KING KAURI'S DECISION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 21, 25 January 1936, Page 17 (Supplement)

KING KAURI'S DECISION.

(By Phyllis Clark, Awhltu; age 13.) What excitement! What hurrying! What bustling! The whole of the New Zealand bushland was alive with the busy little figures of fairies, elves and gaily-plumaged birds. In fact, 011 this great day, when King Kauri was to pick a queen of all New Zealand forests, the fairy he found most beautiful, the only person who was not .jovial and happy, was Fairy Clematis, for she thought she had no' chance of being chosen. "Why," she thought, "I am so small and pale, His Majesty will probably not even notice me." At last the great hour arrived, and all the fairies, representing their flowers, stood in a long line, while King Kauri sat under a bower of thickly matted clematis vines (Fairy Clematis consoled herself with this honour). After the fairies had (lanced for him he walked along the line and picked out the four fairies he found most beautiful. There was the pohutukawa, which he picked for her bold crimson beauty; the koromiko, for her dclicate mauve colour-

ing and dainty appearance; the yellow koxvhai, for the golden glory of her prettily shaped flowers; and the Now Zealand daphne for her faint sweet perfume. He had almost decided on the glorious kowhai fairy when, with a faint rustling ■a tiny clematis bloom fluttered down and fell in the king's lap. Lifting it gently up he gazed at it for a few moments in admiration and wonder. "How exquisitely dainty, how sweetly fragile and pure. You are indeed Aotearoa's most lovely flower. Come forth, dear Fairy Clematis, for you most surely will be queen," ho exclaimed. Shortly afterwards Fairy Clematis was crowned queen, and so she remains to this day.