COGS' CORNER

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 231, 1 October 1935, Page 5

COGS ' CORNER

THE MAGIC SPIDER THE DWARF’S SPELL BROKEN Oucc upon a time there lived a man ffho was very poor. One day, as lie was walking through the w ood T he met

a dwarf. “What are you thinking about so deeply?” asked the dwarf. "I was thinking how much I should like some gold,” said the man. “Well,” answered the dwarf, “if you do as I toil you, I will give you as much gold as you like. All you have to do is to bring me in tlei'vc years’ time the first thing you meet on your way home to-day.” On his w r ay home his little boy ran to meet him, and then the man remembered what the dwarf had said, and ho felt very sad, for he loved his little son very much. From that timo the poor man grew rich, for every time he put his hand into his pocket he drew’ out a handful of gold. Twelve years passed, and by that time the man had become wealthy and tho son had grown up. One day the father told his son about the dwarf and his promise, and together they went to the wood where the man had met the dwarf twelve years before. The first thing tho dwarf did was to take the young man to a lake and bid him get in a boat and sail round to the other side, and there he would meet twelve more dwarfs, who would take him to their castle at the top of the hill.

The young man Towed on, and presently on the bank of the lake he saw a large white castle. The castle looked so attractive that he jumped out of tho boat and on to the bank, and was soon searching the place. Downstairs and upstairs he searched, and was just going to give up and return to his boat when, on opening tho last door, he saw a large spider on the floor. Tho young man nearly fell down the stairs in surprise when the spider said, in a shrill voice:

“Will you help me? I have been here twelve years, under tho spell of a dwarf. I am really a beautiful princess.”

“Certainly,” replied the young man. “You must tell me what to do to break the spell.” “To-night,” said the spider, “and for two more nights, twelve men will come, and if they find you here they will chop oil your head. But I will give you a charm, if you promiso to stay and help me.” That night twelve men came, as tho spider had said, and as soon as they saw the young man they got ready to •chop off his head; but the young man was quicker, and threw somo magic powder, which tho spider had given him, into their faces, and they all fell fast asleep, while he escaped out of the window and returned to safety. The nest night the twelve men appeared again and, although they searched high and low, they could not see him, for he was hidden under an invisible cloak which the spider had : given him. As they could not see him they left the castle, but returned the nest night as before. This time the yonng man had in his hand a magic swOTd, and, as soon as the twelve men

appeared, with one stroke of the sword he cut off all their twelve heads, which went rolling down the stairs and down, down the bank into the river below. So that was the end of tho twelve dwarfs. When the spell was broken—and of course it was immediately the dwarfs had their heads chopped off—the spider turned into a beautiful princess, with whom the young man immediately fell in l'ove. So they were married, and lived happily ever after in the white castle