THE MOON’S TEA PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 286, 29 August 1931, Page 21

THE MOON’S TEA PARTY.

“Do hurry up!” eried an impatient voice close to my ear. I jumped with fright, and turning my head, beheld a tiny man with a huge beard, securely fastened with a safty-pin, to prevent him from tripping over it. “Hurry up! What for?” I asked puzzled. “For the Moon’s party, of i course!” he said. Not waiting for further questions, he grabbed me by the hand, and to my amazement I found that I had grown to almost his size. Loosing one strand of his beard he let it stream merrily away in the wind. “Now step lightly,” he warned, as we began to climb a moonbeam. Presently we found ourselves at the top, and a star-in-waiting greeted us with a merry twinkle. “The Moon will be here in a few more turns of the earth,” she said, and led us into a huge cloud, decorated with lovely rainbows and tiny stars. Just then a huge cloud rolled up, and the Moon stepped out, dressed id a dazzling yellow robe, with a crown of stars. She smiled and asked me to sit down. My funny little companion had disappeared. “Jupiter, bring the melons,” she commanded. “You are thinking I mean watermelons, my dear mortal, but these are special moon-melons, which make me mellow.” You see, the word “mellow” was taken from “melon.” Jupiter brought several queer-shaped melons, and after I had tasted one I decided that watermelons simply weren’t in it. . •/ After we had finished the melons our goblets were filled with silvery dewdrops, which tasted lots nicer than my very special ice-cream soda. Suddenly a tiny star-page rushed in: “Lunatic Moonatic. Hurry! oh Hurry! You haven’t yet risen, and the Earth’s in a flurry” he cried in a tinkly voice. • The Moon quickly finished her last bit of melon, and apologising to me, hurried away. I looked round and found my funny little companion by my side. \ “It is time you went back to earth,” hesaid. “You see, lam the Man in the moon and my beard is made of the moonbeams which I unfasten every night, and let gently touch the earth to ” “Wake up silly!” I opened my eyes, and gazed round in amazement. I was in my own bed. "Hurry up and stop star-gazing! It’s 8.30 a.m. and we’ll miss the train!” said Jean. Jean had said “star-gazing.” I wonder if she knew how dose to the truth she had been? —Sent by “Princess Beautiful,” Masterton.

Mavis Miers, Kaitawa K.M.D.. Eketahuna, asks if any girl League members who live in Pahlatua would write to her. Mavis would like her penfriends to be about twelve or thirteen years of age. , /