Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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Now, when he had finished, I have played for you, and my little playfellows will help you find your friends. The lovely nymphs crowded about her, and taking her hands, seemed to lead her, calling in soft and sweet persuading tones. She stumbled, and sitting up, found Jeanne shaking her and crying, Peggy! Peggy! in her ear, and there stood Mr. Martin, looking anxiously at her. Come, Jeanne and Mar- garet, he said, we must start back, or your mother will think we kidnaped you. When they were in the machine on the way home, she whispered in Jeanne ' s ear: Oh, Jean, I saw Pan and all of the nymphs and dryads. I wish you could have been with me and seen that all was true that Miss Rily told us about Pan and his music. ELIZABETH BIGGERSTAFF. THE CACTUS PLANTS PEDRO, a little Mexican boy, lived in the desert country of Southern California. His home was m a little two-room hut up a small canyon. It was several miles to the nearest school, so Pedro always rode a donkey. Now, both had bad tempers, Pedro ' s perhaps the most violent. This was a bad combination. One hot afternoon in early fall, when the two were slowly return- ing from school, the Mexican boy seemed especially irritable. It had been a bad day at school for him, and his donkey would not go fast enough to suit. After withstanding several blows, the enraged animal lifted up his hind legs and consequently, poor Pedro was flung into the air. He landed in a patch of prickly cactus. His donkey started off towards home, which luckily, was not far away. As it was fall, the beautiful creamy-yellow cactus flowers were in full bloom. The blossoms on this group of plants seemed to be larger and more satiny than any of the others. Taking no notice of this, Pedro, in his anger, took a stick and beat the bushes all to pieces. He little thought of the damage he was creating. The cactus bushes, being the only ones in that vicinity, were a shelter to many little animals. Thinking the bushes were beaten sufficiently, Pedro sat down to pick the stickers from his trousers. Suddenly, he noticed something kicking. It was a poor little rabbit that he had unkowingly injured with his stick. Pedro lifted the little animal into his arms and started for home. When they arrived, Pedro put the rabbit m a box and fed it.

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orest Fancies MARGARET was on her way to the Great Forest with the Martins. They whirled along the shady road chatting occasionally, but when they came to the Great Forest they were awed into silence by the grand old guards that had stood for centuries. My, almost whispered Margaret, as they softly sped over the thick carpet of pine needles, my, I would hate to get lost in here. Why, Peggy, exclaimed Merry Jeanne, with a laugh, all you would have to do would be to ask Pan to help you. Don ' t you remember what Miss Riley was telling us about yesterday? Yes, indeed, I do remember, but I do not think I will have to follow your suggestion. How dark it is getting as the trees grow thicker. They went on a little farther into the gradually darkening forest, and then stopped to picnic. After lunch the two girls wandered off and were soon swallowed up by the trees. Oh, Peggy, exclaimed Jeanne, after they had walked some dis- tance, I left my watch with the lunch and it may be thrown away. I must get it! Just go on. I will catch up with you, and she darted away. On and on Margaret rambled, forgetting where she was, so deep was she in her thoughts. Finally, she came to herself with a start, and looking at her watch, exclaimed, Why, she has been gone half an hour, and I didn ' t know it. I had better hurry back, it must be time to start home, and she hurried off in the direction she thought she had come. After half an hour of wandering, completely dazed, she at last sat down, and leaning her head against a tree, closed her eyes wearily. The next instant she started up in surprise. Why, where does that exquisite music come from? she thought. Looking through the trees, she saw the queerest object she had ever laid eyes on — a creature, half man, half goat, dressed in a skin, sat with his legs crossed on a stump, playing on reed pipes. His shaggy bearded countenance looked somewhat familiar. It ' s Pan himself, she whispered, half delighted, half frightened. Indeed, it is Pan, answered that person, removing his pipes to answer her. Won ' t you come and listen to my music? Then he turned, and putting his pipes to his hps, played such exquisite music that even the birds ceased their singing to listen, and at once, from all sides, came floating nymphs and dryads. They came in groups, dancing and swaying, graceful and slender, like flowers in the breeze. F

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The boy ' s mother then said to him, Pedro, where did you find this little rabbit? She heard Ped.o ' s story and told him about the little creatures that depend upon the cactus for a Living. The timid little rabbits seek refuge in its shade, the birds make their meals from its fruit and the little mice have their nests underneath. When the little rabbit was stronger, Pedro let it go one morning on h:s way to school. It crept thankfully under a large cactus bush and Pedro rode happily onward. MARY GRIXXELL. OUR SQUIRREL FRIEND ONE summer mv family and I took our vacation in the Sierra Moun- tains. We made the acquaintanc e of many animals and birds, but the one we liked best was a squirrel. His name was Nip Ear, because he had been bitten by a dog on his ear. This happened when we first came. My sister, as soon as she was told about it, gave him his name. Every morning we would put a few nuts on our porch for h:m. and then retire to the house to watch him eat. I had always had a longing to feed him with my own hands, and, as he became more and more tame, I resolved to try it. One morning, instead of doing as usual with the nuts, I sat on the steps with them in my lap. In this position, I waited for what seemed to me an hour, but m reality it was only a few minutes. Finally the little squirrel ran down a tree, and was about to come up the steps, when suddenly he stopped short, his front feet in the air, looking at me suspiciously. hen he saw I did not move, he came slowly up to where I sat, never taking his eyes off me. Suddenly he grabbed a nut and scampered off to a safe distance and ate it. These actions he repeated until all the nuts were gone, each time with less suspicion. After this I often fed him in that way. He grew very tame and once even ventured to climb on my shoulder. But I fed him only once after this. One day, a few men with guns, and hunting clothes on, came up the road. A squirrel ran across in front of them. W e were almost panic- stricken, for we recognized him as Nip Ear. The foremost man shot and our little friend fell on the ground. The man who had shot ad- vanced and picked him up and threw him in the bushes. After that little Nip Ear never visited up again. KATHERIXE DEACOX.