Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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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.

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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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The Thrilling Experience of a Little Calf IN THE winter of 1893, while my father had charge of a large ranch on the Sacramento River, there were quantities of snow in the mountains, which melted and caused the river to rise at the rate of one inch per hour. My father saw the danger of the river overflowing its banks and also the levees, which are made of dirt piled up several feet high above the river bank to protect the farms. He called his working men together and they filled sacks with dirt and piled them on top of the levee. They saw that the water would soon overflow the sacks of dirt, so the men raised the levee by using long boards, twelve inches wide. Even this was not sufficient and they saw that, in spite of their efforts, the water would creep over the top of the boards and flood the land. The next thing to do was to save the horses and cows, and all were turned loose except one little calf which was left in the barn by mistake. My father and the men were compelled to desert the farm in order to save their lives. The next day they returned in boats, riding over the top of the fences. The water had come in with such force that the house had been turned around and shifted to another spot. The water stood about three feet deep in the house and was rushing with great speed around the corners of the house and barn. During the flood some boards had been torn off of the barn at one corner and this little calf had walked out. My father found him standing in scarcely any water, while all around him the water was about three feet deep. On account of the swiftness of the water, it rushed around the corner of the barn, leaving a little shallow place where the calf found room to stand and thereby save his life. The men put him in their boat and took him to safety. MARY ROBIN STEINER. WILDFIRE LAST summer when I was north visiting relatives, a rodeo was held in town. Among the horses was a wonderful, milk-white Arabian steed. He was very high-spirited and the most beautiful animal I have ever seen. Arabian horses are very rare in this country so my father and I, both being very fond of horses, inquired about this unusual creature. The