Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 18, 25 September 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

BETTY'S PLAYMATES.

"Oh dear!" sighed Betty, gazing out Qf tiie drawing-room win<do\v% *-'I wuiii I had somebody to play,with; I'm so tired of all my toys." ■■■' ' '• Why don't you come and play with us •to-night," said a voice .som-..-whe.V in the room. Betty Hi) ued. itmnd to find who hiad •spoken to her, and-there was no one there at all. ' She tooked behiL.i the curtains and everywhere. * Here we are, up here oil the inu..tlepuoe," said the voice; and Betty looked up and saw the lovely little Dresden china lady, who was on one side of the clock, looking down at her. "Excuse me,"said Betty, for .she was a very polite little girl, "did you speak to me?", "Yes," said the little lady, "we .have felt sorry for you for a long time, because you were so lonely;" "But how can I play with you ~when yoii cannot move, and you .are stuck on a clock?" Betty said in amazement. "Ah, I will tell you our secret" .said the lady. "Every night at • twelve o'clock we come oft* the jnantlepiece and play, but we have to be back again at dawn." —'' How wonderful!'' said Betty. v ' May I really dreep down to-night and play with you?" "Yes, if you promise to keep •our secret, and be very gentle with us, for we cannot play rough games as we are so delicate," said another voice, and Betty saw that it came from the china figure of the man on the other side of the j •clock. • j "I promise," said Betty and "hurried- away, hoping that bedtime would soon come along. \ When she went to bed that night she just could not sleep for * excitement, and directly;;, she heard the big clock in ;the: ; hall strike midnight, she scrambled out of bed, and crept down the Stairs, to the drawing room. She slowly opened the door, and just stood there in amazement, for on the floor were,' a|l the china figures from the mantelpiece and •everywhere. There was the man with the banjo, playing a tiny little tune on it, and in the middle of the floor was the lovely little lady, dancing with the man from the clock, and all the others were playing and laughing and talking and looking so happy. "Come in little girl and join in our play," said one"l'm so frightened of hurting you; I'm so big," said poor "Betty. "Come and sit by me," said the old cobbler figure, '' soon you "will feel the same size as we are, for at midnight all things, are magic." Betty sat down next to him and suddenly felt herseif • getting smaller, and smaller, until she was only the same height as the little china shepherdess who was playing ball with a china dog.. "What a beautiful ladyli' said Betty, watching the dancers. "Yes," sa^d the cobbler^ "and at midnight it is the happiest time of all for her, for she loves the clock man very much, and all day long although she is so near, she can never see^ him, for she cannot turn her head, and they are both joined on to the clock." Presently they all sat down and Betty saw the little china boy who always stood on the table by the window, coming towards them, holding a dish in his hand. ; , "Will you have some honey?" he asked Betty. "How did you get that?" she asked. '' The flowers in the bowl with me on the table gave it to me," said he. "Soon they will play for us." And at that moment Betty heard the sweetest music, like- little bells, and she looked towards the flower-bowl and tliere were the daffodils all nodding their heads like bells.

"Let us dance to their music," said the little boy, taking Betty's hand, and soon she was dancing, and romping, and having such a lovely time. Then suddenly she felt herself getting bigger and bigger and sii could hardly keep her eyes open, and when she did open them She found her nurse standing by her bed. . "Time to got up, sleepy head," said-Namiv,

Betty sat up and looked round wonderingly^ and was just going to tell Nurse all about her lovely night, when she remembered her promise. Perhaps it has all been a dream, she thought, and as soon as she was dressed, she ran down to the drawing-room. She. stood looking up at all those little people and said:

"If wasn't only a dream, was it, and I may come and play with you again, mayn 't I?" But no"body answered, and Betty felt so miserable and disappointed, until she looked at the Dresden chinalady, and as she looked, she saw her smile, and gh 7e just the tiniest nod of her head, and so Betty went away happy, for she knew it had been true.