GOOD-NIGHT STORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 72, 26 March 1928, Page 10

GOOD-NIGHT STORIES.

Dotty Meets a Lone Fisherman.

(Told by BLANCHE SILVER for

PETER PAN.)

"Goodness me," mused Dotty, when she spied the pretty bird perched on a limb over the water. "That's a proud feliow. He's been out there this long iime looking at himself. Oh, well, 1 think if I didn't have a mirror at li'jmt I'd look into the water myself to see how I looked. I'd love to speak io him, but he'd be 6ure to fly away and then I'd "

"Be out of luck," laughed a merry voice and Squeedee, the wee elfin from Jovland hopped down upon the bank bes.de the astonished Dotty. "But I just happened along in time, didn t I. Honey ?"

"Squeedee, you dear!" Dotty exclaim ed, catching hold of the elfin's hands and dancing around with him. "Vou always do come along just in time to save the day. Tell me, who is that conceited fellow perched on the limb over the water?"

Squeedee laughed merrily and whistled for the bird.

As soon as it heard him, two greyishblue wings, speckled and flecked with white, spread out and the fellow, wearing a greyish-blue crest on his happy head, tilted himself on a swaying weed near Dotty.

He was just about a foot long with a large head crested with bluish-grey feathers. His bill was much longer than his head and he laughed merrily when Squeedee introduced him to Dotty and told him what Dotty had accused him of doing.

"Well, well, but that's funny," he chuckled. " The idea, Squeedee, of a Kingfisher admiring himself. No, Dotty, I wouldn't do that for the world. You see my wife is busy sitting on her eggs, and I must fish to get her food. I know every pool around here and this part of the lake is filled with minnows. I was on a fishing trip when you came up. Now I'm going to ke my wife her dinner. Come along, Squeedee, You can bring your friend if she'd like to come with uh."

This suited Dotty, and" away they ran after Mr. Kingfisher. He soon stopped at a little doorway dug in the dirt in the side of the bank. Dotty was all excited when she was led down a long slanting tunnel, into the ground. At the end of the tunnel, a large room was hollowed out and there on a bed of grass and old fish bones sat Mamma Kingfisher.

"Here are Squeedee and Dott chuckled Mr. Kingfisher after giving his wife a nice minnow. "Move over, my dear, and let Dotty see our lovely white egjjs." Mrs. Kingfisher's eyes sparkled as she moved off her nest. Instead of eight lovely white eggs, eight skinny, little baby kingfishers stuck up their heads and opened their wide mouths. Mr. Kingfisher was too astonished for words. He hadn't expected them to hatch out so soon. '"Well, now, youngsters," he laughel joyfully. *'I didn't expect so mar l ' hungry mouths so 1 11 have to go ana get some more fish," and taking Dotty s band, he led her back into the sunlight with Squeedee elose at their heels. "1 iidn't want to 6ay anything for fear it would spoil the fun, but just watch those babies." He saw a minnow and quick as a wink had it struggling in his bill. He hurried towards the hole in the ground making a queer rattling noise in his throat. A naked little bird peeked out, opened his mouth, received part of the minnow, and disappeared, while another open mouth took his place. One by one the_eight hungry were f*?d and Dotty and Squee:l?e laughed is Daddy Kingfisher sat down to rest. "I'm glad that meal is over,"' he sighed.