FAIRIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 114, 15 May 1926, Page 26

FAIRIES.

(By MARY FTNAN.)

"They are old, old people," said Uncle John to Joan and Sue, a3 they sat by the fire eagerly awaiting the story which they knew was coming. "They came into this world thousands of years ago riding in a great cloud that was drawn by wild geese. Each one came down on a flake of snow, and got off in a tree-top, and never went away. At first they were the teeniest folks— co little that a hundred of them could stand on a maple leaf—and very very old. They rode round on the backs of birds, and saw everything in the world and had euch a good time they all began to grow young. Now, as they grew young, they grew bigger and bigger, and every spring a lot more of the little old "folk came out of the sky and began to grow young, like the others." "How big do tney grow, Uncle?" asked Joan, in wonder. "Well," said Uncle John, "as they grow young they keep growing bigger. By and by the birds cannot carry them. Then they have to walk, and, for the first time in their lives, they begin to get hungry, and learn to cry, and nobody knows what is the matter with them. The fairies complain about the noise they make, and one night a little old woman takes them down into the woods to get them out of the way. Violets grow wherever their feet touch the ground, and they sit in some wild berry bush and cry. When the little deer hear them they come and lick the fairies' faces, and tell them of a wonderful spring which flows out. of a little hill, and has a magic power in it, for even if one were crying and tasted it he would become happy.- The young fairies climb on the backs of the deer and ride away. By and by the deer come to their mothers, who tell them that no one who has teeth in his head can drink at the spring, so they wonder what to do. After some time they go to the woodpecker, for he has a pair of forceps, and can pull out anything, and he pulls out their teeth. Then the young fairies do nothing but ride around each on a wild deer and drink at the spring, and grow fat and lazy. The birds pull every hair out of their heads to build nests with. After some time they fall asleep, and tumble off the backs of the deer and lie on the ground dreaming. They dream of the fairy heaven, where they shall grow old again, and each have his own mother. Under each fairy a tree grows, and all in a night they lift the sleeping fairies far above the ground. The wind rocks them, and they lie dreaming in the tree tope until a crane, passing over the sky, looks down and eees them and takes them away." "Where do they take them to?" asked Sue, with wide-open eyes. "Oh, the cranes take them to Slumber City on a great march," said Uncle John, "and put them in their nests. After some time has passed wonderful thoughts come to them, so that the fairies wake up and , begin crying, for they are very hungry. The moment the cranes hear them they fly away to find mothers for them. The unhappy little creatures are no longer fairies—but babies. That night a big crane sits by the side of each, and the baby creeps on hie back and rides away to his mother. He is so weary aiter his ride that he sleeps, and is scarcely able to move. When he wakes he smiles and croons, as all good little babies do." "Oh, what a lovely story," cried Joan and Sue together. "Now we know where babies come from."

IF— If cows were fond of cowslip tea, It reallj would be funny ; But,they would want such 'normous cups, They'd cost a lot of money! If foxes tried to wear foxgloves, They'd tear "hem all to tatters; They'd have to hold them in their paws; It's having them that matters!