkeys came from a circus and many zoos. They were sent here because they needed training. All went well for a few months, but then they started acting in a funny manner. They tried to get out, so were put in a larger cage. When they were fed, the attend¬ ant dropped his keys without knowing it. The monkeys saw this and thought of some¬ thing. They got the keys and were about to open the door when some people came along. “Look at the monkey with the toy keys,” one cried. They all laughed and soon went away. Very shortly the monkeys broke out of their cage and ran around the zoo. An hour later they found an exit and ran around the town. Soon they came to a very strange place that we call a anis The old schooner sailed On the summer sea, And left the islands Behind with glee. Filled to the brim With Spanish gold, She cut the waves With ten men bold. A storm blew up With rain and thunder And by the morning The ship was under. The gold is left For those who dare To cross the sea, And find it t here. , QM —Royden Richardson Form 6 86

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an d JMU c u Ricky and Mickey were two bad brothers, They fought themselves and they fought others, They tried and tried to get their rights But it always ended up in fights. They fought awake, they fought in bed, They fought for years until they were dead. One fine day in the month of June, They saw a violin playing a tune; They argued about who would smash it And it ended by them both saying dash-it. The violin had run away And they were left to sit all day. They sat and sat until they were sore, And then they began to fight some more. They fought and fought on top of the hill, And maybe they are fighting still . . . —Jim Black Form 7 EW Stain Si treet at JVc oon Although the street had been by no means empty previously, with the sounding of the noon signals, there was a noticeable increase in noise and traffic volume. Main Street at noon became bedlam. Office workers and shoppers spewed from door¬ ways and side streets, joining the throng crowding the main thoroughfare. Individually and in groups people were rushing along the street. Most were in frantic haste to reach their objective: a restaurant or lunch-counter for a hurried meal. Sidewalk drawlers were given malevolent stares or dis¬ courteous shoves by people who were in a hurry. On the road, cars and buses added their clamour. Tires screeched, brakes squealed and horns blared. From a side street the undulating whine of a police siren added to the din. The putrid stench of diesel exhaust was evident in the atmosphere trapped between the canyon walls of brick, steel, and glass. Main Street at noon was not a haven of tran¬ quillity. —Rorie Bruce Form 7 C77 e Sleigh 9 QiJt We approached our destination, a hill in Stony Mountain. Our feelings were depicted by the looks of fear and determination on our faces. It would indeed be a thrill, though a dangerous one! Peer¬ ing down the age old path we immediately recog¬ nized the texture to be very rough and rock- studded. We walked down to the bottom of the hill to ve rify the position of any unseen obstacle. Ascending to our previous position, we arranged the order of our runs. We were ready to go when we reached the peak. A sternal thrust and we were off, bounding down the hill at a terrific speed. The snow melted as it struck our scared faces. We dodged he rocks and branches by leaning to the right and left. We held on to one another as a drowning man clings to a straw, for in the event of a fall, our heads would be dashed against the sharp rocks. Our complete descent was soon at hand for though the hill was very long, it was also very steep, boosting our speed. The verical depth of the hill was soon adjoned by a horizontal plain. The speed of our sleigh slackened as we skimmed along the base of the hill. When we came to a full stop, we waited for the other sleigh to arrive. It was just then that we realized the full danger that had threatened our safety. The thrill of our adventure then ended, though it will never end to fill our hearts with the feeling of that sleigh ride. —Nathan Kobrinsky Form 7 EW The UJinJ From the East, West, South and North, I issue forth with soft breezes and fierce winds; I gently blow through the trees with apparent ease, And then again, I whip the seas. I whip the plains in lashing fury, And then down lanes with a gentle flurry But here I cannot stay for I must be on my way; From the mountains, land, and sea, I make my way, carefree. —Michael Menzies Form 6 seasons The Winter’s bold With ground so cold, And lifeless stand the trees. The birds in Spring Are on the wing And flying in the breeze. In summer warm Great is the swarm Of little buzzing bees. In golden Fall The leaves die all, And brighter colours please. —Patrick Truelove Form 5 88