THE PALACE OF PLENTY

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 219, 16 September 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PALACE OF PLENTY

Pentella was a good little girl and worked hard all day, but her stepmother did not love her because she had a daughter of her own named Lola, who was not as pretty as Pentella. So they made Pentella do all the work and gave 'her no thanks, as well as very little food.

Pentella's father was dead, and she had no other home, so she made the best of her hard lot and sang as if she were treated as finely as a princess. One day when she went to the spring for water she saw by a tree a little brown man who beckoned to her.

J he fairies want you to come here to-night at twelve," he said, and before Pentella could ask him a question he disappeared behind the tree, and when she looked no sign of him could she Hud. Pentella was so hungry at night that she eould not sleep, and this happened to be one of the nights that her stepmother gave her only a crust of bread, so that she had no trouble in keeping awake until it was time to meet the

fairies. The moon was shining, and when Pentella found her way to the spring, there beside it stood three dainty littfe creatures dressed in silver and green.

"The Queen sent us to bring you to the Talace of Plenty," said one fairy, "for she thinks you should have some reward for all your hard work."

Then the fairies touched Pentella with their wands and all was dark for a second, but when she was able to see Pentella found herself in a beautiful garden of all sorts and kinds of flowers. In the garden was a marble palace. When Pentella stepped on the soft red carpet in the hall she heard the sound of bells tinkling sweetly in the distance, but before she had time to think of anything up-from the floor rose a table laden with such a dinner as she had never dreamed of. It was the best dinner she had ever had in her life. The fairies waited and took her home, and the next night the same thing happened and Pentella again went to the Palace of Plenty. When she had finished the fairies did not appear as they had done the night before.

So she walked up the stairs and, an opened door, went in. °

It was a beautiful room, and over a chair lay a lovely dress, which Pentella immediately wished to try on. Just then the unseen bells tinkled, her razored clothes fell away, and Pentella knew that she was to put on the gown. When she looked in the mirror she could hardly belie\e that it was herself. She was lost in thought when she suddenly saw looking over her shoulder the face of a handsome youth with black eyes and hair, but when she turned no one was there.

Pentella looked behind the door, but there was no one to be seen. Just then she looked in the mirror again, but instead of seeing herself she saw a door standing open and a long hall of white and silver which she had not seen before. Instantly she forgot about evervthin"tor she could hear the strains of swe»t music and the tinkling of silver bells in the distance.

She did not wonder where the three fairies were, or if they had forgotten to come for her; she did not think of what her step-mother would say when she did !! n „i aP, p' r /n th x morlTin g to do the JVI'Vi, forgetting everything but the bells, followed the sound.

But her etep-mother and Lola had not J forgotten. On the second night they had l entella, and though when the fairies had touched Pentella with their wands it had become dark to her, tliov had seen what had happened. A door m the big tree where the brown man had stood had opened, and tlirousrh "the door the fairies had taken Pentella. and^tlrJ 111 Let /! S in! " the Y screamed, and the door suddenly opened and in they tumbled headfirst to the ground. But they picked themselves up and raced along after Pentella and watched. she arose from the dinner table they threw themselves upon it When tho" had finished they fil/ed their aprts witC a» many of the silver dishes as thev u d carry, and then, remembering that they hail seen Pentella go up the stairs began to climb. But they had not touched the first step before they sud -T, found that they could not mov* and there we will leave them standing" As Pentella walked alone the wM * and silver hall she found that the Mvo't oame C from a SilVe '' tinklin * ° f the bp, ' s ?" le from a room on one side where the sat °? en ' and thPle °" a ' sat the handsome youth who had looked Xt Z ShOUl, , ler - rcntell « did imt km'v at to say, but remembering her stepmother and that she should be cToin' , p 6 I a il tlle - ToUth the wav. ° c ■But he could not sp eak . Instead of Si,^ ok +l i ier han<i a "d Sed, Her to fc pamel iis they?

stepped through Pentella saw on a lanr? black fur rug a big dragon covered with jewels. His eyes were huge ruixifs. and his body was covered with tfilfcmond? and emeralds and sapphires, which glistened and sparkled as the light from many candles overhead fell upon him. As they came towards the big creature he opened his mouth very wide, but Pentella did not scream. She kept tight hold of the hand which held hers and when the youth led her straight to the mouth of the jewelled dragon she did not draw back. Into the open mouth the youth stepped, still holding the hand of

en to] la, then for a second all was dark. , s " e could see agaan Pentella dis co\ ered that she was in the room where ue iiad found the beautiful dress. She was standing in front of the mirror, and looking over her shoulder was the youth, who this time did not vanish. I refused to marry the daughter of on old witch," he explained, "and became °t this the witch laid a spell upon me so that I should dwell in the Palace of I ienty until I should find u lady brave enough to step with me into the mouth ot the jewelled dragon. And here I hive e( l.' , wa^'n - for the fairies who are my friends to find one who was brave enough to help me. Will you become mv queen?'

Pentella told him she would, and he led her down the stairs, where at the bottom stood her step-mother and Lola, unable to move. As she was em-hinted Pentella could not see them, though they could see her, and though thev cued lor her mercy she just walked past viern out of the Palace of Plenty to a beau t gold coach drawn by two white hordes.

As soon as the coach had <*..ne the palace began to shake, and in an in-'.mc down it tumbled. Lola and her mother found themselves hack beside ihe m the garden. Hut whether or not '-lev had dreamed all that had happened thev were always unable to say. they never saw Pentella again, but that w.i-'just as well, for she was now very lioppv. and did,not want to be reminded ot <heir cn*e?6y.