We live at a country seat very near the city of Havana. It is a
very pretty farm; it has many flowers and trees, two or three
fountains playing bright water all the time, and also two ponds.
One of them is for gold-fish. There are nineteen gold-fish, and in
the centre of the pond is a cave for them to play with their little
ones. In the other pond lives a beautiful white lily all alone. It
is the size of a tea-plate, and as white as my paper. Then, in the
farm-yards there are lots of chickens, turkeys, ducks, guinea-hens,
and also two cranes. We have a pair of horses, four goats, eight or
nine pigs, and eight rabbits. One of the rabbits had ten little
ones, but they all died.
I am a Cuban boy eight years old. I know how to read and write in
English better than in Spanish, but I can speak Spanish better,
because it is my native language. Do you think this is good enough
to put in your paper? My teacher sends you her regards, and thanks
you for your paper because it gives us so much pleasure. She wishes
me to ask the young people if any of them have read a story called
_The Runaway_, and if they can tell us who is the author, and where
the book can be obtained. It is one of the best children's stories
she has ever read. It is about two little girls named Olga and
Clara.