Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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The Green lldloll GN THE SHIP S. S. ALBANIA, bound for Africa, Margaret and Doris Allen and their parents were traveling. XVith the prospect of two more days at sea, the passengers were all having a happy time. The Allen girls had made many friends, but their particular ones were two boys of about their age who were traveling with their mother. Previously, to the joy of both fami- lies, they had found that they were all planning to go to the same small town of Kumassi in South Africa. They spent many hours in their deck chairs discussing the good times they were going to have when they reached Kumassi. The two days went very fast. all too fast to suit the passengers. Early on a hot Thursday morning the boat docked at the port of Akkra. After a day's stay at the best hotel in Akkra, they continued on the train to Kumassi, where Mr. Allen was to do some work. Upon arriving, they ordered a carriage and, having given a large, black native possession of their trunks, they went to an hotel which was surpris- ingly modern compared to the town. They spent many happy hours each day on excursions through temples and other buildings. Upon these excur- sions they had a guide who could speak excellent English, also the native tongue, so he acted as an interpreter for them. The most interesting temple was that of Merauke or the Temple of Snakes. It was on a particularly hot afternoon the boys and girls with their guide went to see this building, having left their parents to find what shade they could at the hotel. They entered this Temple of Snakes to find it quite dark, and they had to pick their way as they carefully went down the cir- cular staircase under the ground. Their guide explained to them that the room they would enter at the bottom of the stairs contained five or six giant cobras. At first they were opposed to going into the room, but they soon learned that the cobras would not molestthem if left alone. Upon entering the room, a green glow struck their eyes. Becoming more accus- tomed to the light, they saw on a pillar at the end of the room a beautiful. green, jade idol that was horrible in its features. At the foot of the idol and hanging on rafters, as if protecting it, were coiled giant cobras. The visitors shrank back in horror as they gazed upon this and made several exclama- tions upon the ugly countenance of the idol. When they left the room, the guide told them that this idol was the natives' favorite, and it was wor- shipped every day by the people of the village. The explorers were very glad to get back to the hotel, and they were determined not to go to such a place again. Early the next morning, the news spread through the small town that the idol in the Temple of Snakes had disappeared.'The natives were all very angry because the disappearance of this idol meant bad luck to them. Suspicion at once pointed to the Allen girls and their friends, as they were last seen in the temple. The two families were the only white people in the village with the exception of two Ger- man men who had been living there some time. So much did suspicion point to them that it became impossible for the girls and boys to walk down the street of the village without seeing the

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Trne Pioneer Tales nA Weary Joarney THIS IS A STORY that my great-grandmother told my father: When I was a little girl, my father, mother, and I joined a caravan crossing the plains in covered wagons. While traveling, we met many hardships. Sometimes we would go without water for a day. Most of the food we had to eat was what the men could kill. At night we would form the wagons in a large ring and have men on guard for Indians. 1 I remember one night, just as I was going to sleep, the Indians began to attack us. The men all rushed for their guns and began to shoot at the In- dians. I was so scared I hid in a wagon. As I was lying there, an arrow flew through the air and landed on the wagon floor. After a while the men drove the Indians away. There were five men wounded and two killed. The next day we started off again and traveled a good many days. NVe came to the Oregon Trail, which we followed till we came to Idaho where we made our homes. We were among the first to make our homes in Idaho, where we have lived ever since. Budd Lindsay. Not Quite IT WAS SUNSET on the prairie as the people of the little caravan were pre- paring supper. My grandmother, who was a little girl then, was sent to her family wagon to cut the bacon for supper. All of a sudden she heard shots and saw the men of the train getting ready for defense. Then she saw an Indian get off his horse and sneak toward the wagon she was in. He had evidently seen her and thought she would make a nice playmate for his little girl, but, when he got there, she fought too much. The redskin then saw my great!grandfather's gun which was very beautifully en- graved. When grandmother saw a red hand reach for the gun, she hit it with the butcher knife which was very sharp. He let out a cry and disap- peared with the rest of the tribe, which were now driven away. Billy Po-nzcroy. Crossing the Plains THE TIME was 1850. My great-great-grandfather, his wife, daughter, and son with four hundred or more other people were crossing the plains. My great-great-grandfather was the captain of one hundred wag- ons. Around the wagons were guards. It happened that my great-grand- ma's brother was one of the rear guards. He soon grew so tired that he de- cided to stop and rest a while. When he awoke, he found that the wagons were far ahead of him, and he was alone on the plains with about one hun- dred Indians around him. When he got on his boots, he ran and jumped on his horse and nearly ran it to death till he caught up with the wagons. The Indians didn't attack his train because it was very big, but, when some of the people got angry or homesick and turned back, the Indians swooped down and killed them. Iefm H arklzess.

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angry faces of natives all around them. Une morning when the families had returned from breakfast, they found to their dismay that their rooms had been searched, probably for the idol. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, drawers were turned upside down, and, in fact, the whole room was a wreck. Of course this disturbance made them very angry, and they decided to leave the village. They soon found that the next boat bound for Europe did not leave Akkra for one week. It seemed to them that one week was an eternity, but they had to make the best of it. The families knew that no one in their party had takn the idol. They began to wonder who really had taken it and how it could have been done with the cobras in the room. The week was drawing to a close, and the natives were getting so des- perate that the girls and boys feared they would be made prisoners and not permitted to leave. Finally, on the day before the boat was due, the good news came that the idol had been found in the possession of the two Ger- mans. The men had planned to leave on the boat the next day, and once in Europe the natives would not have been able to trace them. Their guide explained to them that the two men had entered the temple after they had left it and, knowing a great deal about cobras, had been able to get it with- out arousing the snakes, The next day the men were given over to the government oHicials on che ship. The green jade idol having been restored to its place and good luck restored to the natives, both families went on their travels through Europe to worry no more about the green idol. jean Luhr. The fairies' Playground Diana shines on the sparkling streams While fairies frolie in her beams. They :lance and play until the morn When crows the cock a note forlorn. The goblins scatter at the sound. Within a wink they ean't be found . Then comes the rising of the sun When brownies' -nightly tasks are done. Now -man begins his day of toil. H is plough breaks up the fertile soil While fairy, goblin, and s prightly gnome Are soundly sleeping in their homes. Phyllis M ahon.