Golden Star to Cinderellas

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 270, 13 November 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

Golden Star to Cinderellas

Three hearty cheers for the Cinderella Club—come along. Sunbeams— Hip, Hip. HURRAH! Certainly this Avondale club deserves a hearty cheer, for it is the first Sunshine Club to reach tha coveted Golden Star section of the Holiday Ladder. This means that Alice and her club mates have now contributed over £3 to the Holiday Fund. The Cinderella Club is a band of Avondale girls captained by Alice Tait. For two years now they have worked untiringly for us, both during the winter and when our Holiday Campaigns have been in pro* gress. It seems, therefore, particularly fitting that the honour of being the first to reach the Golden Star section should fall to this Avondale club.

Here is the letter that accompanied a contribution of £1 2/6 which arrived at Sunshine House during the week: Dear Peter Pan and Wendy

This week we are sending you £1 2/6. So sorry we did not send it to you last week, but our afternoon was not held until yesterday.

We hope it won't be Tery long before wc are able to send our fourth pound. We are very pleased to see the other club's working so hard to help raise the money you require.

We raised this amount for you by an afternoon tea, for which each adult present paid sixpence. The rest was made up by donations from some of the members. We also had guesses for a lovely little budgie.

Will you please enrol Jean Marshal, as she is the baby of our club and we would not like to leave her out.

I will close now, wishing you both the best of luck and also all the Sunshine Clubs in the present campaign. Yours sincerely, ALICE TAIT.

"She is one of seven daughter* of the lord of the land-of-a-thousand-dreams; he alas is dead; when he died Djnn cast a spell over her six sisters and '•harped thom into six white swans. Fatima wa? hiding behind a grilled door and the Djim couldn't see her. Now Fatima has ha-! a special lake bnilt for them, and gives them fine delie».e:es off golden platters. And she sits and waits the rest of her time in a larjie hall, waiting for one who will be able to lift the spell. Many have tried, but all have been captured by the Djnn and changed into rocks on the seashore."

"Indeed a remarkable tale," said the Pasha, smiling, "but how should we know it is true ?"

As he finished speaking a servant ran into the hall, and, throwing himself down before the Pasha, said. "Oh, most high one, there is a traveller outride the gates who would speak with thee. Tie comes from a far-off land and has a request to make of thee."

Now the Pasha was famed for his hospitality and he had the wayfarer brought in and bathed in oils and scented waters, and balm smoothed into hie skin, and fine linens and silks put on him. Then the Pasha ordered him to be brought before him in the feasting hall. After a sumptuous meal, the Pasha said to him, "Well, my good fellow, what brings thee here and what is thy name?''

"Yussuf, the courier," came the ready reply. "I have come from the land-of-a-thousand-dr?ams, O, royal one."

"Go on," said the Pasha nodding to Yussuf. He then began to stroke his luxuriant beard, with fingers loaded with rings. "I bring a token from the L*dy of that land to ask your Most Excellent Highness, if you know of one who is brave enough to go there and lift a remarkable curse, of which I presume thou hast heard of repently."

The Pasha smiled softly and a cunning look crept into his eyes. His younger brother was a nuisance, and was getting a little too ready to ask questions as to who should have the throne.

Now this jounger brother, Hassan, by right of place of birth was the rightful heir to the throne, but the elder brother by means of cunning succeeded in usurping his place and was now Pasha.

"It is an excellent opportunity to get rid of the noisy fellow," he thought. "He will never return; of that I am sure."

At length he said to Yussuf, "I know the very one for thee, who is fond of adventure, and who would take on this task with pleasure."

Hasean took the ring and was about to thank Ynssef when Yuseef disappeared in *a puff of smoke. Hassan touched the ring and wished he were inside the castle door*. Immediately he wae transferred from where he had been standing to the palace on the mountain.

He walked into a large hall hung 1b gold-threaded hangings of rich velvete and satins. In the centre of the polished floor was a raised dais, on which was seated the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The Teller-of-Talea had not exaggerated her loveliness. She arose, and he perceived that she was dressed in a filmy green robe; her white arms were loaded with golden ornaments, and she wore a coronet of uncut emeralds. The vision addressed him thus: "Who art thou?" said she.

"I am Hassan, Prince of the land of Yyamisa, who cometh to free thy sisters from their spell." '"Tis well." Next morning Hassan went with Fatima to a special lake where her sisters abode. Hassan saw six white swans swimming through the red and yellow water lilies to meet them. They had human voices, and they pleaded with Hassan to free them from their sad fate.

Hassan learned that the Djnn who had cast the spell, always went to bathe in the sea, at the bottom of the kingdom every morning. So Hassan went down to the seashore too, and hid behind a large rock. He was rewarded with success for the Djnn came down and divested himself of his clothing. This Djnn also had a ring, and without it he lost his power. He hesitated before taking it off and laying it with his clothinjr, but he wouldn't have taken it off at all if he had seen Hassan.

As soon as the Djnn was far out in the water Hassan slipped from behind the rock quickly and snatched up the ring. With a terrible cry the Djnn came swimming ashore, but he was helpless. Hassan rubbed the ring and condemned the Djnn to be a rock, and then ho threw the ring far out into the water. When he reached the castle he found Fatima and her sisters who had returned to their natural forms. They all thanked him, and Fatima reminded Hassan of her promise. But when Hassan bowed his head in sorrow and told her hi* promise to hia brother, she bowed her head sadly too and acquiesced to Hassan's wish huniblv.

But when they returned to Yyatniz* they found that the Pasha had died of * stroke, and so Hassan was Pasha in his place. Amid much feasting and rejoicing Hassan and Fatima were wed.