St. Nicholas/Volume 32/Number 2/Editorial Note
Editorial Notes.
We are sure that all our readers will find the second instalment of Mr, Baum’s great story, “Queen Zixi of Ix,” even more interesting than the first, and will rejoice over the author’s clever surprise of letting his young hero be “the forty-seventh person to enter the gate” and thus become the King of Noland.
Indeed, it may be truthfully said that the story increases in charm and fun with each chapter. And a rare treat awaits the reader in the January instalment, in which King Bud really begins his reign, and has some very troublesome questions to decide.
With the aid of his sister Fluff, Bud cleverly disposes of these questions with credit, except in one amusing instance, wherein he shows that he is not yet a Solomon.
“I love grit in boys, and wanted to see yours come out,” says Dr. Ferris, in Henry Gardner Hunting’s story, in this number, “The Squareness of Neil Morris"; and American boys, we feel sure, will appreciate this admirable account of how one boy carried out his contract, even though it seemed “a hard contract ” in the beginning and an unfair one later on. We trust that no boy who takes St. Nicholas will fail to read this story.
Among the first lessons about animals learned by boys and girls is the fact that the fox is a very crafty little creature, And this is so well illustrated in Mr. Dane Coolidge’s story, “The Fox Who Knew All About Traps,” that St. Nicholas young folk will delight in the account of “Silver Gray’s” cleverness in avoiding Old Ransome’s traps. It was inevitable, of course, that he should be caught at last, for the wit of even the wiliest fox is not equal to the wit of man. But Old Ransome surely must have had a great respect for Silver Gray’s cunning; and let us hope that his captor’s admiration of a worthy foe may even have saved Silver Gray from slaughter for the sake of his fur.
We must all special attention, also, to another instance, in this number, of remarkable sagacity in the animal world—the story of “Little Pete,” the carrier-pigeon that headed straight for his American home from the far-away town of Auckland, New Zealand, Many wonderful stories are told of homing-pigeons, but no more wonderful instance of their marvelous instinct has ever come to our notice,
The contributions sent in by members of the St. Nicholas League show that there are a great many boys and girls in our country who, even at the age of fifteen, are gifted young artists, These young folk—and all other readers who are interested in art—will do well to read carefully Mr. Caffin’s excellent papers upon “How to Study Pictures.” We have made it plain, from the first, that these articles are not intended for very young readers—although they, also, some day, when they are old enough to enjoy them, will be glad to find the same articles awaiting them in book-form.
Meantime, the younger readers of St. Nicholas can take delight in the contribution which this month appears beside Mr. Caffin’s article—the clever story in rhyme entitled “A Message to Mother Goose,” with Mr. Varian’s charming illustrations.
The answer to the riddle on page 110 is: SUBSTITUTION.
Between the acts at the Christmas pantomime.