"FALSE ALARM."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 137, 11 June 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

"FALSE ALARM."

(By Zelti Carter, Hikimutu; use 1.1.) \ "Now, Muffet and John," said Mrs. Heath, "to-day you may take your lunch and go up to the bush and amuse yourselves as best you can; for your father and 1 have some business to do, and we do not want to be disturbed." Muffet and John looked at their mother in surprise, but never the less did as they were told, 4ind, accompanied by their dog, Toby, were soon climbing toward the bush at the back of their home. "Muffet," said John, "I wonder if mum and dad are worried over anything?" "I am wondering, too," said Muffet. Beaching the top of the hill, up to the bush, they both sat down to reat. Muffet, feeling in her pocket, brought forth a and pencil. "I am going to write poetry," she atinmiuced. "Poetry! ,, echoed John. "I wuppose about fairies and giants." "No, not about fairies—about winter; ho is going to be a fairy pedlar," replied Muffct. "There, I knew there would be something about fairies in it; all girls are tho same," rejoined John. Silence reigned. John lay on his back and watched tho fleecy clouds sail by. Toby stretched out to sleep and dream doggy dreams about juicy meat bones and chasing rabbits; while scratch, scratch went Muffet's pencil. A few minutes went by. "Now," said she, "I will recite my poem, John. Listen." There was a fairy pedlar here last night, Who scattered his wares from left to right, He dropped his wagie carpet of white And hung up jewels in cobwebs light. He has cast hie frosting on tree-tops tall, And bushes small, he has covered them all, And left some glaze on our window pane. They say that Winter is his name, But he is a fairy pedlar, all the same, For when the sun comes out bright and warm I

His magic wares all disappear again,

"H'm, not bad," John said, "but the last two lines don't rhyme."

"I'm afraid they don't," sighed Muffet. Suddenly a slight, far-off hum made the two children sit up very erect, and Toby woke from tempting dreams. Gradually the hum became louder, and there below them, skimming along the silver ribbon of road, a big car came into sight, and finally stopped at their home. Muffet and John looked at one another. "I wonder who it is?" they both exclaimed together. "See, there is a man going in," said Jobji.

"And mum said we were not to dis turb them," worried Muffet.

After a while strange noises from their home brought the two children to their feet in concern, and Toby began to growl. As the noises grew louder and menacing, the two children, with one thought in their hearts, that their mother and father might be getting hurt, sped dowu the hill as fast as possible, Toby taking the lead and barking as he went.

Presently two flushed and frightened children rushed into their mother's sitting room, to' be confronted by three smiling people, who looked amused at their sudden wild entry. "'Well?" reproved their mother. "We thought yoxi were getting hurt," they both said together, "those funny n-noises—!" "If was just your radio getting fixed up," sa.id the radio man, as lie moved to one side, and the children saw the big radio set —something they had always longed to have iu their lonely country home. Two faces now beamed with pleasure, und ft was only a disgusted doggie who didn't get the excitement lie thought was coming in the way of chasing off unwanted irt-v.ders.