GOOD NIGHT STORIES

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 158, 6 July 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

GOOD NIGHT STORIES

(By MAX TRELL)

"There was a worm. It couldn't talk, It couldn't run and it couldn't walk, Tlie only tiling that it could do— I'll tell it to you., But don't giggleIt could Wriggle!" —Shadow Song. The moral of this story is tliat you should never give advice when you aren't certain that it is good. That's what Master Knarf—the shadow-boy—should have known. It all happened like this. Mij, Flor, Hanid, Yam and Knarf were returning home to their masters and mistresses just before dawn. They had been far and wide during the night, for when real children are asleep their shadows go out in search of adventure and do not

return until they wake up again.

As chance would have it, it had rained during the night, and as they came down the wet pavement they heard a voice. "Good morning," said the voice, "do you think it is safe to cross to tho other side?" They stopped short and saw that they were being addressed by an earthworm, which was coiled in the rain-laden grass at the side of the pavement. "Do you think it is safe to cross?" it repeated. The shadows shook their heads doubtfully—aii except Knarf, who answered promptly:'"Of course it's safe. Anyone can cross tho pavement. I've crossed it a thousand times a duly and nothing ever happened." "And did you reach the other side?" the earthworm asked anxiously. "Yes, indeed." "You see," it explained, "I've always wanted to take a trip to the other side, but the pavement has been so dry that I was afraid I would stick. Now that it's so moist with the rain I'd like to dare it." "You'll be over in two steps," said Knarf.

But here Hanid broke in. "Two steps? A worm- can't take steps. It has no legs." "That's so," it admitted, a little ashamed of itself. "Legs doii't run in our family." "Then you can wriggle," said Knarf. "You can wriggle across in two wriggles." At this it smiled gratefully.

"Yes, that's what I'll do," it said, as it started to cross. "You really oughtn't to go," Ilamd and the others "warned. "What will you do if the pavement dries and you get stuck in the middle?"

Knarf, however, urged, it to continue and even went so far as to spring upon its back "to steer it in the right direction," as he said. The worm wriggled very slowly, and by the time it reached the middle of the pavement- it was so tired that it stopped to take a rest. "Rest a.s long as you please," said ths eliadow-boy. Unfortunately for the worm it shouldn't have rested at all, for the sun now 'came out and shone so brightly that in a few moments the pavements became quite dry except for a little spot in the centre where the worm was resting. To its dismay it found it couldn't go on. A worm can't wriggle very far across anything that's dry. It soon stuck quite fast. "Help me, help me," it begged. Knarf and the others tried in vain to tug it. In the end they had to leave it and return home, for it was getting late and the children would be waking. Just as they were setting off a man came a.long, and, spying the fat worm, picked it up and put it in a little box. "Another few like that and I'll have enough for my fishing," he said happily. "Worms are foolish to try to cross pavements." But Knarf pretended not to hear.