THE BAD FIRE SPRITES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1933, Page 7

THE BAD FIRE SPRITES

(By "Botibolink," Koro Koro, for the Fairy Ring.) FAIBIEL was so worried, and so was Printerman. They couldn't find one piece of the Fairy Ring. Printertnan said he put it on Fairiel's table, and he was so sure, too. But if he had, where was it now? That was the problem. 1 They looked everywhere. In .the dark corners, and even in the inkwell. Underneath the inkwell, in fairy writing, was an arrow pointing straight to the fireplace (where there was a lovely warm fire burning) with-one word: "Look." '..'.; Fairiel sighed. "We'll have to visit the fire sprites," she said. "You," corrected Printerman. " ISr —I have something very important to do. I must do it at once." With this he disappeared, and Fairiel chuckled. That was Printerman all over. Fairiel called to a couple of fire sprites and told them about her loss. "It might have been Mischievous and Frivolous," one of them said. "They've got some joke up their sleeve, I know." ... Fairiel thought. "What can I do?" she said. "I know!" said the fire sprite, dancing about on his toes. "Go to our queen, and ask her permission to line up some sprites, as you think one of them has stolen part of tho Fairy King. Tell her you must have it for.Saturday." A minute or two' later Fairiel was ushered into tho beautiful room of thfi Fire Sprites' Queen. After tho queen had heard everything, she wrote down a dozen fire sprites' names, and handed■ them■ to a messenger. ■■ : When they arrived Fairiel told them that some of them were known to have taken part of tho Fairy Ring. Fairiol looked at thqir faces. Then she said: "Now lam going to give each o ne of you a straw to hold, and when ] count ten, you are to show them to me. D o you understand?" Then Fairiel started counting, but when she reached nine, Mischievous and Frivolous looked at each other, an c l began to mumble and stutter, and their faces turned pale. Tent Fairiel looked at everyone's straw. All were the same length, but she noticed something else, too. "Seize those two," she said, pointing to Frivolous and Mischievous. Two guards seized each one, and inarched them into her Majesty. Then Fairiel stepped forward. "I have two proofs, your Majesty, that, these are the culprits. One: I cut the straws, and their straws were broken at one end. Two: I found these pieces behind them." In her hand she held two pieces of straw. "I bring the verdict of guilty," came the Queen's solemn voice, and the two sprites nad the grace to look ashamed. "But where is the lost Fairy Ring?" asked Fairiel. Mischievous answered bravely: "I'm afraid we burnt it, Fairiel. We were reading it, and somehow, our fingers were too hot. Then we thought we'd play the trick on you," he confessed. And Fairiel had to laugh, for they both looked M penitent. So "now you know why some- of our King disappeared a few ago,' and never was found.