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

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18 Trouble Joan and her little brother, Bobby, had just arrived at the seafside and were down on the beach for the first time. Of all children they should have been most happy and content, but do you think they were? Oh dear, no. They had never been in such a bad mood. They quarrelled and grumbled about every' thing. Mother had bought them two new spades -one with red paint on it, the other with green, and they fought for the red one, though the green one was just as good. One new pail had a little dent in it. So they struggled for possession of the other one. When they had finished arguing, the other pail also had a dent in it. When they finally began to dig, they both wanted to build in the same place, as if there was no room for both to play on the great wide beach. Well, you look happy, said Mother, walking up to them. If this is how you are going to spend your holiday, you had better go home. It was her fault, bellowed Bobby. No, it wasn'tg it was his, cried joan. He jumped on my castle. She was digging where I wanted to, wailed Bobby as he pointed to his overturned pail. Oh dear! Oh dear! cried Mother putting her hands to her ears. You sound like two little goblins! I'm not a goblinf' cried Bobby between his sobs. Well, you ought to see yourself in a mirrorf said Mother in disgust. But he shouldnlt have jumped on . . . began joan again. Oh, joan, do be quiet. Can't you see any' thing to be cheerful about on all this lovely beach? No, I can't, wailed joan. Then come with me, both of you, said Mother, taking their hands and leading them to a small circusflike building. I'll show you some' thing. Grumbling all the way, they failed to notice that Mother was leading them to a distorting mirror. Now, just look at yourselves, and see what other people think of you. They looked into the mirror, and what a sight they saw! Two queer little creatures with long tearfstained faces and short fat legs. Of course they could not be miserable any more. The two children laughed out loud. It was the sweetest music Mother had heard all morning. We did look like goblins, didn't we? cried Bobby. You certainly did, laughed Mother. Every time you quarrel or cry from now on, I'll send you to look in this mirror. LYNN TAYLoR,4Grade VII Mount Olympus Far up on Mount Olympus, high, Is the realm immortals occupy. Zeus is King and Hera Queen, Poseidon rules the sea, serene, And Cupid with his arrow and bow Sets many a lassie's love aglow. While Pallas Athene is very wise, Aphrodite lights men's eyes For she is fair-Goddess of Love. When we speak of the world above, We must include Diana who Reigns o'er maidens and hunting, too. Of Gods the Greeks had many more, Who now are known the whole world o'er. SUSAN RILEY-Grade VIII Prizefwinning Poem- Intermediate Literary Competition A Day to Remember Yes, smiled my grandmother, when I was a child, Christmas was a day to remember in the dreary, long wintry months. For weeks in advance we would think of presents to make-gifts were made in those days, not bought. Mama would make padded coat hangers out of feather ticking, and cover them in a cheery red or blue, ornamented with tiny white bows. Papa would bring home all sorts of candies, ribbon, Christmas balls, and other pretty decoraf tions, for he owned the only General Store in our village of St. Anne's. Robert, my brother, who is your uncle, and I, would work diligently and have our sums com' pleted before bedtime. Then we would begin making gifts or cards. After this, just before we went to bed, Papa would read us a small excerpt from the Christmas story in the Bible. My mother and I would bake Christmas cookies, and adorn them with coloured sugar and 'dots'. This was our surprise for the rest of the family. My father and brother would cut the tree as their surprise. The night before Christmas, we would gather in the parlour to decide who would decorate the tree. There was always the question, 'Would you rather help to decorate the tree, or be surprised? I usually answered, I should like very much to be surprised, please? The whole day long, the hustle and bustle made me want to 'peek', but somehow I always restrained myself. After supper we would sing carols around the tree. How superb the tree was! Strings of cranberry and popcorn hung in gay festoons from all sides. Coloured balls, crimson and blue, and my cookies, hung from each branch.

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17 Friendly Enemies Dinner Time, announced Theodore Murphy, looking at his gold watch. I hope they left some Swiss cheese. Theodore was not a man, or a boy, but a chubby, beige mouse. He lived with his family in an oldffashioned house in the city. The Murphy mouse family lived peacefully behind the sugar bin, in the kitchen. Out scampered Theodore. He ran across the kitchen and onto the lowest shelf of the cupboard and stuffed some food into his waistcoat pockets. He returned to the sugar bin and the Murphy family settled down for their dinner. There was the usual quarrel over who gets what, but soon they were eating peacefully. Did anybody see you? inquired Mrs. Murphy. No. Madam never comes into the kitchen, and Kitty, the cook, is very shortfsighted. She wou1dn't harm us, anyway, because I heard her tell the mistress that she used to have a pet mouse, said Theodore, between bites. They ate heartily, and went to bed. In the middle of the night, Theodore woke with a jerk. What was that? he asked himself. Could it be? . . . No, no, of course not! It couldn't be a dog barking. He soon dozed off again. The next morning, the rosy sun shone into the bin and woke the mice with its warm beams tickling their little noses. Theodore dressed, and scampered into the kitchen to find some breakfast. He had just reached the cupboard when . . . Ruff! Ruff! Grrrr! Two huge creatures charged at him! He ran like lightning until he reached the bin. Mrs. Murphy was jumping up and down squeaking, Eek! Eek! Eek! What was it? cried the scared twins. A dog, panted Theodore. And what's more-two dogs! The Murphy family spent three miserable days with very little food. Theodore managed to escape each night, to the kitchen and hunt for scraps, but that was all. One night when Theodore had crept into the cupboard, he smelt something burning. He looked at the stove and gasped. The cook has left a pan of grease on the stove. She forgot to turn the burners off! Suddenly a blazing flame leapt up from the pan. Then more flames, and more! The cupboards were on fire, and soon the door would be too. Theodore was desperate! He ran into the pantry where the dogs slept and managed to wake them by squeaking. The chase was on! Theodore led them to the kitchen. The poodles stopped, sniffed, and then howled. The cook and butler rushed into the kitchen. Here, here! What are you barking for, you silly mu . . . Fire! Fire! screamed the cook. After some time, the Ere was put out and every' body was settled. The dogs received some bread and bones as a reward from the cook, and the house was quiet again. The next morning, Theodore peeped out of the bin, and saw the poodles, Dufy and Louis, talking to each other. Then Dufy nodded his head and they both pushed some food in front of the bin. Soon the dogs and mice became the best of friends. The mice helped to remove burs from the dogs' fur, and every morning, a neat little pile of food appeared outside the sugar bin for the Murphy family. KATHLEEN CURRY, Grade VIII The Lake QThree Moodsb A raindrop falls on a glassy surface, And then another, besmearing it with shining circles Until the hissing fills the quiet air With whispered tales of tranquillity. Rumblings in the distance-nature's warning of her Hercest mood- A sudden rake of bluefwhite fire rends the black, restless clouds, Then a crash, and sheet upon sheet of rain. Squalls mottle the surface like hacklesg The wind sends the waves foaming, grappling, straining To reach their tormentorg A sickly pine shudders-surrenders- Falls-as a sacrificial appeasement. A breathless night and silent . . . A huge and yellow sphere in a velvet sky Sends its light shimmering across the water. A loon cries out into the loneliness, Another answers from afar, Its sorrow rippling over the surface, Others join in sympathy, The echoes come back crazily, and in thousandffold Until the lake is ringing. Louisa MCKENTY, Grade XI J I ilii A in in - 1 - P. T. LANE PATRICIA McMAHON

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Beautiful coloured candles, the only light in the room, added to the festivity. A blue star always graced the top, and I called it 'the blue star of Bethlehemf On Christmas morning, we would scurry downstairs, two at a time, to the presents. One year I received my first pair of buttonedftoftheftop boots and a divine pair of white kid gloves. How proud I was! After opening our presents, we went to church, bundled in the red sleigh, and then all the family and relations gathered for a traditional, grand family dinner. To end the day, we gathered around the creche and sang carols, and dreamed of the gift that brought great joy to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. Yes, Christmas in my day was a day to remember, she repeated as she handed me my Christmas present and wished me a happy Christmas. JOANNE RILEY, Grade VIII BLACKBOARD DRAWING by ELSA RENSAA, Crude X. How Boiled Rice Came About- Perhaps In North America lived many Indian tribes. One large tribe was the Plains Indians. In a small tent lived a poor family consisting of a mother, White Fawn, a brother, Clumsy One, a father, Big Hunter, and a sister, Cross One. Every year in the autumn, the tribe went down to the marshes and gathered wild rice. This they soaked and dried, and ate in the winter. It was very hard to 19 eat because it was like leather, but it kept hunger from gnawing at their stomachs. One day as White Fawn was soaking some rice, it began to grow cold and she told Cross One to build a Ere. Cross One built the fire and told Clumsy One to get some stones to make a fireplace. When Clumsy One returned with the stones, he tripped on the protruding root ofa tree and spilled the stones into the fire. When he had picked him' self up, he pulled one of the stones out with a stick and picked it up. It was so hot that it burned his fingers and he dropped it right into the bowl of rice. Since they never wasted anything, this rice was also saved, and one day was eaten. It tasted so good and was so easy to eat that after that they always dropped hot stones in with the rice and boiled it. MARGARET BERRY, Crade VII The Revenge She stood tall and straight on the edge of the cliff. Her sharp ears heard the lonely call ofa loon across the lake. The wind rustled the leaves around her. Beside her stood a dark dog, his great bulk mingling in the shadows with her delicate lovelif ness. The sun sank slowly as the canoe came closer. She remembered her home in the wilderness. The long hot summers, alone except for her friends -the dark dog, a squirrel, and a lynx. She could not remember her parents, they remained only charred ruins and yellow sand in a shaft. She remembered the first canoe that had tried to land. Lobo had frightened it away. Years later, another appeared, but its occupants had not feared Lobo. They carried long, loud sticks of death, very very different from the silent knife which she used to kill. She remembered the look in their eyes as they found the yellow sand in the shaft. They went away but returned-was it only one moon ago? The three occupants of the canoe were now clearly visible. A man and two large women frantically paddled for the safety of shore. They seemed in fear of something, yet, nothing followed them. The three did not notice the silent figure on the cliff above. The shadow above watched them land and make camp. Darkness settled. Then she moved, silently and steadily, down the rocky path. She reached the clearing where they slept. Her cat' like eyes found each figure on the ground .... Slowly she glided into the canoe and left the island, the big dog always at her side. The bodies of her victims were soon left far behind. JO'ANN ANDIKEWS, Grade XI