HOW THE STAG GOT HIS ANTLERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 96, 24 April 1931, Page 14 (Supplement)

HOW THE STAG GOT HIS ANTLERS.

(By Margery Grant, .Portland, North Auckland, age 13.) "Mummie. how did the stag get his antlers'." asked Billie, asking his hundredth question for that morning. "Goodness me, Billje, what next will you want to know? Run outside and plav." Billie wandered off despondently, and Sfit down under the shade of a big rata tree. "Would you like to go to animal land, BillieV" asked a small voice. "You can read in the Animal Encyclopaedia how the stag got his antlers." Before Billie could answer lie l'elt himself rushing through the air, and the next minute found himself in animal land. A small rabbit conducted him to the tree-trunk where the big encyclopaedia was kept, and this is the story Billie read:— Mrs. Lion sat on her throne and waited for her husband's return. By her side stood two little squirrels ready to comb her golden coat, while nimble kangaroos hopped around to do her bidding. Presently the trumpets announced the arrival of the king, and Queen Lion walked out of her palace entrance to greet her husband. "Leo," she said when they were inside again, "Rollo Stag lias been courting our laundress Flora Deer, and you know as well as I do that we will never get another laundress who will wash our coats." "Hum! Hum!" growled King Leo, "I will call my counsellor and we will dis-1 cuss the matter." The two sat' in deep conference for many hours and at last readied a decision. Leo called a tiny squirrel to him and sent him to find liollo Stag and briijg him at once to the palace. The squirrel ran to do his bidding, and soon Rollo Stag and Flora Deer stood trembling before their royal leader. King Leo asked but a few questions and

then he said, after a few moments in ileep thought, "Rollo Stag and Flora Deer you have not been doing your work properly and so I must punish you. Rollo! I shall banish you from my kingdom for one year. Flora! You will be given more work to do." The king thought he was very clever in separating the two because he would thus keep his clever laundress and also get more work from her. Rollo Stag nearly went mad with rage as he went outside the palace without even a farewell to Flora. Poor Rollo spent many lonely nights in the forest, until one morning he went racing round rooting up the ground with his fore feet. Suddenly he slipped and trod up against a dead bush and found, to his horror, it had stuck and no amount of tossing would dislodge it. .When a year had eventfully passed away, King Leo sent for 110110, and when he saw the shrub on his head he was delighted, for he thought Rollo had done it to please him. King Leo liked his subjects to be smart, so that visiting royalty might be awed by his cleverness. Leo sent for wise Mr. Fox the magician and commanded him to make antlers on all the stags' heads. He married Rollo and Flora and gave them a home in the palace grounds. And that is how the stag grew its antlers. "Wake up, Billie. It's nearly tea time, and I've been looking everywhere for you," said mummy, shaking him vigorously.