THE ENCHANTED KIWI.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 274, 19 November 1927, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE ENCHANTED KIWI.

(By ALICE A. KEJITNY.)

PART xn.

Bad Child liad tried hard to get away from the kind lady's" cottage, but the kind lady persuaded her each, .time to Btay a little longer. And she couldn't help seeing that Micksie and Toby just loved having a' real home, with lots of nice things to eat. But she could not forget that Patu (the fairy) ; and the good old enchanted Kiwi were waiting for her in the cave in the bush, and she made tip her mind that she would run away in the night, and take Micksie shd Toby with her. Only when she was tucked up in a warm little bed and the kind lady had kissed her goodnight, she .dropped off to sleep so quickly that she had no chance of creeping out. In the middle of the night she was awakened by some one tickling her nose, and there was Patu sitting on her pillow. She was so glad to see him that she bounced up in bed and found that the Kiwi was sitting on a chair. close by, *nd Flick on the rail at the foot of the bed, and Micksie on the mat, and. Toby just uncurling from a lovely sleep beside her. i 1 .. . . 'Why, we're all together again,"! she said happily. "Are you going to come and live here too. It would be lovely if you did." ; . . ;S : ! ' ; "No," said Patu, shaking his little lead. "I don't know yet what is going to happen to me, or any of us, but I have brought the nuts, ar I was told to . do." "Nuts," said , Bad Child. "Where, are they? I would, love to eat nuts in'bed." '"There is one for cach of us," replied Patu, shaking the nuts out of the bag on to the white pillow and counting them, "and tliey come from Fairyland." They each took one, and began to gnaw and nibble and pick at them.

"lime's very nice and sweet," said Bad Child, swallowing the last of hers. Before she could say, another word there a rushing noise, a clap of thunder, and everything went dark. Bad Child felt herself caught tip and whirled through the air, and wondered in terror

what was happening to her, and where the others were. Crash again, and she found herself standing on the floor of a great care. It was lighted by glowworms,' and fierce "looking tarrying spears, stood all round her. She was a prisoner, and as soon as she got her breath and had time to look round, she saw that a goblin, bigger and uglier than any of the others, was sitting on a black throne in front of her, looking down at her with a very fierce expression. "Oh, where am I?" she cried, "and what is going to happen to me?" "You are in Goblin Land," replied the chief goblin, "and it' depends on your own - behaviour what happens to you now." , . "'And where are all my friends—the Kiwi, Patu, and the others?"

1L H "They aro all here, and all prisoners, too," replied the Goblin, "but we are going to deal with you first," Looking round her in grief and alarm, Bad Child saw a row of little cages against the wall of the cave, and inside them, guarded by goblins with spears, .she saw Patu, the Kiwi, Micksic, Toby and Flick. They all looked drooping and frightened, and miserable, and she was dreadfully sorry for them.

"Oh, Patu!" she cried, "why did you giro us the magic liuts?" "Silencc!" cried the chief goblin in a rage. "Spearmen, bring that little human girl here."