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urgmmrXpPRESS. ~ 11~W1DNESDAY. FEBIRUAIRY 24, 19U,PAGE 5 The fire started quletly, in the wood* stove in the basement, rushed quickly Up the chimneyi, t gave a roar, somethlng like a jumboiet ontakeoff. "Sounds like," I said to the resident two-year-old, "a cbimneyfire." 'ISrnoke? 'Ishe asked. The concrete block chimney in the closet gave off more roaringRnoises. We peeked out the bedroom window. Out- sidè, the yard quickly fllled with smoke. Houses forty feet away disappeared in thé screen. «"Snioke," Lsaid. We retreated to the family room, where the fire, in the wood burning stove.had just nicely become establisbed for the day. No mistaking lit now:, we could bear the roar from the stove pipes. Inside t he firebox of the stove ail was-quiet and serene, the waybousehold fires are su~pposed to be. The last wad of newspaperIfmust haveset thilgs off. I closed the damper, to cut off the air supply and again checked out the chiflfeyif the closet upstairi3. By this time puffs of smoke seeped from the mortar between concrete& blocks. "Time to eaUl the fire department, " I said toErin. Erin is 31 months old. She loves firemen. Last fait we had encountered some difficulties with the same cbimney. This led to another fire eall. Erin slept right througb that one, while a big, tail fireman, ramn slicker and turned-around bard hat. and ail, complete with walkie taikie, trumpeted tbrough her bedroom in bis rubber boots. This would be differeflt: njne o'clock on aSunday morfling. "-They're on their way," the dispatcher said, finally. I cbeck my watch. Six minutes. "Is thefiremancoming?" Erin asked. "Yes." "PLl tell the fireman L'mnot Erin, LPm Robert Munsch." (Robert Munsch is Erin's favorite author. She sawb-im in person earlierthis month, calculated his royalties and now insists on a name change. L have estimated his royalties Land whoI arn to quibble?) In recognition of Baden Powell Week (the founder of boy scouts) Feb. 22 to 26, the followlng are let- teri from 5th Whltby cubs (age 8 to 11) wio meet at St. John's the Evangellet echool on Gif fard St., Whitby: Why Ilike Cub.... I like'cubs because we learn new tbings, play games go camping. We also go on trips llke the Oshawa air- port and the Ajax TV station. We also earn different badges like the winter -cubbing badge and the fishermens badge and lots of others. They teacb us good manners and L alsojoinedbecauseLbhave nothilg to do on Monday nights. Both of my brothers were in cubs. My Dad is a cub leader and'a lot of other people joinubs. ByJasonVaughan L joined cube becus they do fun tbings. 1 likeceubs becus tbey do nice things to people. Camp is fun. We have campfirers. We Ie'arn about cupasas (compasses). We went on a trip to the airport. 1 DavidHyde L like being a cub because they have great game. L like being a cub because of camps and outing and it beats being bored all night. DavidBarsam IL ike being a cub because it is fun and you got to go on interesting trips and outings. I like cubs because you can find and lern different things. Sometimes we go to camp. And we make things and- earn bages (badges). Their are différent bages you can earii like swimming bageandothere. AndrewLeahv Watt elpy WITHOUR FEET UP, by Bill Swan H-ose- down Before the six minute mark, the brigbt yeilow fire truck pulled upin front of thebhouse, red light flashing like a house on fire. Thefiremen rang the doorbell.. 6"You got the fire? " one asked'. "Chimneyfire?" "Can we have a look? " With that, two firemen lumbered througb to the rec roomi. "Fire etill going? " one eaid. I told them I had cut off tire draught, but yes, tire originalfire was etill burning. "We'd better get that out." 1 fetched the bucket of water and ecooped a few cupeful over thre red glowing hardwood coals. Upetaire, the brickwork still seeped smoke. "I remem- ber this chimney,"'I said one fireman.1 "You're the one wbo had théecreosote buildup." 1'."m* also the one, ",I said, "who spent mo re t han f ive. hundred dollars on a etainless steel chimney liner. Wbich-I Why Ilie cubs I went on a treasure hunt at cube and I learned bow to use a compase. This is why Ijoinedcubs. RyanStimming Why I like or not like cube because we play games and go on tripe and meetnewpeople.ByhiTpn ANDREW DAVIS, 10, composes his letter on Baden Powell Week. I like cube because I like the fun thinge we do. I like the camps we go to . I like the tirne we went to the air port it was fun. 1Iwent in a air plane it was realy neat. I arn going to cabol (cable 10) TV on Jan. 21. t le going to be fun. My dad healpe- the cube. My dadenameis Mark. Ian Fitzsirnmons a member of the 5th Whitby cube, why he likes cubs in recognition of ~EvERX NIG 1-at 7:00 $3500 MUST GO EVERYAFTERMONat -12:10 -Friday aurday MIDNIGHT MADNESS at 1100 m $1500o & $500 MUST GO Jackpots - !Çlean Surroundi ngs/Air Changed every haif hour~ *Dundas at Garrard, Whitby, just E of Thickson, N side, rear entranice mil pccestc> i.rt/iCrce ..4 a3- 0«7 51I ILlike or dislikeclIbs because... I like cubs because of garnes Ilikecubsbecausethetrips L like cubs because we earn badges I like cubs because you learn to do beard tbings ras one Ilike cubs because cub camnp twasa a Ilikcubsbcausellikecubs àere in I don't like cubs because you get mping points deducted.RihrLsewd ehunts. Rcadsewo should roup & Davis The reason I became a cub was friends told me about it. Lt sounded of the fun. Lt is fun. I lîke the camping. camp There's always something to do - hunt. even at bedtime we talk all night. ,ng how The parties are. fun too because >uts. tbere's chips goodies and pop. F'orbes Ricky Fox Lo go on Yoing to I like being a cub because of the d some activatis. Camp an d things we do at ver. We camp. Things like songs, he pilot scavengers bunts, treasure bunts. second My best camp was cudaree at SCamp cudaree. We did lots ot tbîng like d lots of biking I learned lots of things at cudaree we slept in tents we saw 'Connor Lord-Baden power's grandson. We went to the airport we went for a ride Du go to in a airplane. to use a DerekPerks b ow to treear I became a cub because I wanted and you to have fun. I like being a cub because I like the fun things we do at ickRoy cubs. I also like going places witb the cubs. I like going camping too. I like to leran stuff at cubs. My favrite e we do about cubs je playing games. I the air-' leraned (learned) that 579-1234 is places. thre proper voice number for police emergencies. ghnessy CullenScannell L joined' cubs because I1 there were crafts. There wi craft afew weeks ago the craft Santa Claus tohang anywh your house and there are cae trips and games and treasure So if you baveany boys you1 let tbem go to cubs! "Thank y ByAndrew I like being a cub because meetings we play gamres. AI Samac we went on a treasurE Maybe soon we will be learnir to save someones life or in scol By John J I like cube because you get t( tripe. My favorite trip was gi tbe Oshawa Airport. I learne( tbings about the control towi also got to fly on a plane. Th taîke a lot on the speaker. Mdy. favorite trip was going to Samac for a weekend. We di< activities. RyanO'( I went to cube because ycl cub camp. ýYou learn how t( compase and they show us: use a rnap. You go. on, (treasure) hunts. It is fun a get to sleep in caib (cabins) . Patri I like being a cub becaue crafts, we go on tripe ike t: port, Camp Samac and TV.,1 Cube are neat! Sean Shaug mm -i HARRISON 1I-N T - E - R 1 -0 - R S '6 I fumniture sgifts DECORATING SERVICE Our decorator will be pleased to share her ideas with you in« your home. AMOn-- Wed. 10 -6, Thurs. & Fr1. 10 -9, Saturday 10 -59 i'P 13½Mary St. W.,Whitby 430-0939- hope this hasn't split.' " Yeah, that'd be too bad." Downstairs agairl, one fireman laid out a bright yellow tarp around the stove. Another began to dismantie tihe stove pipe. As soon as he did, the draughtrekindled the fire in the cbimney. .."Cheese,"? said one. "LI tbought maybe the tbing bad bur-- neditself out, But it's still goingprettyfairIn tbere." Even from across the room, Erin and L could see the glowý Inside thechimney elbow.- 1"Okay, let's hose ber down. " A ten-gallon extinguisher materialized. After a few tentative pumps on the pressure bandie, the nozzle sprayedinto the glowingchilfney'. A third f iremaxi on the roof could be beard rattling arouna. "Okay," he said. "LI think that go.t it." On the walkie t aîkie, the voice sou ndedblurred, distance. Down tbe chimney, the sam evoice was crispi distinct. One fireman helClthe walkie talkie out to Brin. .»"Anything youwant to say? " beasked. "'m. not Erin, " she said into the speaker, "L'm Robert Munsch." "Well, that aboutdoes it," said the first-fireman. "LI wouldn't use that stove again until you bave the chimney cleaned. But it should be okay." III hope so." L was tbinking of the five bundred dollar liner; L was also thinking of the five hundred dollar bydro bill we face if the stove is out of commission for more than a fewdays. L was also -thinking about the company that brought us short measure on the last load of woodwe bought. But that's- another story. Before the firemen disappeared-, Erin tore upstairs and emerged witb ber red engineer'e hat. She put it on ber bead, backwards, with the peak covering the back of her neck. "Look, sheesaid. "Robert Munsch is a fireman The big firemen smiled. Six minutes hadn't been too bad. And they'd been so neat, too. Everything vacuumed up so nicely. ILwonder if they're so tidy at ahl their fires? 1 - -4