: The Boys' and Girls' Own Page SPORTS, STORIES, GAMES, PUZZLES, HANDICRAFT, SCIENCE, ADVENTURE, JOKES, CARTOONS A STRANGE CHRISTMAS TRADE : THE STORY SO FAR: Warren Knowles, taking an auto trip to spend Christmas his le, talled by a sudden iA waited nervously. 4 after, he a noise, and saw the strange boy coming In the window. Budge slipped noifefessly into the room, while Warren looked "on, wondering 'how he could have en- tered from the outside. The first words Budge said explained that. "Don't look so startled," he grinned, and then went on in.a whisper, "I pulled myself up to the eaves out of my window and then slipped down to your window." "But I don't see how--" "Oh, it ain't so hard. I'm used to climbing around. But I sneaked in to tell you you'd better go. Beat it, see? The old man's suspicious of you and I don't know what he's likely to do. It's stopped snowing. Didn't snow so very much, after all, and I'll bet you could make it, all right. And that dog of yours is making him nervous, too. He might try o-- You'd better go, honest." "But why--" "Don't ask no questions." boy's lips drew together. "You're afraid of him, aren't you? Is he really your uncle? You don't look a bit alike." "No; he ain't, but he takes care of me. :-He's all 1 got." "Say," exclaimed Warren ex- citedly, "you come with me. I can got you a better uncle than him. hy, my Uncle Burt is just crazy about boys, and he was saying he'd like to have a nice boy on his big farm and--" "You mean that?" the boy's eyes shcne. | "I'd give most anything to {Bet away before . . eit The gets me , . ; [Pll tell you later. Wait here." He slipped out of the room the way he had come. Warren hurried into his clothes, locked his bag, and He heard foot- steps down the hall and jumped ed back under the covers, but the heavy tread went on past. Then there was a light tap at the window. Warren hopped out of bed. Budge clung on a bundle under his arm. self down and get your flivver start- ed," he announced. "I can run 'em. You go on out by the back door and get your dog on the way. He's in his room now--the old man, I mean." Warren took his bag and tiptoed down the hall. He felt his way down the stairs, through the parlor, faintly lit by the 'dying coals in the little stove, and out into the narrow passageway which led to the kitchen, He stopped to strike a match, for there wasn't a single glimmer of light, and he was sure he heard some one moving softly nearby, By the flicker of light he saw there was an oaken door opening off the side of the passage. He raised his eyes and noticed in the top a square opening and 'across this three bars of iron. The door was fastened by a sliding iron bolt. He bent over curiously to try to look in the crack at the door, but could see nothing, He went into the kitchen, where Rags lay close to the door. As he pened the door he suddenly realized that is watch was missing from his pocket. He thought he'd dropped it when he stooped over in the pas- sageway, so he went back. » The watch was on the floor. He picked it up and hesitated a minute, His curiosity | was 'always greater than his fears, and he was burning up to see behind that mysterious door. He held his breath and pulled the bolt cautiously. It slipped easily. Suddenly something threw itself against the door and the door flew open, pinning Warren behind it. He pulled himself out just in time to see a big, black shape hurtle through the back door, which he had left open. ~ He rushed to the door. He heard the car chugging and Budge scream- ing at him. The black thing was out of sight. Warren grabbed "Rags under one arm and his bag under the other and leaped into the car. They reached the road just as the old man opened a window and yelled at them. "Now you've. done it," shouted Budge, and shot down the youd, "I don't know what'll happen now!" ; (To be concluded next week.) IN SNOPPYQUOP LAND "SkEMs SUEER © Who sees the man with the skates? "I see!" "Tey" is right--brrr--rrr--rr--shiver--shiver--how'd - you like to be in his fix--skating alodg.on an'iceberg? See how this Snoppy has pushed i ahead in the world. e goes faster than the iceberg, Arctic e. His feet are skates, br holding 8 magnet in front of them. Simple, isn't it? Simple is right; if h there's one less Snopp: the What's that in" his mouth? and he pulls the skates along uop within A candle, dearie. Eski- + mos chew candles when they run out of pies, and this is the source of the Northern Ligh ts you've read about in your arithmetic book moral "If chew the candle at both ends, you'll only s whiskers," of, "All roads lead to Grease y ny singe Your A VOCABULARY GUESSING GAME When days are too cold for out- door play, you may wish you knew The others in the game as they guess .do the same thing until the "I'li'let my-* [3 l LN + Ff ® January-192¢ & JSNOPPYQVODPS 3 a OT RRM HM BENTO A Y ® March - 1924 Sen. Jen . Ter Wed Thu. Fi . Sot 12 345 678 910n11K 3HI151617 819 1202122232425 2 "27 28 29 30 31 ®@ April-1924 ® fy eg op rg wy Tago 12345 678901 p 3B BY 20 21 22 2324 2 2 27 28 29 30 ® July-vuo Sea. fon. For - Wed - Tha. Bi» on M234 5 67891011 3141516171819 2021 22 23 24 25 2. 2728 29 30 3l ® October -1924 Sun. lon. Tr Wed . Tha _ Fri . Seb v2.34 56 7289101Mn nee Bie B 19202122 232 25 26 27 28 29 30 3 August -192¢ Sa Ten Toe Wed Tou. Fri. So I 234.5678 S910 1HRWBBMAIG 1617 1819 20 21 22 2% 2 2 272829 ® June -1924 @ So ion Ton Wed = Tha Tri. Sot 234567 910 11 213 14 16 1B 19 20 21 8242522728 17 24 &e 5 3 tem} FBRERG >= RGo-F i: »? SNEN ~N oo ERs on SSE Cs= Seow? [V8oofg ~~ fla GRR BRGo~TF Eve ERsoNT CNTSUE Us=p X RNSceoLd This family calendar album of the great house of Quop includes all the indoor and outdoor varieties. It is the most famous border in the world rivalling the Canadian and Mexican borders. Send it for a Christmas gift to a friend with a sense of humor, (collect), for every Snoppy you detect." _ Color it, cut it out and mount it on cardboard. inclosing the following Jentiment ; "Pray send a telegram --b FUR TRAPPING The Otter The lumbering otter," with his whiskers and webbed feet, is some- thing of a stunt performer. Living beside the water as he does, with his diet composed almost entirely of fish, he soon becomes an expert swimmer and diver. Like the beaver, when the March sun shines strongly upon the woods, the old otter takes delight in climbing crusted slopes and siding on a snow chute to the bottemh. he trick is not one of which /the trapper ap- roves, for it is harmful to the fur, Just as is the otter's habit of basking for hours in the hot rays of the sun. "Otters Differ Little The otter is found from Alaska to Labrador, from the Arctic to the soyhern United States, a dis- tance of 3,000 miles from north to south, but no matter from what locality he comes, he differs very little from other otters. This is in marked contrast to other animals, as the mink or coon, whose size and appearance depend so largely upon the region where they live. Caught in Many Ways The animals are caught by spear- ing, by clubbing, or with nets. Sometimes they are even shot with rifles. In Alaska five thousand people obtain. their living 'by cap- turing them. The largest are four and one-half feet long, but because of the rolling looseness of the skin, as you will notice in the picture, the pelt may be stretched even larger. Few animals are as hard to skin as the otter. Its hide is tough and cannot be pulled or peeled off, but must be' carefully cut. All water animals caught for their fur--otter, mink, beaver and musk- rat--change the looks of their pelts three, if not four times, during the twelve months. In the Summer, the elt is a burnt greasy color and the air is thin, The hair grows thicker in early Autumn, while the pelt turns blue. By the time the cold months come, the pelt has become white and the hairs are luxuriant. In Spring the fur declines again to the thin coat of Summer, Otters caught in Winter, when the fur is prime, or at its best,- are conse quently most valuable. (Next week: "The Raccoon") | PETER PUZZLE AND RANDY RIDDLE SAY-- | A Word Square Each word has four letters. 1. A til Cancellation If you mark off letters in this sen- river of Egypt. 2. A bright thought. tence with an equal number of let- 3. A kin, peare. A Word-Square My first is something th on trees; my second means leisure dnd rhymes with trees, my third is coxered with trees, and a country | my fourth is what you've n you climb a tree. Detective Work Find in this sentence the names of two well-known tharacters of juvenile fiction, and the t poem: "Said tiny Tim to the cap- case, Asia, feat. Tiny Tim, Capt. fain, January will find us snow e boun Fractions Two-fifths of a witch, one-half of a chip and three-fifths of It a town in Kansas. made famous by Shakes- . To make money. [he whole forms a four-letter word-square. of the pigeon." at grows good actor? erformed winter? " Answers to today's itle of a 'Snowbound." the sentence you three-fifths of Raly quale Wichita. e, word square is: Ni aly make By cancelling t ters between, beginning with the first letter, they will spell a month ar: "Fred bars up a gray Some Questions Why would a Chinaman make a What type of vessels. did Salem harbor in the old days? What tree keeps the warmest in Answers word puzzles: words that form the square are: anuary, tters in the word February. t Two-fifths of neh one-half of chip and The a, Lear, Ean. Answer to today's riddles: Because he always has his cue. Witchcraft. The fir trees keeps warmest in winter. HOW TO CARTOON start and then the cops go after LETS GET READY NOW FOR CHRISTMAS sss Gass 5 ane Tmt 03 Fay oe Son Sewi as in figure I. The sides are 9x5 A ng Box inches, the bottom, 9x2%. Lay The sewing box is such a worth- them in the order you find them in while gift to give, and so much fun ¢he first figure, with a piece of cre- to make, that the girl who is in- tonne underneath. Leave a quarter- terested in handicraft may find her- jnch space between the boards and self making two or three or four an inch margin of cretonne all of them. around. Very strong cardboard or corru- Put a light coating of paste on gated board should be used for the the backs of the boards, pressing backing. Cut the sides and bottom them down so as to fasten to the Then paste the flaps e II. Your cretonne. over the edge as in fi lining may be a solid color of silk or cotton material. Cut it the size of the cardboards plus an inch mar« gin all around. Before you sew in the lining, fasten in place a cretonne scissors holder, cut to fit the pair of scissors you have chosen to en- close in the box. Turn the edges under and overhand the pocket in lace. The spool holders are rib- ns or finished strips of cretorine sewed at the top with the spool run through and fastened at the bottom with a button and button hole, or snapper. Make a long pocket for the Sppsaite side of the box as in figure IIL The cretonne end pieces, figure V, have no backing, but crush when the box closes. They are cut 2%x5 inches plus a half-inch all around to turn in. Make a lining for each, the same size. Turn in the edges and sew, then overcast the ends to the two sides and the bottom to the box. Figure V shows how it will look after this has been done and the lining sewed in. Fas- ten a cretonne loop handle on one side, and flaps on the other which - -come across and are held in place snappers, on the ite side b og wh it is and keep the box close not in use. A THINK-QUICK GAME OF COPS AND THIEVES How's for a big game of cops and thieves, a good old game that keeps you moving and watching out for yourself all the time? Choose up equal sides and let the two captains decide, by the flip of a coin, which side will be cops and which thieves. The thieves, once chosen, are given a five-minute them, in order to round them up. Every thief has a paper heart pinned on his coat, outside, and every cop has a paper star similarly placed. If a cop is to capture a thief, he must get the paper heart from the thief without losing his Children the body than a full- man's own star. A thief, once caught, is Win dea ab head a relation io ho ; or given.a stag ; and becomes a cop. A : a or youn, 't afraid to 5, i is star is given a play it, one of the group thinks of SOY ered the meaning first may be child's 'head it will be i 4 a sized heads on your children. Soret Te thief. id a word with two meanings. With- it. for the next round of guessing. ;;' mo 4 that the forehead is very qu. iehes in the acco pany- The game goes on until the last out telling what it is, he begins to Some good ones to describe are high and the distance from thé nose Sas show n simple posi thief is captured or until the last cop ibe the word, first for one pain and pane; hair and hare; plain to the chin is comparatively small, 8 chart may ofien bo 'able is made a member of the thieves meaning, then for the other, and and plane; chest as part of the Notice this in Figure 1. : bo ly Jou may . You fellows must play fair back to the first meaning until the and "as 3 container for valuabl In drawing the Shtirg body i Hii ay to catch the thieves when though you were formerly a word is guessed. things such as pirate gold ember . that -the..} dis mach fei pecial technique for drawing you have been made a. cop, even and you cops must make indoor gamé to while aw: time. "I speak your lan game that will test your S. last one grasps the meaning of the Then the one who dis- - .