WHEN THE ELVES SLEPT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 39, 15 February 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

WHEN THE ELVES SLEPT.

The autumn elves were very tired. Tor weeks they had been working overtime tinting the leaves on all the trees —and that is very particular work, because an elf who happened to tint a chestnut leaf with .the wrong paint would soon be sadly in disgrace. Karl, Dawn and Mist were working upon the beech trees, and they were weary of the sight of plain light brown paint, and wished they had chosen the sycamore leaves. 1 "When I look away everything seems to be light brown," complained Mist; and the others agreed that it was the game with them. ' . "I suggest you ladies take a nap," said Karl stoutly; "I'll wake you if anyone comes." Five minutes later Dawn and Mist were lying fast asleep amongst the unpainted leaves; and I am sorry to say that in five minutes more their stout watchman was slumbering, too.! He snored, and so none of them heard the approach of the artist. The artist heard Karl's gentle snoring, and he said: "How the beech leaves rustle!" Reaching up for the very branch upon which the elves lay, he cut it off very carefully and took it home with him, because he happened ,to be hunting for leaf specimens. The elves were dreaming happily. They thought it was mid-winter, and they were taking holiday in fairyland before starting on the work of painting snowdrops. When they awoke, it was to find that their branch was in a glass jar, and someone with a very large face was peering at it and daubing on paper. He could not see them, for elves are usually' invisible to us; but Karl whispered, "Let us appear." "Bless me!" said the artist a moment later. - "I must be imagining things, but I swear I can see fairies on the leaves. However, I will paint them just as I see them." Looking up from his work a moment later, he saw no fairies at all. They had flown out of the window,: and were hurrying back to find their work. "Anyway," comforted Karl, "there will be one branch the less to paint."