WHAT BETTY SAW IN THE GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 152, 28 June 1924, Page 22

WHAT BETTY SAW IN THE GARDEN.

All was very quiet and still in the pretty garden behind the little cottage. Evening was creeping on; the bees had stopped buzzing, while the mother birds were softly singing their little ones to rest in the thick foliage, of the huge oak tree. At last the silence was broken by the loud hooting of Master Owl, whose sharp eyes were eagerly searching for prey. How the little birds trembled, as he alighted on a branch of the oak tree, but he took no notice of them. When nt last he flew away, silence Toigned once more. A few minutes later the door of the. cottage was opened by a little girl clad in a warm frock, and carrying a cloak. In her arms she cuddled a large doll, wrapped in a thick shawl. When they reached the oak tree, the little girl, whose name was Betty, spread out her cloak on the soft green moss, and sat down. "I do hope she will come to-night." she whispered to the flaxen-haired baby in her arms. "Jane said she comes on moonlight nights." Dolly was unabie to speak, so she stared solemnly at Betty with her big blue eyes. All at once Betty heard a loud whispering coming from the sunflowers. "Are my petals quite smooth?" asked one baby sunflower. Another one nodded gaily. "Oh, yes," she answered. "I am sure the Queen will love to kiss them." Even the violets and primroses were talking excitedly. Miss Pansy was stroking her wide, soft petals, and the daisies poked up their tiny heads from among the green foliage. A tall red rose, nearby held tip her head proudly. "Here comes Busy Bee," she said excitedly. "How strange," mused Betty. "I did not think bees came out in the night." Betty, however, did not know that they always came out on special occasions, such as this. Her thoughts were interrupted at that moment by a loud buzzing from Busy Bee. "Are you all ready?" he cried. All the flowers nodded their heads. They were quivering with excitement. Very soon a tiny tinkling of bells was heard, and up the pathway came a little chariot drawn by four crickets. In this chariot sat the Queen of the Flowers! How beautiful she looked, with her spangled dress and gossamer wings shining in the moonlight! The sunflowers drew themselves up with pride, as the Queen stepped out of her carriage, and flew up to kiss each one. She then flew down to the violets, pansies, and primroses, and drank iv their sweet fragrance. She sipped the dew off the daisies' petals, and sucked the sweet honey, which the honeysuckle Iliad given her- How happy she was, as she gaily flitted to the red rose and alighted on its velvety petals, to take a rest. The proud rose then gently folded her petals round her slender body. "Oh!" sighed Betty happily, as she gazed with wonder on the Queen. Hearing her voice, the latter hurriedly jumped up, and. flying into the chariot, was driven out of sight. "What a pity!" exclaimed Betty sorrowfully. "I suppose I frightened her, and now she won't come back." , With these words, Betty drew her cloak round her shoulders, and walked slowly towards the house. As she undressed, and crept into bed, she whispered to Dolly: "I wonder if the Queen will come again another night? I do hope she does." Outside in the garden the rose was exclaiming sorrowfully: "How I wish that my mistress had not disturbed our Queen. Without doubt the Queen will not return until she has recovered from her fright." The carnations agreed. "The Queen does not like being seen by mortals." they said. '"She did not have time to notice us at all." Other flowers also were murmuring: "She did not have time to kiss us." Just then Busy Bee came buzzing along- "Do not worry," he said kind])-,

1"I am sure that the Queen will come again to-morrow night, as it will be full moon." The flowers were considerably cheered by these words, and gradually they began nodding their heads and folding their petals, until Mister Sun awoke them at dawn.