Little Folk

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 82, 5 April 1924, Page 15

Little Folk

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WONDERFUL ADVENTURE OF PATTY-WEE

By Eileen Service.

' Patty-wee was a small girl of seven years old, who lived in a large and beautiful house by1 the seaside. She had a father and a mother and a baby brother, whose real name was Rutherford James, bul .whom everybody called "Google," because that was the only sort of sound he ever.said. To look at she was rosy,' and' tiny, with a little, black ■ buster-clip, bare legs, and very short tunic dresses.

One day she was left alone with Ellen, the maid,bedause Google had been fretful, and nurse and mummy had taken him into town- to see a- doctor. WUid because Ellen was busy, Patty-wee was allowed to go by herself and play on the beach. The sea was dimply and sparkling, and had . little waves with white pinafores on, chasing each other up the sand. Patty-wee ran gaily down to play, with them, laughing ,• as they raced past her. She liked ' playing by herself, and to-day it was an added pleasure, because she knew that, by being good she was pleasing mummy. ■

■ Suddenly, something caught her by the ankle ! With a little scream she began to make lor the shore, because she thought it was-a big fish; but the thing, which was very heavy, still held on, and when she felt herself at last quite o~ut of the water she turned roiind to see what- bad caught1; her. Then she almost fell over in surprise. It was a little girl! She had a pale brown skin and long wet hair like trailing leaves, and the loveliest face you can imagine. She was 9 lying half in and half out of the water, her slender, hand still clutching Pattyr.wee's ankle, and, as she saw the next roguish wave, coming, though it wa's a very' tiny one after all, she calleed out in avoice like a frightened wind sighing in the trees, "Please, please pull me out. I shall -be taken back again if you don't. Oh, please, be quick. lam terrified 1"

Patty-wee bent down and pulled her out up on to.the dry, firm sand, and then sat down to gasp, while the little girl lay. on, her side, her'long wet hair falling over' her, and trembled.

"Are you a drowned person?"' said Patty-wee at last; "and have, I saved you?" .

"No," answered the other, in .the same sighing voice. "I am.not, though I nearly was drowned; and, yes, you have .saved me. I a mcalled Poplarelle, and I am the spirit of the poplar tree, which stands on the bank of a river. ' ' _ .

"But," said Patty-wee, her eyes wide open, and her finger in her astonished mouth. "I found you in the sea!" "YeS," said Poplarelle.. "last night I was leaning over to see. myself in the river when one of the water nymphs pulled me in, and I was forced to go with her on, her way till the river joined the sea, when-she let me 'go. I was lost in the great wide sea till it washed me up against this beach, and I caught your foot just now, and, oh, I am so, wet and. so, frightened, .-and I do want my. poplar tree, badly !'■■;'! , She started to sob, but Patty-wee. put her arms round her. .' "Don't cry," she said, "I'll help you. I have nothing to-do all day"; and "she gathered the long, wet hair, and shook it in the sun \to dry it, chattering as she did so about Mummy and Google and the funny • way he blinked at you when he first wakened up. Before long, lo; Poplarelle. was sitting up, no longer afraid. Patty-wee was as glad as a bee,, and the. hair was dry.! \No longer did it hang limp and damp, but floated softly in shining greeny splendour till it looked, like a cloud of leaves blown by the wind.. /----.

"Oh, thank you !" cried ■■' Poplarelle when she saw. it; "thank you ever so much! Why, I feel as cheerful as can be! .You are a.comfort!" . '.-

"Don't stop tothank me," said Pattywee in a voice her Mummy sometimes used; "we must be busy now. Come, and we'll look for your tree.",

'Hand in hand they walked along the beach. But they had no idea which Way to go for there were two rivers running ( into the sea; both so very far apart, that if they walked to the wrong one it would be night before they could turn-back and retrace their steps. They were wandering along, much perplexed, when Patty-wee suddenly stopped. "Listen," she said, "I hear Ellen calling .me to dinner. Will you lie on this shady rock till .1 . come back? Think hard, and so. shall 1/ and then perhaps some plan will come. I can't take you to the house ,because the others-would be curious, and want you ifi stay all night. Then .they would keep you, and you -would never get back;, but I shall' hurry, and I'll go now, because Ellen' will come unless, and then she'll see you. Good-bye, Poplarelle, dear. ■- I shan't'be long." And away she sped.

All during dinner-time she sat' and thought,' but noi plan would come ,and at last she was almost derjttiring of 'getting the lost spirit back into her tree. She was looking into the fire and racking her brains when, suddenly, she Had an inspiration. ■ '.

N " Why, Mr. Smoke-shape!" she exclaimed ; and, jumping down from her chair, ran quickly to the fireplace. Then Ellen, .being .put of theroom, she called softly' up the chimney: J' Mr. Smokeshape, please come to me. -I want you most importantly." Down from the ,chimhey came a wreathing grey cloud.of smoke, out of which looked a pair of laughing eyes, and a kind mouth, with a long beard, asked what her: trouble was.

When the tale at last was told, and she paused' for breath, "Mr. Smoke-shape spoke. ■•" Go,, and wait with your friend on the beach," he said, '.' and I shall go and get help. The Wind will.aid me, and at sunset we will come for you. You need not worry, or ask questions, for we will manage things properly. For the time being, good-bye."' The door opened, and in'came Ellen. -"■Why, how smoky the room is.! s> she exclaimed. "It must be the new coal," and she opened the window; but she did i:pt see that it was Mr. Smoke-shape who passed laughingly through, and mounted swiftly upwards in the air.'

That afternoon was indeed a wonderful one. The two little girls played together all the time, and such a lot both learned! Patty-wee taught her companion how to skip, and play hop-scotch, and dance the jig she ■ had learned at class, and Poplarelle showed how to sway in the wind, and sing the song of the lovely Night. They talked to-the waves, whom by: this time Poplarelle did not fear, and compared their reflections in a rock pool. _' I wish I had your lovely hair," sighed Patty-wee, as she gazed enviously at the floating curls. " And how lovely you look when you-sway !" ' " Now, 1," said Poplarelle. " I wish l-.had. your pretty .short . 'dip.' and J would love to he able to turn somerssulls nut) etnnd on rpy bead W g you do !" At latitj aji Ua.e end pi jJig ahftmuQii,

*hen they Eat waiting expectantly, out >i the sky came a host, led by the omoke-shape. There !were the Wind Boy, who had helped him all" the afternoon; the Scent-of-the-Forest, who had ioved Poplarelle, and two beautiful L4oudy ladies who were the souls of dead tiees that still stood in the wood. They could leaVe their trees and fly now, and i.ad come to help. ' And, please, Mr. Smoke-shape " cried Patty-wee, clasping lier hands, sifter the introductions, " Why are all these people here?"

"They are to carry -you and/Poplarcule back to her tree, said he, " and we must hurry, too,. for we must get you' back again before your Mummy comes home."

So saying he lifted Poplarelle on to the broad back of the .Sceht-of-the-For-est, and' Patty-wee beside her."- The two tree spirits flew beside to help, the Wind Boy pushed from behind, and Mr Smake-shape went in. front to lead the way. Then, slowly, they" rose from the ground, and ma breathless hush the two little girls were borne onwards to a dim, distant forest, where a n empty poplar tree stood by the river. As the sun at last disappeared, and the sky grew all coloured,,they came to it. " There it' is," called Poplarelle, and m .-her joy she started to cry. i'Oh my lovely, lovely tree!" ' They drew near, and the Wind Boy helped her into it, and, somehow, when next Patty-wee looked, her friend was m the poplar, smiling tearfully at her from' the braiiehes,\ with her beautiful hair mingling with the leaves. The two tree-spirits and the Scent-of-the-Forest said "Farewell," and went, and PopIstrelle kissed Palty-wee. ' " Thank you, dear little Earth-friend," she whispered. "I shall love you always, and ,please never forget me, but come to me when you can. I shall bo waiting for you, and—good-bye." " Good-bye," echoed Patty-wee, as Mr. Smoke-shape and the Wind Boy bore her away. "Good-bye." Then she hid her face, that the others might not seen how she cried, and, lying thus she fell asleep. They took her. to the beach, and left her there at last, the Wind Boy going into the clouds, and Mr Smoke-shape returning to" his chimney '

_ Why, here she is!" A sleepy little .girl was picked up, and held in-Daddy's arms, and, opening her eyes, saw Daddy. We have just come homeland came to find you, and tell you that Baby is better now."

Patty-wee snuggled down, and allowed herself to be carried.; home. She was very silent Somehow, she could not tell them about, her day's adventure, and as they never.thought of asking, there was no need to explain. But in her heart she. kept, the secret locked up.and Mr bmoke-shape has promised, if she is very gpod, to. take her to visit Poplarelle again some .day when Daddy and Mummy and Baby are a\vay; .^ ' '