Twisty’s Good Deed

Northern Advocate, 16 March 1939, Page 9

Twisty’s Good Deed

Twisty’s hair restorer was the most famous in fairyland. All the gnomes from far and near came to his little shop for bottles of the precious liquid; for the greatest disgrace that can befall a gnome is to become bald-headed.

Twisty did hair-cutting, nail polishing, moustache-waxing and curling (this was very popular with the mice families.) and all the other arts of barbers.

His shop was a long hollo,w log. but on nice fine days he would put all his goods out on the mushroom tables in front of the shop.

One beautiful sunny morning, as he was busy arranging his ” boxes and bottles on the tables, Twisty heard a loud puffing noise behind him. He turned round so quickly that he knocked over a box of the newest powder, “Buttercup-Dust.” and saw an old gnome hurrying towards him.

“Goodness,” he said to himself, “it’s old Nocky-Nees, the schoolmaster. I wonder why he is In such a hurry?”

“Oh, Twisty, help me,” cried the gnome, running up to him. “I’ve gone bald—as bald as this mushroom —and I have to give a lesson on snail racing to morrow.” Twisty looked at the poor old gnome in dismay. “I’m terribly sorry, NockyNees, I’ve not a drop of the hair restorer left, and it will take me at least two days to make enough for yotu" “But I can give a lesson with a bald head,” cried Nocky-Nees, the tears rolling down his wrinkled cheeks. “Then there’s only one thing to be done,” said Twisty at last. “I must make you a wig.” And he set to work at once. First of all he asked Betty and Billy Bettle to mind the shop while he went and looked for the thistledown to make the wig. When he had collected

enough of Ibis he hurried down to Sadie Spider and asked her very politely if she would help him to make the foundation lor the wig. As Sadie happened to be in a good humour she began spinning straight away, and the foundation was soon ready. Then all Twisty had to do was to thread and tic each piece of thistledown firmly through the webb.

But that thistledown seemed to be bewitched. As fast as Twisty bent it over to tie it, it would fly back again, and a's often as he twisted it over the web it would twist back again and get more tangled every time it did so. At last the poor little barber had to throw the thistledown away and begin all over again.

, This time he tried to make the wig with some soft fur which la kind black rabbit had given him. But this proved even worse than the thistledown. It twisted and turned as if it was alive and simply would not stay in Twisty’s hands. So he had to give that up, too.

Then he began for the third time because he liked Nocky-Nees and did not want to disappoint him. This time lie used thrushes' feather as they were all he could find. But he no sooner touched the-feather than they all rose up into the air and fluttered away.

And then Twisty knew that the thistledown, and the rabbit fur and the

feathers had been bewitched, and that he would not be able to make the wig for Nocky-Nees. So he began to walk slowly back to tell the old schoolmaster.

He had not gone far when he met William White-Rabbit, the most important person among the forest folk.

“Have you heard the news about Nocky-Nees, : ’ he asked the barber', and went on to explain how the old gnome had laughed at Kitty Kiwi for having no tail and how Kitty Kiwi had turned round saying, “I wish you were bald.” And Nocky-Nees was bald in an instant.

“How terrible,” thought Twisty. “Why didn’t he tell me at first? No wonder I couldn’t make the wig. It is his punishment to be bald.”

But soon he began to feel sorry for the old gnome and wondered how he could help him.

“If only I could break the spell,” he thought.

At last he had a wonderful idea. He got out his best beetle-drawn cart and taking the biggest box of buttercup-dust powder that he had, he drove down to the Rose Queen’s palace. She received him kindly, and agreed to do what Twisty asked. So he gave her the powder and they had honey-dew cakes and acorn cups filled with dew nectar.

Soon afterwards Twisty visited Kitty Kiwi and handing her a leaf-wrapped parcel, said: “I asked the Rose Queen to make this for you;' Kitty. I hope it fits you.” Kitty opened the parcel and out fell a beautiful rose-petal cape.

“You see if you wear this it will cover you completely and no one will be able to laugh at you again.” the barber explained.

No sooner had Kitty Kiwi placed the cape on her shoulders than they heard a delighted cry outside the gate. They both hurried out and there v/as old Nocky-Nees dancing aoout and clap*

ping his hands. New hair was sprouting from his head every instant and soon he had a long grey beard, 100.

Nocky-Nees was so proud of his new beard that he could hardly give the lesson on "Snail Racing” next day. but everything ended happily because the Rose Queen was pleased with her buttercup-dust powder, Kitty Kiwi treasured her cape. Nocky-Nees was proud of Ids new beard, and Twisty, the barber was glad he had done them all a good turn.