The Tale Sherberry.Gnome.

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1932, Page 16

The Tale Sherberry.Gnome.

3 ■£ ]£ "Where shall I go, and what shall I do?" said Sherberry 5 ? Gnome but nobody knew. "All right," said Sherberry. "This % fine day I'm packing my bag, and I'm off and away." 'Good-bye," Sj % cried the other Gnomes, at their ease. "Shut the door carefully, > jj if you please!" •" • *c £ Sherberry started before the day was quite and properly under way. The sun was showing his round red face: shadows ? S were having their morning race. The web of the spider was just 3 •J begun. '-Great!" said Sherberry. "Isn't this fun?" < 3| Sherberry lived in a mountain grim and the outside world was new to him. He had forgotten that grass grew green; flowers S ;, of the forest he'd never seen. Birds of the bush called shrill and % «J sweet, while the miles slipped past beneath Shcrberry's feet. ■; J> He bathed at a brook and dried in the sun; took things «" ;» from his knapsack, one by one. He had eggs for breakfast, and S «J dined off fish; had mushrooms for tea from a seashell dish. At 5 ■J nightfall he made him a green-leaf bed. "I've never been hap- c 5j pier," Sherberry said. £ Ji Came a day when Sherberry found a new-fledged birdling on i j£ the ground. He put it back carefully in the tree. "There," said ? Sherberry. "There you be. Now lie still till your ma comes '< J^i home, else you're bound to be hurt," said Sherberry Gnome. > £ A wee way further a bumble bee was caught in a web and 5 ■£ couldn't get free. "Mistress Spider, " Sherberry said, "you could \ keep your bee if .die bee were dead. But since you have trapped < Jn him alive, then no!" And he loosed the bumble and let him > i s°" . :' ■£ Another mile, and Sherberry heard a wee little cry from a *l Jj ladybird. She was on her back with her legs in the air. "I'll 5" J, play the knight to this lady fair," quoth Sherberry, promptly set- ? ;'- ting her right. And she scuttled off gratefully into the night. ;C £ Next day Sherberry journeyed on. He travelled far and "l < he travelled long, till up on the lop of a hill he stood. Before > 1^ him lay an Enchanted Wood. "Well!" cried Sherberry. "What J» a place! Tis a dismal spot," and he pulled a face. "I've never 5" », seen trees looking quite so black; but I'm not a coward I«* n£ shan't go back." So said Slierberry: then he went down to the £ > Wood of 111 Intent. •»

> % .« So soon as Shcrberry reached ihe trees, they bent and J« jl grasped him. "If you please," said Sherberry, "let me go! I've .; Hot harmed any of you, you know." But the trees "gripped tighter !$ J and caught his breath, slowly strangling him to death. J« ;jj Then suddenly came the sound of wings, and the air was full S \of flying things—bees and birds and ladybirds too, flying to help § ,£ the friend they knew. Birds came winging on every breeze. They ? ;j lit on the brandies and beat the trees and forced them apart; and i £ the ladybirds ran to clear'a path for the little man. The bees N £ swarmed thick till Sherberry stood safely outside the Enchanted 5 S Wood. X 4 s ;. "Great!" said, Sherberry. 'Thank you, friends. All is well % «£ tliat merrily ends." He took up his pack and waved them good- % .; bye, as up they flew in the sunlit sky. "One thing I've learnt," ? ;« said Shevberry then. "Do good to animals, birds, and men £ *, and you'll never regret it," quoth Sherberry Gnome. "Well, I'm •£ ■J more use abroad than ever at home. ..." Q JJ So on went Sherberry, up the hill, and for all I know, he is S 5 going still. c FAIRIEL. J