Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 23, 30 October 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

PETER'S ADVENTURE.

Peter was only nine years old, but be was doing useful work already. He was his father's goatherd. • Every morning throughout the summer he drove the three brown goats up the mountain to the high pasture land, where they fed all day on the finest grass and herbs. Each goat had a little bell fastened to its collar, and the bells tinkled prettily with every movement, so that Peter could always know where the goats were, even when he was lying hal£ asleep in the hot sunshine with his hat pulled over his eyes. L When the sun began to setyPe.ter would call and whistle to his goats, and the little party would wander homeward. Then Peter's mother woul<l milk the goats, and Peter would be given a good bowl of the sweet milk with his supper. One evening, as the setting sun was turning the distant mountain peaks a wonderful rose colour and Peter was whistling to his goats to follow him, a strange goat suddenly appeared- She was a pretty little white goat, with a silver bell which rang out louder and sweeter than the tinklings of the other bells. The white goat ran towards the others, and then stopped and turn ed and started off up the steep mountain side, leaping lightly from rock to rock—and Peter's three goats followed her. In vain Peter whistled and shouted. The goats paid not the least attention to him. So he started quickly to chase them. • Up and up went the goats, and up and up went' Peter, higher than he had ever been before. Presently the white goat went out of sight, and so did the brown goats, one after another, Peter, hot and panting, scrambled up and found a hole in the rock. He crawled through and found himself in a dark passage. The goats' bells went tinkling along in the darkness ahead, and Peter jumped to his feet and followed as fast as he could, feeling his way in the dark by his hands. His one thought was that where his goats went he would follow. On and on he stumbled through the blackness, till suddenly it was not so black, and the figures of the goats could be seen, first dimly and then clearly, and at last they skipped out into the open once more. Peter rushed out after them, and then stood still in amazement. Before him stretched a great wide space of green grass, dotted with flowers of pink and blue and yellow. On the grass was a* crowd of funny little men, not much higher than Peter's shoulder, though they had old, old faces. They gathered round Peter •with; scowls and black looks, but he was too much astonished to be afraid of them. "What brought you to this place?'' said one who seemed to be their leader. "I followed mygoats,'' answered Peter. ■ ;.,-•■ "That was foolish," said the little man. ■ "They are your goats no longer.*" .. :,'...._ ' * They are my father's goats!."■ said Peter. "They followed the maptfc bell hither, and all things on this ground belong to us," said the little man, and the others all nodded their heads. The little man then turned his back on Peter and gave orders for the goats to be stabled. Along the face of the rock through which Peter and the goats had passed were a number at caves. The four goats were led into one of these caves and tethered there. Peter, watched the little men with wondering eyes. '' Stir yourself!" said the leadei^sharply, turning to him again. *'There lies your road home!'

and he pointed to the narrow opening in the rock. But Peter shook his head. He did not mean to leave his goats behind him.

"Very well," said the leader angrily, *' You have chosen to stay and stay you shall, and be goatherd all your days to the Men of the Mountain!"

So poor Peter was hustled and pushed into the cave with the goats, and the little man told him that there was no escape for him now. The rock passage would always be closely guarded, and if he tried to escape in any other direction he would fall and be dashed, to pieces on the rocks below.

Then two of the little men were bidden to guard the passage, while the rest went ofli to their own caves, for night was coming on.

Peter lay down beside his goatsy but he did«>not sleep. * His eyes wandered all round the • cave and the four goats, his own three and the strange white.one,.and,lie turned things over in his mind. The little men in. the other caves could be heard talking together for a time, but presently everything was silent, Peter lay still, thinking. Then, very quietly, he rose to his feet and stole out on to the grass. He could see nothing, but a sound of snoring came from the other eaves. All the little men were asleep.

He-turned softly to the £>' Kneeling down beside each of his three goats in turn, he managed to take the bells from their collars without making a sound. Lastly he knelt by the little white goat, took away the fairy bell, and hung the other three bells in its place. Then, muffling the bells in his jacket, he untied the little goat and led it out of the cave into the open. There, shaking the bells free, he gave the goat a light tap and began driving it away as fast as he could.

The three bells jingled and jangled together, and the' frightened creature, not, liking the loud noise, ran faster and. faster. The little men all started up from their sleep and ran out in the darkness crying: "The boy is running off with-' his-'goats!'.After him! Save the goats! Never mind the boy!" And they all followed the sound of the bells, even the two who liad -been set to guard the passage.

Now was Peter's chance. He ran back to his own goatb, quickly untied their cords, and backed from the cave, thinkling the fairy

bell. At once they followed the (sound as they had done before, and then Peter turned and ran, always ringing the little bell, in at the entrance to the dark; passage and along and along, running and stumbling and making his way as well and quickly as he might, with his goats following closely at his heels.

As he ran, Peter kept his ears open for any sound of voices or steps coming falter him; but n.jthing could be heard but his own loud foo: +'o»iS and the pattsviiig ft his goats beLiad him.

When ihey reached the pasture land thai tney. knew so well Pe-. ter gave a great sigh oi relief, and paused to look up at the way he had come. All was qtu<t and still. He end.'his goats were ssiie now. Then, when he .tuca.'.fltowards home again, he caught sight,of two tall figures mo aug up the slooe towards him, an i with a whoop of joy he\raced do /n to meet his -worried father and mother.

Peter soon told all his story, to \vhich his parents listened to with amazement.

"I haVii heard tell of those little Men of the Mountains," said the father "but it was thought they had all died or gone away from the country."

"Oh, Pf^ter! you must never j never-ga near that dreadfnl plavre again! ' exclaimed his mother.

"I don't believe I couli ever 'iod the may by myself,"- said Peter. -' And now you see I have the magic belly so my goats cannot bo led away from me any more!"