Burbank Junior High School - Wizard Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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SICK LITTLE BABY From a worn little hut made only of sod, Came the heart-rending plea of a mother to God. Her clothes were all tattered; the babe, blue with cold; From worry and hardships the mother was old. Oh please, God, she pleaded to Him up above. Please don ' t take my baby; he ' s all that I love. You ' ve taken most everything else that I had, Oh, God, take my baby and I shall go mad! Far into the night her sad vigil she kept While the sick little baby still feverishly slept. From a worn little hut made only of sod. Came the heart-rending plea of a mother to God. To the worn little hut made only of sod An angel descended with orders from God. The agonized mother now dropped to her knees And sent to the Father her heart-broken pleas. The sick little baby sighed deeply and went With the lovely white angel the Father had sent. --Irene Kehoe, L9 THE LUCKY CHAMPION The crowds were wild with applause. All eyes were on the fighting sweating, half-mad men in the field. They fought as fiercely as man will for love, honor, or fame. You think that I am describing a boxing match or a football game, but no, this is the year 1194; we are at the lists at Ashby. The men who have entered this tournament are becoming exhausted. As a man drops, he is crnshed by a warrior ' s galloping horse. Only three knights are left, one with a red maltese cross on his shield and two who have skulls painted on their black breast plates. The man with the red cross fights a brave but losing battle. He can not stand the powerful charges of the black knights. A pause for breath; then the battle goes on. By some ill luck the steed of one of the black knights stumbles over a groaning man. The knight falls to the ground. The Red Knight charges upon his opponent, who is too stunned by his friend ' s de parture to defend himself. The red cross on the knight ' s shield can be seen far away as he sweeps his antagonist to the ground. The winning knight is showered with honors. --Nels Nelson, L9

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A RACE FOR LIFE OR DEATH The stadium is filled with an excited, gay crowd of people. In a few Inltl the race .ill be on. Hipbones a sturdy lad is to race with Atalanta. Many a young man before him has trie., to defeat he no one has been able to do so. Atalanta has promised her nand in mar- riage to the one who wins the race with her, and death to the contestant who can ' t Ka p up with hor» Before the race Hippomenes prays to the gods for assistance. Venus hears his plea and brings golden apples from the Garden of Hesperides. Now the race is about to start. Atalanta and Hippomenes get on tne starting line and the sign to begin is given. They dasn off and Atalanta is in the lead. Hippomenes, seeing this, throws one of the golden apples ahead of Atalanta. Atalanta doesn ' t know whether to pick it up or not, but the oeauty of it overpowers her and she picks it up. At this moment Hippomenes catches up to her. Atalanta darts ahead again. Hippomenes then throws another apple ahead of her and she picks it up also. Again Hippomenes catches up to her. Now Hippomenes has only one apple left and they are nearing the end of the stretch, so he throws the last apple, hoping that Atalanta will stop for it. It rolls to the side of the track; Atalanta hesitates about picking it up but finally does. As she is stooping, a great shout and applause is heard. Hippomenes has won the racel — Anna Hamberg, L9 GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP Squeaky, the meadow mouse, was walking in a preoccupied way toward his home one bright sunny morning. He was suddenly startled by a shadow being cast on his path. Looking up, he saw Bushy Tail Fox. He wasn ' t a- fraid of Bushy Tail because Bushy Fox was a good sport and wouldn ' t harm him. Good morning, said Squeaky. Oood morning, saidBushy Tail. If you don ' t mind, I should like you to be one of my seconds in a duel I am going to have with Erother Coyo t e . Oh, why must you and Brother Coyote always fight duels? squeaked Squeaky, who was very kind-hearted and didn ' t like things that would cause bloodshed. I know you don ' t like it, but that is why I want you to be one of my seconds, because you ' ll see that everything is fair and square. Yes, it is better to have witnesses at such practices so that there ' ll be no foul play, and I am greatly honored that you have re- quested my presence, said Squeaky. Yes, and we have regarded your feelings too because we are going to fight with pointed sticks instead of our regular equipment. Oh, thank you, breathed Squeaky, you are so considerate and I ' ll try to be a fair judge. You and Brother Coyote will find that it causes less pain to fight with sticks. — Loretta Jordan, H9

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approach of winter The storm has come. ' The pines are moaning; The old oak ' s groaning; The lightning flashing, The thunder crashing, The wind a mighty blast. The storm has come. ' Now snow is swirling, Dead leaves are whirling; The earth grows blank, A pure white bank. And winter ' s here at last. --Florence Booth, L9 TRY AGAIN Harry Burton sat down by his locker reflecting that life was terri- ble and college was worse. He was a low senior, six feet three inches tall, and nineteen years old, who had always wanted to be a track star. He had won m„re than one race, but he lacked nerve. Years ago the doc- tor had said that Harry ' s heart was weak; Harry never forgot ' hose words and imagined that his heart was still weak. During tveiy herd r ce , when the stab of pain that every runner must endure hit him, Harry quit. as Harry sat by his locker pitying himself and his heart, his pal, Brick Hayward, walked in. brick came right to the point. You are yel- low ' Just plain yellow. ' ho said. Are you trying to tell me--? began Harry. Brick hastily replied. I ' m trying to tell you that there ' s nothing wrong with chat heart of yours. Do you re lize that the Hartford event is two weeks off and you sit here pitying yourself? You know that I can ' t boat bill Slowton In the 820, said Harry, I didn ' t last time or the time before and J never will. ' bisten, Sis. have you sver heard the words ' Try again ' ? With this Erick walked out. Two weeks passed. The Hvrtford, Billburt , and Gayford men were all out on the cinders warming up. Brick, the captain, looked up and saw Harry anxiously watching Pill Slowton, Hertford ' s fast- est man. For the first time in two weeks, Brick spoke ip Harry. He said, Are you going to try to win, Sis? Harry looked into those steady gray eyes and said, I ' ll try. The rest of the events wont only too quickly for Harry and before he knew it, On your narks. Get set: Co! • Thoy were off! Slowton of Hartford first, Berry second, and the Billburt mar next Harry ' s mind was working as smoothly us his brawny legs. He had purposely If t Slowton get aaeai of him to m ike him use more wind but now re, Harry Burton of Gaylord College, w is put to his greatest test. He knew chat he could p-:ss Slowton, but his heart! I have no heart. mutt. -red Harry, deliberately. He gathered all his speed and tried to pass dlov ton but he coulun ' t! With a surprised look on hie face, he trie again, and again. F tin clawed every limb, I ' ll try, he muttered. Something hit his chest very lightly and then all went black. He woko up in his own bed in the fraternity house. That awful pain was gone and he hoard Erick ' s familiar voice saying Yoh, -Bis, you did try, huh? -- Jacqueline Wri ht, H9