THE WICKED MAGICIAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 19, 23 January 1926, Page 26

THE WICKED MAGICIAN.

Once upon a time, in a far.eff eoun try, there lived a young king whoii name was Sebastian. He wa» v.verr good king, and his subjects lored im very much. On one side of the country there W aß a land governed by an old king who had an only daughter, a beautiful girl whou I name was Princess Iris. On the other I side the land was governed by a wicked old man, .a magician, who also had an only daughter, but she was the u»li(nt girl in the world. • M * • One day, as King Sebastian wu riding along the border of his land h« saw Princess Iris walking in her garden in the palace grounds. He was co etruA Iby her beauty and grace that he decided ; that she was the one whom he would j ask to be his queen. So when hi I returned to the palace he dispatched one :of the courtiers to the king to ask hii I daughter's hand in marriage. When ' the old king called his daughter and told her of the good fortune which Was * to befall her she was very happy, f er she had been secretly in love with kin* Sebastian for some time. Now, the old magician's daughter who lived on the other side of the coun' ' try, wanted to be queen, and so she asked her father to let her marry Kins Sebastian. Together they planned, and as you know, magicians can do anything and they thought of a wonderful scheme? They had heard that the old king and his daughter, Princess Iris, were going to visit the king the next day to attend a banquet in honour of' the arranged wedding; so when they were in their carriage on the way to the palace, the magician cast a spell and formed a big mist to rise and envelope the carriage. The old king and the 2 daughter therefore lost their way. Everywhere the dark mist surrounded them, and although they tried hard they could not find their way out. For a long time they wandered on, until they reached a dark forest, and eventually they arrived at a small cottage, at 'the door of which a" little man was standing. The old king and his daughter were so tired and hungry that they accepted the invitation of the little man to enter and partake of food. The little man was the magician ir. . disguise. As he poured a cup of tea' Ihe slipped in some poison, and as soon ■as the old king and his daughter drank ' I the tea they fell into a deep sleep. ;As quick as lightning the magician returned for his daughter. Casting a spell, they apearpd as" the old king and Princess Iris. Together they rushed to the king's palace to attend the banquet. Everything went well, and King Sebastian and his court were happy, with the • exception of his dog, which would not' go near the magician and his daughter, but tried to bite them. • That night King Sebastian, who was very fond of the dog, had a dream in , which his dog told him to beware. When the king rose the next clay he was troubled, and he went to hie godmothet. for advice. After riding for a long time' he arrived at his godmother's house, i which was on the edge of a wood. She told him that on his way back through the wood he would see three twigs, and that on the three twigs jvould be three. red berries. If he found them they . would bring him luck. -Quickly thekin»left the cottage to seek the twigs. After riding into tbe depths of the forest he found the twigs with the rM berries'. After he cut them down he started again, but no sooner had he done so than before him he saw a cottage. Eagerly he sought company, but when he entered Ihe could find no one and hear no sound, Pushing open a door, he saw before lnm two figures lying as if dead. Bending down, he found that they were $he old king and Princess Iris in a deep sleep. How had they got there? What had happened to them? In his eagerness to see Princess Iris .the king had touched her with a twig, Slowly the princess awoke, and, with the help of her lover, she was soon restored. Together they awoke the old king, and with great joy, they drove to tne palace to prepare for the wedding day. s As for the wicked magician and his daughter, the king had them cast into a dungeon the day that he made Prin> cess Iris his queen. A MISCHIEVOUS TRIO. Three Chow puppies went upstairs, Ming and Wong and Wang; First a clatter, theu a clash, Then an awful bang. Three Chow puppies came downstairs, Wang and. Wong and Wiug; Sat and smiled three joyful smiles, Bold as anything. Then we all went up to see— Wang and Wing and Wong; Found a table fallen down, Floor littered with Mah Jong. Sore I disciplined the three, Wong and Wing and Wane! With their protests vigorous, Loud the welkin rang. When we all came down again; Wong and Wang and Wing Sat and smiled three joyous smilee, . Glad as anything. RAX H, GROSS. BROWN EYES. In early youth I made a vow / That If to Cupid I ehould bow, The one for whom he aimed the dart At my desired, unclaimed heart, Must have brown eyes; large, soft bro»e eyes. Time came when eyes looked into mine, £?:'£*, soft brown eyes that seemed to ehinr With intellect. Did I succumb? Oh yes! For though the lips were dumb, Those lovely eyes I deemed a prize. Within their depths devotion shone, And as they gazed Into my own, iney seemed to say, "My love is thl>.. Pleaee let mc know that I have thine." And oh! I knew his heart was true. My arms' his snowy neck entwined, Ana I rejoiced a love to find Bo' worshipful, so constant, true. How oft they've thrilled mc through anu through, / < 1 My collie's wise, large, soft brown eyes! KINDHEARTED COUNTRYMAN. A simple old countryman dwelt with W» wife At the edge of a beautiful wood, And one of the principal joys of hie am Lay in being as kind as he could. His kindness to animal, insect and bird—» . I've mentioned that he was most fclnd— Often bordered decidedly on the absurd, As doubtless you'll presently find. He thought the poor bees had to work' overmuch In order to gather their honey, 80 he filled all the flowers with sugar «no such, as : Which his wife thought unusually funny. It pained him to see squirrels using their teeth In craekins the nuts that they found, So h* placed a new pair of nut-crack*** beneath Every tree for ten acres around. Such kindness continued, as you may h» rt guessed. Till the limit was reached, you'll tigtH, When, in order to give the birds plenty • of rest, He put perches up in a. tree. SO GOOD FOR THE FI3H£& There was an Old Man of the Sea* Who said: "Leave the fishes to me{ I teach swimming each week, In Dutch, Latin, and Greek; .., I'm the most learned Man in the Se*