THE SMILE CASTLE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 17 March 1928, Page 18

THE SMILE CASTLE

THE CASTLE PLEDGE.

I promise to smile every time I can, and to chase all the frowns into the dark cave, where the Smile Giant will kill them with his Magic Sword Happiness.

My Deal* Smiles, — 1 suppose you have all been out gathering mushrooms these beautiful mornings. Isn’t it wonderful the way they just spring Up in a night, especially after a shower of rain? I remember so well when I was a little girl our family was very fond of mushrooms. So every morning in the season we children used to be called very early and, after dressing very rapidly, we took baskets and rail all. over the paddocks gathering the pretty little white and pink stools for breakfast.

This morning when I was out early, as usual, thinking of the Smiles, and their doings, my mind 'wandered to a letter I wrote you not very long ago—in fact, just when the drought broke—telling you to be like raindrops, in other peoples’ lives, especially those people who had missed lots of life’s joys and were becoming dull and uninteresting. Well, Smiles, 1 looked over that beautiful green paddock which .only a week or two ago had been parched and brown, and I thanked the rain for the glory and beauty it had brought, and as I gazed I marvelled at the wonder of Nature, for all through that glorious verdant carpet of grass were dotted little white spots—mushrooms. Many children had been out before me gathering the delicious plants for breakfast, and I hoped they, too, had remembered what we owe to the rain. Those mushrooms gave such a lot of pleasure; first, there was the lovely morning outing and joy of picking; then came the fun of cooking, and last, but not least, the good and savoury, breakfast. So, my young people, when you smile on the world and make other people happy, your kindness is the raindrops which causes mushrooms to spring up in other peoples’ lives. We’ve all got some mushrooms in our lives. I mean we all have blessings, for after all mushrooms are the blessings of a green paddock on a dewy morning. Now if you ever want a cheerful occupation just add up all the things that you can be glad about; these are blessings. I’m sure if we all did this, smiles would be everywhere.. Do you want another competition soon? If so, I think we might manage one soon after Easter. Do write to me often as I never forget one of you, and I do get so disappointed when you forget me for a long time. There still is a big store of love in the Smile Castle, and this week I want you all to have a great, big share of it from— Your affectionate SMILE QUEEN.