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

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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

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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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20 X X 11110 if f f l h 7 f' Z X Z ' Z U Z' U 7110 T 5 f5,9 9 ! I Z 7 Z. lm Qfffiffffffffffff, ,, ' I 'I My Two Birds I have two birdsg one is green and one is blue. The green one is called Timmy and the blue one, Bluebell. Mother lets them out of the cage after I have my dinner. We have fun. Timmy loves balloons and sits on my hand and head. One night we let out the birds and they began to play with their toys. They had a toy called Mamma Bunny, and Timmy pushed it up and down with his beak. Bluebell sat on its body and peeked it. Then mother put the birds back into the cage and we all went to bed. HELEN HAY-GfHdC I The Fat Family There once was a bat That was terribly fat, And there was a cat That was fatter than that. The sweet little mouse That lay in the house Was afraid of the cat- And the cat of the rat. LINDA HELLOFS+GfHdC I Forest People Forest people have a very large home, With acres and acres in which to roam. Animals big, and animals small Pass by each other in a common hall. CATHERINE HAMILTON1GfHd6 V The Wicked Witch I was walking in the forest and I saw a house. I went into the house and a witch said, Now I will put you in a cage, and the witch went to the kitchen and brought the snake soup. I had to Cat it. Then she let me out and I ran home. ANNA HUNT-Grade I F m he mmf f m!!! I The Messy Puppy Messy puppy was a happy puppy, but when the little puppy was grown up it had little babies. One puppy's name was Tip. When the mother went out, Tip had fun in the green grass in the sun. The mother dog came back and she said, Now I will feed all of you. When the puppies had finished, they played together until the sun went down. JOANNE SwYsTuN-Grade I The Sun Sun, sun, you are so bright, How do you get so much light? Where do you go when it is night? Young lady, I go out of sight. JOYCE KINzIE-Grade II The Singing Tree Once upon a time there was a singing tree. It lived in a kingdom where a princess called Elizabeth lived. Every day that the princess came out, the tree sang, 'Tm quite big but Elizabeth is wee, for I'm past five and Elizabeth's just three. Elizabeth asked some girls to hear the singing tree. While the girls were there, the tree sang to them. It sang about a golden crown full of jewels like the King's. It sang about little girls who were like the jewels in the crown. All the girls clapped their hands and thanked the tree. MARTHA PENNocIc-Grade II My Monkey I have a little monkey who lives in a treeg He can swing by his tail and chatter like a bee. He has a round, round nose and short brown hairg He has curled up toes and the rain he cannot bear. CATHERINE NEWCOMBE-Grade III