FOE THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16035, 29 September 1915, Page 10

FOE THE CHILDREN.

SANDY AND THE DRAGON. Ethf.t, grew peeked and thin with the hot weather. "And we can't even go to the sm htis vear!" sighed her mother. " How I wish' the war was over! " So she bought a largo bottle of malt extract. It was tempting mid sticky and sweet. It stood on 3 saucer, and Ethel had it three times a day. As she finished one fine day she heard a little scratching noise. Out of a tiny hole, in the wall came a, little Green Lizard He erabbled up the saucer and licked all round the sticky sweetness, and liked, it very much. Then he went away. Ethel wa3 not at all frightened. He came every day, and she grew quite fond of him. One day after tea, mother was busy. "Rim along and take your own malt to-day, Honey-duck," she said. So Ethel went. To her honor a nd dismay, when 6he got there she found that the cork had been left out of the bottle at the last dose, and someone had eaten it all up.

And there was the Green Lizard, swollen to twice his size, trying to get throueh a hole that was now far too small.

"I'm awfully sorry, Ethel," he said;: and somehow she was not at all surprised to hear him speak. " That stuff has mads me all queer. But if you will hide me so" that your mother does not find me and squash me, I'll pav von back handsome; that I will!" " *i

Now, in a dark corner of the staircase stood an Indian cabinet. It was black and it was shiny, and it was all inlaid withgold. There were golden people walking on golden paths, and golden flowers. It was all split up into littlo drawers and cupboards, and the patterns split up whenyou opened them, and fitted in again like' a solved puzzle. There was a pigeonhole in the middle, with a tiny carved rail round it. Ethel had once tried to put her arm down it, but it went far. far backfarther than she could reach. So she hid the Lizard there. ' -

His eyes shone like pin-points in the gloom. v.'j " If over you want me, Ethel," he said," "knock." And here the adventure might have ended, for Ethel was not an adventurous; child. She liked knitting and sewing and sitting-down game?, and she would prob: ably have thought no more about it had it not been for Melodie, who came with her little fat, fluffy brother Sandy to spend the summer holidays with her. ' Ethel told Melodie about the Lizards and the very first night, after they were in bed, Melodic remembered. !■ ' "Oh, Ethel," she said, "I do hope you ;i did not make it all up!" ' •■•; The three children crept quietly downstairs. Sandy wore his little flannel' nightie, and his curls were all tumbled j With bed. The Indian cabinet loomedvery large in the dusk. Ethel knocked softlv. . M First there was a. little scratching. ThWl \ two bright eyes- ;,, The Lizard opened a little gate in thai rail. "Climb up," he said. Down tho long, dark passage into th« middle of the Indian cabinet they went. The twilight of the stairs, the'homely voice of the clock melted away. They : Came to a tiny door, which the Lizard; opened, and they went through. They stood in a garden full of golden roses, before a palace all windows and; turrets, with a big stone tower at the side. And out of the tower window looked as sweet a Princess as ever came out of i story-book. The children went in. In a council chamber, lit with gloomy lamps, sal the King surrounded by hie courtiers. • < "The Dragon and the Griffon between them will, drive me off my head !" he was saying. " Can none of you do anything Then Melodic stood up. " Leave it to me," she said. So they all cheered loudly, and tin, King made Melodie Lord Mayor on the* spot. _ 1 "I will begin with the dragon," said Melodie. "You'll never be able to do it,'' whispered Ethel nervously. However, Melodie was just going to start when a hue-and-cry arose. For Sandy, in his flannel nightie, with his sweet curls all tumbled with bed, had disappeared. They hunted and searched. They called him high and they called him low, but never an answer came until they reached the door of the dingy dungeon where the Dragon lurked in the gloom. Here they distinctly heard a fat chuckle. Sitting on the Dragon's front paw, with' one arm round its scaly neck, sat Sandy. Frogs looked at him from their corners, and "ho did not mind a bit. When Melodie called him to come away, he only clang tighter, and when she bravely went in and hore him outnwonder of wonders!— the Dragon came. too. For nine hundred and ninety years people had tried in vain with buns* and bribes to get him to come out, and be chained. But now he came of his own accord, because Sandy held out a fat hand and called plaintively : '' PuthyPuthy!—Puthv!" ,- So they chained him safely on the silver seashore, so that he could not wander about at will in the dead of night and make the King's life a .misery by stirring up all the favourite flower-beds with his tail. The children kissed the Princess, and promised to come back soon, and the Lizard led them home to the twilight of the stairs and the homely ticking of the clock. Sandy, never looked at his pudd'educkagain. He crawled about sadly, looking into dark corners and unlikely drawers. and calling: • '■ "Puthy!—Puthy!—Putb!"- i d Nurse couldn't make out what ha He was looking for his darling Dragon, i wanted. But Ethel and Melodie knew,',