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

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23 The Golliwog's Dream One night as the Golliwog lay in his old big bed, he dreamed a very peculiar dream which I will tell you. The Golliwog dreamed that he was walking in the woods one day, picking flowers. But he didn't know he was walking into the witches' forest. The trees he passed weren't really trees, but they were really goblins of all sorts. As he went on, he often leaned against a tree, and one he leaned against was a very ticklish goblin. The goblin at once began to giggle and the Golliwog heard him. Then all the trees started changing into their goblin faces, and at once the Golliwog began to run. The trees were in a straight line each side. Then he realized he was getting out of breath. At the end, the big old witch jumped out in front of him and cackled and cackled. Then the Golliwog started to go back, but one of the trees stuck out its branch and the Golliwog tripped over it. The old witch was just about to pounce on him when suddenly one of the springs popped up from the old bed, gave the Golliwog a pinch, and woke him up. But I don't think he would have wanted to finish the dream anyway. HEATHER CAMPBELL, Grade V Lester B. Pearson This is a personal story about my uncle, Lester B. Pearson. As you probably know, he is very amusing. When he stays with us, and that is usually for a few winks of sleep and a piece of toast, he always manages something that makes us roar with laughter. He has a gift for turning upf setting situations into funny ones. When I was a little girl and just learning to ride a bike, Daddy would put me on it and pushed me down the hill. I always fell off in the thistles at the bottom of the hill and cried. Then once when Unca Mike came, he rode my same small bike down the hill. We laughed so hard I comf pletely forgot to be sad. And what other grown' up besides Uncle Mike would run down our hill in a strong wind with his coat flying behind, using it as a sail? When we heard late in October that Pearson, as the papers call him, had won the Nobel Peace Prize I did not understand what it meant, therefore I did not know how great a man it took to win the award. When he again came to stay, he was going across Canada making speeches. All I could say was, i'Congratulations. Gee you're lucky. Thank you, was the calm answer. Uncle Mike was the first Canadian to win this Prize and the first in two years to receive it. He was so surprised and moved that the papers say he was thunderstruck by the news. Only a few people have ever won this award and among them is the famous Albert Schweitzer. I am very proud that Uncle Mike was given this very great honour. JANE Moonr, Grade VI GRADES TWO AND THREE

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22 A Horse Named Spirit Spirit was born among loud shouts and the sound of guns, for his mother, Lady Ellen, and his father, Flag, were horses that carried soldiers and oflicers to and from battles. When the men saw Spirit they could not decide what to do. We will have to shoot him, said some. We cannot spare Lady Ellen and Flag and we cannot look after him ourselves. Then Lieutenant Carter stepped up to the Colonel and said, May I have him, Sir? Very well, said the Colonel. but I do not see what use he can be to you. Time passed quickly, and in a year the war was over. During that time Spirit grew to love his master more and more and even the Colonel was beginning to think Spirit had some good in him. When the time came for Lieutenant Carter to leave Holland for his home in Kamloops, B.C, he had a lot of trouble getting Spirit on to the boat for Spirit had never seen such a large boat. When the Lieutenant reached Kamloops his wife, Ann, met him with a sad face. Things haven't been going well, have they? he asked her. No, they haven't. Ever since you left things have been going wrong, answered his wife. We may have to sell the farm. We won't do that, said her husband Hrmly. Then he led her over to where Spirit was waiting for him. Maybe hes the answer, he said. His name is Spirit and hes as fast as greased lightning. I'm going to enter him in the Fall race. The prize is two thousand dollars. So Spirit spent the summer in hard training for the race. The day of the race was cold and nippy. It was just the kind of day the Carters had been hoping for. just before Ann took Spirits blanket off, she whispered, Please do your best, pleasef' Then the Lieutenant came up, mounted, waved, and rode away. Good luck, Ann called after them. Good luck. Five minutes later she was sitting in the grand' stand, her hands clenched and her face white. She watched the horses coming down the home stretch with Spirit gaining fast on the leading horse, Black Boy. Then, in a flash the race was over, and Spirit had won. Later, after Ann had congratulated her husf band, she went over to Spirit, put her arm around his neck and said, You're a wonderful horse, aren't you? and Spirit agreed with a nod of his head. KATHRYN NBILSON, Grade IV I Wonder Why I wonder why the grass is green, I wonder why the winds not seen, I wonder why the birds can fly, I wonder why. I wonder why the bubbly stream Makes people want to lie and dream, I wonder why the weedless field Has so much corn and wheat to yield, I wonder why. I wonder why the colourful flowers To grow, need sun and gentle showers, I wonder why the nightingale sings, I wonder, oh! so many things. LAURIB GRANT, Grade V The Fiery Dragon There once was a King. He had a beautiful palace, trees, and everything a King could want. But there was only one thing that worried him. It was the Fiery Dragon. That dragon could make fire come out of his claws, out of his mouth, eyes, and tail. At night he would come to the Kings palace and take the most beautiful maiden away. At last the King got tired of it, and said he would not have it any longer. One brave and handsome knight, called Black Beard, thought of all the beautiful maidens taken away by the wicked dragon, for among them was the one he was going to marry. He went to the King to see if he would let him go and search for the dragon. The King said he could. He travelled and travelled. One day he found an old cave. He heard somebody come out of the cave. and it was the dragon. He quickly dressed in his dragons costume, and paced an electric tube so that fire would come out of his claws, mouth, tail, and eyes. He went over to the real dragon and asked, Why do you torment people? If you are a dragon, you should behave like one, came the reply. Well, you see I come from a different land. Different land? He had fainted. Black Beard got a sword and stabbed the beast twice, because dragons have to be stabbed twice before they are killed. He went in and rescued the twelve maidens, but there were only eleven horses there. So the one he was going to marry rode on his horse. When they got to the palace, Black Beard got married to the maiden, and at the feast they had dragons meat, and they lived happily ever after. Junrm CLOUGH, Grade IV

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24 The Big, Bold Pirate The big bold pirates of the seven seas Started their voyage when the sails caught the breeze. In search of great treasures a boat they sank, They saved the women, but the men walked the plank. The frightened women for ransom they sold In exchange for a shipload full of gold. After several days they sighted land Where gold was said to be at handg They docked at port, their shovels were unloaded, And to save some work, dynamite was exploded. For several days they dug in ditches, And as a reward they struck many riches. They pulled up the anchor and sailed off again To End other riches on the old Spanish Main. IRBNB BROWN, Grade VI The Voyage of the Hernandos Have you ever had a real adventure? I have. Would you like to hear about it? We left Spain with a cargo of valuable jewels and were bound for England. The ship we were sailing was called the Hernandos. We had only four cannons to protect the cargo and there were pirates roaming these waters. For two days everything went well. Then a strong west wind came up and blew us far off our course. Out here there were no friendly ships to help us should we need help. We did! Our ship had sprung a small leak, but however small, the leak was serious enough. We managed to patch it, but that was not to be the end of our troubles. Our sails were torn by the wind, and we drifted with no one on board knowing where we were. Three days passed and we drifted to shore. It was a strange shore, but at least it gave us a chance to mend our sails. Then, suddenly, a horde of strange people came rushing at us. They had dark skins and only a small piece of cloth about their middles. They were Indians, and they were wild! Quickly we sailed to safety. We were now short of supplies, but we saw a ship in the distance. It looked like a familiar ship, and it was. We sailed up beside it to ask if they would give us some supplies as we were in great need. We were terrified to find that it was manned by pirates. We were all captured and were forced to join the ship's original crew in the hold where they were all tied. There was hardly enough rope, so we were not tied very securely, and several of us managed to get free and untie the rest. Now we had two crews and could easily overpower the pirates. The only problem was the door. It was locked, but with so many of us, it was soon opened. Then began the battle. We secured weapons and started fighting. Soon we had the pirates in the hold tied securely. The pirates who had taken over the Hernandos surrendered when they saw what had happened. Both ships sailed to England and the pirates were placed in prison and the jewels were delivered safely. Our adventure did not end so tragically after all. IRBNB Hunnnivr, Grade VI Swimming I love to go swimming In a big, big pool, When the water is warm And not very cool. For if it was cool, I would shiver and shake, I must obey rules Or I'll get tummy ache. JEAN RILEY, Grade III Over the Hill Over the hill once lived a wicked Witch who was always sad. She never could cast a spell on the princess. So she stopped and decided to catch her. But how? She decided to disguise herself. She dressed like the Duchess of Ireland. She got to the palace and knocked at the door and walked in. The usher took her to the princess's bedroom and she caught the princess and took her to the cave over the hill. The cave was dark and it was cold, and the princess soon started to shiver. She wanted to go home because she was scared. The witch was ugly, her nose was long and fat. She had on a tall black hat. O, how the princess wished she could see her mother and father. At the palace they decided to surround the witch and get the princess. So the guards took their guns and set off for the cave. They attacked the cave and got the princess. They rode over the hill to the palace. They lived happily ever after. DIANNB Guin, Grade III