FOR YOUNG FOLKS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1922, Page 16

FOR YOUNG FOLKS

FAIRY PHIL

By Edith Howes.

v (All Bights Reserved. ' Phil felt that hf was a very superior fairy, indeed. All the others were quite ordinary, but he was really wonderful, and it was stupid of the others not to sea it. They treated him as if he were ju6t like themselves, but he was not! Couldn't they ssee that he was handsomer and oleverer than any of them? Well, he would go across the world and find fairies he could feel at home with, to whom he could talk freely;. they would understand him and admire him properly That was the way Phil talked to himself, 6O it was no wonder that one day he flew off. Far across the .world he flew, over mountains and seas, till he cam© to a land he had never heard of before. Here he alighted. There was a beautiful garden, full, of delicious fruits, and fgiries flew splendidly about. His dreams had com© true. Here were fairies handsomer and taller than those he had Jeft; no doubt fchoy wot© cleverer, too. They looked very superior indeed. This was the place for him! Hero he could feel at home and would be appreciated. ' He stopped a- busy-looking fellow ho was 'passing. "I should like to stay here," he said. "I am sure that this will suit me." ■ .■'■.' The other gave him a half-surprised, half-careless look. "Oh, vory well;" he eaid, and he flew off. ' "Seemr too busy to attend to me," thought Phil. ■ . : : ■ He went to _a- lovely faiTy with gold and purple wings, and hair; that shone like,a beech in autumn. "I should' like to atay here," he said. "I have come a long way to find this place." "Have you ? You may stay if you like. Roam about and see all you wish, but bo careful riot_ to interfere with anything Wo are doing great things here." She, too. Hew off. Phil was indignant. "Interfere with anything, indeed! -As if I were a baby! Anyone can see I have more sense tiha-n that. They don't give one a very warm welcome here." They did not give him & warm welcome. He roamed about, but nobody took any notice of him. He migßt have been, a beo or a. butterfly for any importance he held in their eyes. It was a. shock to Phil, and he began to .feel- just a. little less superior. ■ The truth was, he had alighted in the Just-G-rown-Up Garden. Here lived the fairies who"' had just grown up, and each was eager to do some great thing. . One was trying to make apples ripen in a day, another was trying to make every kind of fruit grow on one tree. There were a hund red plans, and the fairies were so full of thought that they could not be expected to take notice of a child fairy. So long as he didn't interfere he could go where he liked, but he mustn't take up their precious time and attention. Phil wandered about for a long time, watching them at work and feeling illused. '■ If they only knew how clever he was they would talk to him and be friendly, he felt sure. Perhaps they would even let him work at one of the plans. He would make them talk. " He crept close to a fairy who sat perfectly still with his eyes fij;ed on a. big tree. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. ' The fairy made no reply, but sat as still as ever. "What are you thinking about?" Phil asked more loudly

"Oh," said the fairy impatiently, "I am thinking- out a plan for making trees grow into houses so that humans should not have the trouble o£ building them. Now please fro away. You distrub me." "Can you really do it:?" Phil persevered; but the fairy would not speak again. Phil moved slowly off, very disappointed. (' ' Another fairy w«s pounding seeds in. a silver bowl. "What are you making?" asked Phil. "I am making a seed that will grow into the sweetest flower in the world," she replied, her eyes aglow. "It will have the scent o£"all.the.,blossoms whose seeds I am pounding here-^-violet, carnation, rose, wallflower, and mignonette. It will be marvellous, and the humans will love it" ' "May I help you?" asked Phil. "Help? No, indeed! -What could a child, do? Beside, it is my work; my very own idea." "May I 6tay-and talk then?' "No, no ! I am far too busy to, talk. I must , think about what I am. doing." Again Phil had to move away. . At last lie came upon the beautiful fairy with- hair that shone like a beech in autumn. \ She held a strawberry in. her hands, and she murmured a' 6pell above it, over and over and over. "I know what you _ are doing!" cried Phil. "You are going to make strawberries grow their own cream!". "Now you have spoilt my magic!".she cried. "Oh dear, I shall have to begin all over again. You and your sil'.y remarks! I am not going to make strawberries grow their own cream; I am going to make strawberries grow as big its pineapples. And to do that the ' spell must be uttered a thousand. times without interruption. Now I must start again at the beginning, and I had already reached three hundred and sixty-five. I U.id jcu when you firstcame not ts interfere. You aTe a stupid, -tiresome child, and you must go away at once.H y , A 6tupid, tiresome child ! Phil no lonw.r felt superior. He felt little and lonely, and ready to cry. and he; couldn't remember how wonderful he had thought himself. This was no place for him. Why had he left his home, where there were merry companions and lau^Ver : aiid friendliness and time to walk together. Ho wjjuld go back. Back he went, far, across the world, over mountains and seas, till he reached til© ci€3X hoinG g strain. . ■ ■ ■ Spring had come; the walks were sweet with violets, and the primrose bed was starred with gold! Fruit trees sttio'l white with blossom, 'and birds sang "Spring! Spring! Spring !" all day ieisg. And there sat liis favourite playmate among1 the snowy blossoms. . She had put on a long frock, hung, with pearls along its edge, and she had caught up her _ hair with pins of pearl, and H shone like a beech in autumn; and now she sat demurely on , a flowared \bough and pretended to be quite srrowu up. 'O, Phil, where have you been?" sho called. "Come and play grown-ups.'' "I/will play anything else you like, but not that," he replied. "Ptenae don't be grown-up. Be a. child with 'ne and let us play our happy games togsshar. We are only children, after all."