GOOD-NIGHT STORIES

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

GOOD-NIGHT STORIES

AS A FIREMAN KNARF THINKS HE'S JUST GREAT. (By MAX TRELL.)' Fire, fire, Ail about. Blow it hard And put it out. —Shadow Sayings. "Fire! Fire!" cried Knarf. "Where?" exclaimed Hanid, Mij, Flor and Yam—the other little shadow children with the turned-about names. "In the kitchen. I saw it with my own eyes. Quick, let's call the fire engine before it burns down the whole house."

At this Yam started to call: "Fire engine! Fire engine!" "That's not the way to call. We must turn in an alarm." Knarf ran up mid down looking for an alarm. So did the others. There was no alarm to be found. "\\"d better go and call for it ourselves," Hanid suggested at length. Then they hurried down to where the lire engine was kept. There they found it with the firemen all sitting at their posts waiting for a fire. "Fire!" shouted Knarf. The firemen, strange to relate, didn't stir an eyelash. They sat there stiff as nails, looking straight ahead of them. "Fire! The kitchen is burning!" the shadows cried excitedly. It was no use. They remained perfectly motionless. "We'll have to take it there ourselves," said Mij. They all climbed 011. Ilanid and Yam sat 011 the ladder. Flor took hold of the hose. Mij grasped a long hook. As for Knarf, he sprang into the driver's seat to steer. However, the fire engine didn't budge. Knarf jumped down to crank it up. Xo sooner did he give it a turn or two than it started off before he had a chance to get back. Instead of going into the kitchen it ran along the wall and threw all the firemen off on to their heads. Besides that, it scattered the shadows in four different directions. The firemen lay on the ground and didn't utter a word. They still looked as stiff as nails. 1

1 The shadows pickcd themselves up. It was no use trying to move the fire engine. It was lying on its side* and 'couldn't be righted. "fjumph. I'll* put out the fire without it," said Knarf, running into the kitchen. The others followed him. Just as he said that they found the fire. It was under the tea kettle, which happened to be standing on the gas stove. The flames burned against the bottom of the kettle and came licking along the sides, causing the poor kettle to hiss and steam through its spout, While its cover rattled dreadfully. "How will you put it out?" they called to him. He was already standing on the stove, as close to the flames as he could get. In answer he filled his cheeks with air and went —pouf! It was a hard blow, but it didn't blow it out. Again he filled his cliceks with air and went—pouf! The llame burned as fiercely as ever. For the third time he filled his cheeks with air almost until they burst and then went —pouf! And just as he did so along came Inda, the cook, and said: "My, my, the water is boiling," and turned off the flame. But Knarf scarcely noticed her. "Hoorah, I put out the fire," he shouted, feeling indescribably proud of himself. And then they all went back to see if the fire engine was righted yet. It Was. The real children had come in and set it back on its wheels, for it was nothing but a toy fire engine, and the firemen were nothing but nails.