FAIRY RING.

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 135, 10 June 1933, Page 7

FAIRY RING.

THE SING ING TREE

A.RIXI TIT PUB A was not beautiful. Her face was too'ova], too pointed for prettincss, and her hair was short and very, very straight. Kahurare, her sister, had none of those defects, but was possessed of good looks to such -a degree that more than half of the young men of the place could lie numbered among her admirers. Accustomed to being overlooked when her sister was about, it was small wonder that Arini had added to her natural reserve of manner a decided love of solitude. Sometimes, when the fact of her loneliness thrust itself too sharply upon her, she would creep away into the cool foiest-plaees, and the stillness and the- beauty would capture the soul of her, and presently she would make a little song. And the trees would be in her song, and the grey, eliin shadows,'and the moist brown smell of the leaf-mould, so that unhappiness would have no part in the singing at all. There was one tree she loved better than all the others. Tall and slimstemmed it stood where the forest bordered the shores of a la"ke, and its strong leafy boughs spread far out over the water. Arini, lithe and agile as any. boy, often climbed high up among the branches. And the blue of the sky. was the tranquil blue of the lake, and the distant hill-ridges would shimmer with haze, and wind and sun.would whip the lake-ripples, to dazzling, silver. Then the words would come swiftly into Arini's head like birds winging homo through the dusk,-and she would sing them to a tune of her own devising. Old Nua, the tohunga, he who had.taught her many chants and soiigs of the- tribe, prophesied in this wise: "You do well to hold the tree so dear, O bird-voiced one; for love hides lightly in its leaves, and when the shadows fall across your path, then will thetrce show you the way of escape." ' One day Arini fled to the bush in great trouble. Her sister, for all her prettineas, .was exceedingly .bad-tempered, and because Arini had not performed some1 task exactly to her liking, she , turned and abused her, even taunting her over her lack of suitors. Wearied with sobbing, poor Arini sought the refuge of the tree. The sunlight wore delicate traceries round her, the sky shone blue through the gossamer network of leaves, and a wind went shimmering by. Some of the hurt and shame departed from her, and in their place a melody began to take shape. Haunting and wistful it was in accordance with her mood, but the sweetness of it was beyond all telling. Now it happened that the chieftain, Tareha, was passing through the forest just at this time, and feeling thirsty, he sent his servant to the lake

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(A Maori Legend, by Enid B. Y. Saunders.)

for water while he himself sat down to rest. Soon the slave came back,, saying, "There is something strange happening at the edge of the lake. I can hear the sound of singing, yet though I have searched all abont I can see , no one. lam afraid." N "Nonsense," said his master,-and repeated his demand for water. Reluctantly the. man went, but in a few minutes he had returned, saying,; "I can hear the sound of singing more plainly'than before; yet I can see no one.", , , -:. '. . - , . ■ ■ ■".'■"■"■■'■' -V- "■'. : 1 Thereupon Tareha became angry and commanded him to go at once for the water, but the man came back shaking with fear, and crying that the place was possessed of an aitua, a spirit. .So terrified did he look that Tareha took the calabash and went himself to see what it was that had given the fellow such a fright. Presently he heard singing just as the slave had said, and following in the direction of the- sound he found himself standing at the edge of the lake. Carefully he peered in all the bushes, but no trace of any one could he discover; and then somewhere overhead the singing started again—the merest whisper of a song, soft, caressing, • lilting to a rippling crescendo of sound. Now he could make out the words —exquisite words matching the beauty,of the song—words that caught at his heart and lingered ih its secret places. Swiftly ho swung himself up into the branches of the huge tree and_ there, high above him, sat a girl looking out over the water arid, absorbed in her song. , i And suddenly he knew! And the love-song of Tareha, the 'chieftain, mingled with the clear, high notes of Arini, the flute-like one. - Ecstasy gaye to her colouring warm, ivory tintings, deepening the poignant curve of ■her mouth and making her- smile such a vivid ' spontaneous thing'that her'face was more lovely than a flower. Tareha was • enchanted, and the spiritual: quality of his love that worshipped her for her voice alone quickened to a greater, more wonderful emotion —the love of a man for a maid. , < ' As for Kahurare, the newcomer made 'no response to her beauty, no avowal of homage whatever, and her annoyance was in no way lessened when she learned that her father had promised Arini to him as his wife. Tareha never once wavered in Ms choice, for he saw Kahurare as sho really was, jealous of others and spoilt, in spite of her good looks; and so he troubled about her not at all, and he and Arini went forth to their happiness.