A Shepherd and His Magic Pipe

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 15 April 1939, Page 11

A Shepherd and His Magic Pipe

(By Elizabeth Skottowe in The Adelaide Advertiser' J

j Pepe was a little Spanish shepherd j boy. who took care of his flock of sheep j and goats high in the mountains, near to j the sky. Every morning he drove them up to ; the flowery pastures: every evening he I brought them back to h,s master's fold, i Every day and every day. just exactly the same. Small, skipping, sunburnt I boy . . . sunburnt skipping herd . . . j cross, ugly, complaining master. But one day it was different. Because. as Pepe and his beasts went up the road that wound between the hills ! they met an old woman sitting on a |rock. “Where are you going to, Pepe?” she said. Pepe. though surprised that she 1 | knew his name, greeted her very politely. “I'm going up to the mounj tains near the sky. Old Mother.” he replied. “For the grass near there is greenest and richest.” “Take this, then. It will amuse you while you are alone up there—and perhaps it may amuse your flock!” And. handing him a long reed pipe, she got up and began to walk off in the other direction before Pepe had time to say “Thank you.” • When he got to the field, all covered ; with flowers, and humming with bees. I he put the pipe to his lips and began ; to play. Immediately the sweetest. gayest tune came forth, so wild and merry that the daisies began to dance, the bees j and butterflies flew up and down like , j the ladies of a ballet, the goats and ! sheep kicked up their heels and pranced and capered, and even the wind joined in the fun. And so they danced, and danced, and .wouldn't stop until the music stopped as well. Pepe was delighted. All day, he had the most splendid games. Under a stone he found a family of sleepy brown beetles: so he knelt down 1 j and piped very softly. All the beetles | started up and jigged and jogged in the ; funniest way, until he cried with laughter. A snail and a slug, eating up a young green plant, danced together as they | heard the music, and the little rabbits came out of the burrows and hopped and bounced and jumped, till they got , so hot they wished they could take off 1 their fur jackets! “Ouf! Ouf! Do stop. Pepe!” they • begged. “We can't go on for another minute!” All the way home Pepe played his pipe, so that the cross old owner was i astonished to see his sheep and goats , come dancing into the fold. And when | he heard the music, even he was obliged to dance in spite of his rheumatism! ( “You young jackanapes!” he roared I as he hopped from one foot to another. “Get out of here with your slyness and your naughtiness! Never again shall ( you take care of my flock!” , And at that Pepe stopped laughing and looked sober, because his father was sure to beat him. And that was exactly what happened. So poor Pepe went to bed feeling very sore, in spite of his majic pipe. Next morning, things weren't much | . better. His parents grumbled that he'd j I get no more wages, and hij elder bro- I l thers looked pleasant, because he was scolded. “Well, as I’ve got one use- ’

less son.” said hi* father, “you. Josef had better go t<* market and sell the apples.” So Josef, the eldest son. set off to market. He set up a stall in a sunny spot, and was arranging his fine red apples upon it. when along came an old. old woman. “Good day. Josef, what have you there?” Josef stared at her rudely. “I don't know how you know my name, old hag. and I don't see what it's got to do with you! But as a matter of fact, they're rat*'.” Then, as he uuned away, giggling in delight at his own cleverness—he happened to clance at his stall. There, where the lovely apples had been, were rats! Black, white, brown and piebald, squealing, scratching and biting! But the old woman was novhere to be seen. Josef took to his heels and never stopped running till he reached home, where he got a sound beating from his father. Next morning, the old man said to Henrique. his second son. “As both your brothers appear to be fools. I must rely on you—lake the orange* to market. and sell them.” So Henrique set out—but as he was arranging the fruit on the stall along came the old woman. “Well. Henrique. so here you are, this morning. What i 6 it you have there?” “If you must know, old ugly one, they're sparrows! And how' did you know' my name, anyway?” But he'd no time to hear her reply, for there was a twittering and a fluttering. and the place was alive with sparrows, though not an orange w'as to be seen! Henrique ran home even faster than Josef, and got a Sunder beating. On the third morning, their father said, “Pepe. if you can’t mind flocks, i perhaps you can sell fruit —take the grapes to market!” So Pepe went off. arranged hjs fruit, then turned round to see the old woman at his side. • “Well. well, child, so here you are, at | last! What have you there?” ‘They are grapes. Old Mother, and* good grapes, too! Here, take some, and j try for yourself!” “You're a good child!” said the old 1 woman, with a smile, as she took a bunch of grapes, and hobbled off. And from that moment. Pepe had so many customers he hardly knew what to do. And the more grapes he sold, the more appeared on his stall! His baskets got so fllled with gold pieces, and they stuck so tight, that he couldn't get them out again. But he played on his pipe, and that did the trick. they rolled out and danced out and pranced out—a regular King's ransom! Pepe was rich for life. When he and his gold danced home together, you may be sure that his parents were delighted. But not his brothers. They were so jealous that they got up in the night and stole his magic pipe. It really was a magic pipe, but its magic only worked for I Pepe—for though Josef and Henrjquc ) blew* and blew, not a note would it play! J As for Pepe. he did not regret the loss, for he was so rich that he did not ’ need it any more.