FOR THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15047, 17 July 1912, Page 11

FOR THE CHILDREN.

... ~ ..... .. -..,,;_., ...:■; ....... :.;;:-:,.:.■,■;;,;; ... ... »-....—. T'"<r* — '"■" ".; l .;.':; : :."^.-.-:i I :;.:i..J|^ ."■: ' ■'- ' 1..'..-.. ..'r. '....:.. 4 ""■' THE-MISTRESS OF THE MEADOW* Titeee had been hot. suashiny days' fop a wholo week, and somehow or other ■;. vipei: got to know about it. All through the cold months it had! lain snugly asleep in a crevice in the ling wail of the old ruin La the meadow. But now it know that it was timei to corns out into the daylight to bisk on minnj;banks until September; .:.•,-• When the lambkin saw the queer.;. dsl&',; -v. folds el, the arsJcei it stopped BhoTt;lii p4, \, gambolling. Then it came :.- gave a little hop. v ' - . 'V: The viper made a low hissing sound ? to try and frighten the lamb away, bus-.th* silly little lamb hod nover seen a finauk«t • •; and did net understand. ■■?' \0&: '',* "Keep off! you little 'fool J" snake savagely. Ana before the innocerib : .;;? lambkin knew what was happening,.the flail •'■">;•£ small head of the viper «hot out, an<i,ttsr^ ;<-{i sharp .fangs werA planted fiir a,. in the flesh of the lainbV foreleg;' lii &-p.} tered a startled bleat, aud ran,off to,i# .p- : ' mother in great fright. ' ~ ' - | Half an hour later the little lamb dead, 1:or it was very,, very youug to bay. by an adder, , ■ '.' Then one of the cows began to eat the : \'M long grass that had grown in the shadow of. the gorse, The snake felt veiy uneasy ;l .kj as she-heard tho sound oi tho noisy orpp- i|:" ping of the xilose to her\ resting : '-'j;i '■' : "-: ; 'v v '^; the viper seemed to hiss. ' ' At'-the- Samd '':? niouient,-the speckled buiilmoy^^tifeklyi;' ;^« the Hat head roee suddenly,. like a isovrW .-: : ."-i on a tall stalk, and darted cut toward* .--: \ the ww's face. An juistantwas aulhcienti \-j to plant tho fangs in the. fleshiest part;. .:.:> and to le;..ve in. tn© wound dropa rol ; , 'A The sudden attuck made tho cow bum oil.'. ■,■■.l iis hdels .quickly. It walked' away tti",'-:! another part of the field, and before very; ' . !; long it had a much-swollen, face and-fcit ■■/',?■ very ill. The snake wriggled into,, the. .:• goree bueh, and was afraid to cppie out '<•■; again for. more than aai hoar, ' : =, Now 'there was "at-the iaiibi '■%: terrfei!'-'. ;-;.■[ called Paddy. Paddy was a- big' V 5 and was always rambling about the field*:.' looking for smail wild vreat-ures .''}•; and.perhaps ti>'caieb. ' . '''''■' r *W$M The enako akio knew about ■■■' A| '■ :',* dog w.is not a silly little lamb, njor,**V " ; foolish cow, although he w«a much emallgr. .. So she kept her sliinv round -ryeii ,b4''.''■•' Paddy, and moved uneasily ' ! Suddenly Paddy pretended:- to ■;:&! her. The snake waj deceive*!', whs. roBS , , quickly and •sprang out-towards bei-enttttriy. ■•,;' Bat Paddy: was only -prißteniiiirgi:^jfei' ' i;:; < lodged oa one eide, and the' snake wett* sprawling in the g*ass. ne-Virttl- feet »itiisl'.;■<% from its citadel a.ul profejct-iiig ' Quick as lightiung, Paddy: jumped 6it itftft. ant bill, and began to bark loudly.. snake wriggled about for a. few sejidndbV « feeling qmtd confused. "' ''^iS Then Paddy really sprang ihift time, trying to get a bite at the saiake's quivering tail. The viper fcnrned toiuid ehscrply"' Si and chot out its heed, but the dog via*. The way was eleae to the ant ML. ajid the snake turned round again and wriggH away through the grass. Paddy followed, snd wijbß one vicious paw tore, off tlie ead . of her tail. Tlie snake baoji: and. >[- aimed a smart blow at his leg' Too late to avoid tho bite, Pmddy leaped; over tlio snake's b?ckr- and gaine(J r th«i mound 1 .cain, where he : «tocd bar Sang WW > Somebody whistled. P.iddv turned : ■round lo see who it was that * might calling him. It was only for aninstsoV or two. " But it was long enough.- Wheji, he looked again, ho saw. $••;> le*t, : ' of the speckled tail.of the vme£.as>h|£ ( ' gained tho gorßo bush across; the antJhttk.. '■'. ■'•■. The farmer had a son, a lusty Jitfie' : fellow of seven. They calfcdMiin Llttto , •'■:; Adam, because his faliher's niun«'. was'aJftiS? . ■ Adam. He, too, was a big hunter. 8ome« .; times be and Paddy f.:.v5 gether, and sometimes each went albtt.*.'* They hadi missed each other fcb-day.' " '!> - It was-more thin aa rifrir 5 f fight, with the tnako when little A<.aW : ■ appeared over tho be<lgo looking: for toeisits. He saw the goree Ijns'h, and llcnew it t-> b* a likely place for a hedgii-sparrow's ziest--So he strolled up to it leisurely ftacj yxotly. ' , ; ~"- ■ He came so noiselessly that the raak* did not know of his approach until ho w»s. tiK'utjy ml the. toj» a* 'thd mound. $& did Little Adam B ee tho snake until die had all but stepped an her. But each know that here was an enemy which couid not be treated lightly. Thfl snake quivered excitedK'. Little Adam's face turned white. The snake prepared .for the biggest fight of its life. Little. Adam wished he had brought his ash stick with him. He stejiped back a foot. The i ■ snake backed towards the busb.' was quite ready for the struggle. Each was glad of a moment's tru;-? There was a rustle among the grass that. '■"■ grew round the busb. Little Adam's g¥**>.;.-■ -.'! was on & stone that lay two yardf. stepped back;, and stooped to pi<i;W'M'V. ; !;; ;|i;f Too late. The His stick, ,a Ithc piece, of < asjt, wait in •lofe anfll hurried.. At the. door and caAie \ip' lcioking '■very..'-piajtiii worried brown eyes, ankj t^&''bb'sffii-'>J: ; &': Little Adam's 'hand Adaai wondered what >w».B lie- ••su^l#iß&:;-[p with the mighty hunter, and hd"ht&ms i : M to look for thorns in PaddyY feet $*:;:, Paddy"'howled-- when his 'lotefdofc ; wila ''' .'• .'<": touched,, and Adam fouadwha*Wi^' l tMir\ ! :"-':! matter. Had Paddjr too, been having lif 7 brush with the Mistress of the Meadoir, and comoofi second b«9t? He was so very angry that h» didn'li ieei at ail jrnilty as hi- sat siientlv watching the ant hill for the reappearance olt the enciny. At last a dark curve appeared onrtfor :< edge of the mound. Littlo Adam held his breath, aud kept in the shade of tho gorse'•"• "■The black speckled curve moved slowly, and ehtt,ajjed its sluipe. The snake was coming further out on the raound. LittleAdam stooped and waited. Then he peeped over the top of tbr, busk Ho saw iho*e bfitaful coils with thoir fascinating pattern in black and brown.-- He looked fer the narrow head slightlT flat-: toned, and knew that there the dagger lay., - .. ..: •"■;:.■: -:\- .' -. i^-&y^ He peeped again.. His,foot, caught, the. bush* * The taiake saw him. A loud bhs. A fierce cry from Little Adam, and the ash stick came down on the-mound with a.-' :- savigi liii?l««g blow. ' . w;,''i- ', Writhing with pain, and; angered to madnests, tho unake wtruck right »nd loft".--with savage persisteqce'.'-r .U^v^d/.d.l> ; vrnt> "■' went tho ash plant on tts merciless errandi 1 :: Now it micsed; now it hit. sJTpw th«|c . snake sprang and looked sikft winning. !.;.'• : ; The nest moment the coils shortened. 'Wxm, :' : } the spring cf a wal«h tightlyydravm.':!. Sfl>Kvjri the fight went, on fiercely. • , '•-.■ J : But the Mistress of- the Meadow-*nw(.( beaten. White-faced and' sUil tremWttf„3 violently. Little. Adam.,planWa • D f the a:ih pliwt ; >f tho defeated Dnemv off th* i*io /*W|9Pf(P||lf|^