A SEA-FAIRY IN THE SEA-PAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 56, 7 March 1931, Page 18

A SEA-FAIRY IN THE SEA-PAGE

COBAL Shell was a pretty little sea fairy. She had bright blue eyes and long fair, shining hair. She wore a dainty frock of coral pink, with coral flowers in her hair, and coral beads on her neck and arms. Sometimes when she was flashing round the rocks near the shore she was taken for a shining fish, and at other times for trailing pink seaweed. Coral often lay on a rock out at sea and watched tho merry holidaymakers splashing and swimming and laughing and shouting. Sometimes she wanted to go nearer to see them better, but her elder sister, Pearl o' the Bocks, always told her not to. Coral, though mischievous, did not want to deliberately disobey her sister, and so sho never got any nearer than her own sunny rock. One night, however, when the moon was sending shafts of glowing silver light through the water, Coral looked up through the shining depths. Surely there was no harm in going just for a little while! Coral glided swiftly towards the shore. On. the wot sand, she turned and looked out toward tho sea. The sea is magic at night. It lay, a quivering, gleaming, rippling lake of black and silver. Coral went on until she came to tho town. There she found ' plenty of things to look and wonder at. The bril-liantly-lighted shops, the interiors of tho people's houses, the jewellers' shops with their shining silverware and sparkling diamond rings, and heaps.of other things which seemed marvellous to her wide eyes, shilling like blue saucers. At last when it was getting rather

late, she began to think about going home. And then she found, to her dismay, that she had come so far into the town that she did not know how she was to get back. Sho wandered about until she was so tired that she thought she could not possibly go a step farther. Suddenly, she emerged from the town into the bush. A little way off, she could see the red glow of a fire and could hear a murmur of voices. All at once sho broke into the clearing. Around tho firo seated on toadstools wero ever so many elves and fays, and in tho middle on a much bigger toadstool was Fairiel! Sea Pour] and Pink Pearl, who wore dresses something like Coral's own, recognised her and brought her up to Fairiel, who was dressed in a frock

trimmed with shells and coral with a crown of pearls. "This is Queen Fairiel, Coral," said Pink Pearl. "We are having our Sea Page here, to-night." "I've lost my way," explained Coral, "and I'm so tired and hungry and —" her lip quivered. "Never mind," said Queen Fairiel. "Stay with us for a little while to get warm, and rest yoursolf, and then we will show you the way " ("to go home," whispered Scarlet Pimpernel to Jacko the Monko) —"no, to the beach," replied Fairiel. "Oh, thank you," answered Coral, gratefully. She got a fright, however, when she saw a black figure with largo wings on one of the toadstools. Even when sho was introduced to the Bat and

told tkftt he was quite a harmless person, she could not look at him without giving an involuntary jump. "What I want to know," broke in Ken aggrievedly, "is when's supper coming on the scene?" • _ There was a general laugh at this, which broke out again as the Bat said reflectively, "Funny thing, old chap, that's just what I was thinking of, but didn't like to say." "Well, here it comes now, at any rate," said Saucy Sally, eyeing the dainties with interest.' "Golly! You'll have to bring a lorry to take mo home," remarked Jacko tho Monko at last, absent-mindedly removing his tail fiom the sugar basin. "Then we'll leave you here when we go down to the beach," returned Betsy Bobtail mischievously, and it was noticed that Jacko livened up straight away. They had singing and a number of games and sea-puzzles after tea, and then Fairiel took them down to the beach to have the last games and dances. Hero they had such fun that Coral was very sorry at' last, to leave tho laughing, 'breathless crowd for the cool, quiet, black depths of the sea. "Come and see us next year when our Sea Pago comes round, won't, you, Coral?" asked Fairiel, as they said good-byo to her, and her words were eagerly echoed by the Fairy Bing. Over the black and silver rippling sea floated their voices, ■ "Come and see us next year!" "PGTEE PAN" (14). Wadestown,