Grandfather Kauri's Christmas Party

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18278, 20 December 1922, Page 6 (Supplement)

Grandfather Kauri's Christmas Party

MAY RICHMOND ——--——

1 WONDER if my Brown Boy | will come to day T" said Little ! Sister to Miss Elaine as they sat upon tho broadh veranda veaving garlands of scarlet pohutukaw* br decorations for Christmas Day, which Soil upon tUe morrow. " I think h* /.light," said Miss Elaine tenderly; " bno don't tire yourself working too long at these heavy' flower ropes. Why there he is corr.ing over the hill now."

" Oh, I'm so glad," cried Little Sister clapping her frail hands. Ever since Rewa had pleaded for Grandfather Kauri's life he and the small invalid had become firm friends. Many a pain-darkened hour ho cheered, and it was a familiar sight in the streets of the mill township to see Rewa pushing Little Sister's wheel chair ever so carefully. Ho would talk to her in his quaint way, half-Maori, halfEnglish. Much charming native loro he taught her i:i those rambles by bush and stream, tales of fierce taniwhas or water gods, dainty fairy legends of the children af earth and sky, and Little Sister loved him. ami Miss' Elaine was content to know someone had power to bring a tingo of colour to the pale cheeks and the light of animation to the pain-clouded eyes.

" Hullo, Brown Hoy," cried Little Sister unceremoniously ns Kcwa swung into the gale. " Tcna-koe, Miss Elaine," said Row" politely. " Tcna-koe, Ladybird." Little Sister was always Ladybird to him, his own quaint name for her. and ho was aiwavs Brown Boy to her.

" See what I'm making," cried Ladybird, holding up the scarlet garland.

" l'y korry, him the very fine, splendid; but I show you better than that at moontin.e." Rewa stopped suddenly, embarrassed, and looked uncomfortable.

" I know," laughed Miss Elaine, " you have a secret, Rewa hoy. I will leave you and see about tea: I have something good for you tonight." " Brown Boy, what is it?" cried Ladybird excitedly. " Guess," laughed Rewa. " Can't. Don't tease me, Brown Boy, dear; tell me !" Rewa took from his pocket a leaf of the pukapuka tree and gave it to Ladybird, who looked disappointed. " What's the good of this silly old leaf?" she said rather crossly. " That the fairies' notepaper. Look again, hard." Ladybird bent her fair head. "Oh! I see little crystal drops; it's writing!" This is what she read: — " In gratitude for saving my life, Grandfather Kauri and the Forest Children request the pleasure of Little Sister's company to a Christmas party at Moonrise tonight For further particulars, ask Rewa."

" How lovely," exclaimed Little Sister. Then the pale face saddened. "My feet! Brown Boy, aie the little fairies playing a trick on me ? I did not think they would be so cruel."

j' No. no," interrupted Rewa hastily. " I tell you very quick. The little Bush People, they my triends; they tell me lots of things. Once every twelve moons all the Forest Children have power to work their will upon mortal children, all children who love the fairies, and are kind. The night before the Christ night they, the little Bush People, send to the Earth Children; they send you the very little, very small magic slippers, and llewa unfolded another large pukapuka leaf and disclosed the daintiest pair of sapphire slippers you ever saw.

"Oh! Brown Boy, the darling things!" cried Ladybird, wild with excitement. " What are they made of?"

" Moonbeams and Stardust, and no one else can see them. No, not even Miss Elaine; they only visible to children." " When I put them on, what will happen V

" I tell you. When the big clock strike the half-past eleven you slip them on. You be able to run, jump, hop—you come down" the stairs one big jump, I think, you so glad you able to run. I be waiting just outside, and off we go to the party."

" How perfectly lovely," cried the child, clasping her hands. " Shall I see those funny kiwis and the Ponga Fairy and the cross old Bush Lnwyer— and—and I'll put on my blue silk kimino. Give me the darling slippers, Brown Boy. Oh, how am I going to wait till half-past eleven '!"

But half-past eleven came at last. Ladybird did as Rewa told her. She was too excited to feel nervous. Directly she put on the magic slippers she almost cried for joy, for she found she could run and jump, and her back was quite straight; all the pain had gone. She even tried a small somersault. Instead of jumping down the stairs she slid down the bannisters, as she was afraid she might wake the household, for Rewa had forgotten to tell her that fairy slippers make no noise. At the bottom of the stairs the door stood open, and there was Kewa waiting in the moonlight.

"Dear, dear, Brown Boy!" she cried. " Do you like me now I'm straight ?"

Rewa thought he had never seen any thing so lovely in all his life. The golden-haired, blue-eyed, dainty child with the little slippers peeping out and

n from her long blue kimino mado Rewa think she must be one of the little bush fairies and not Ladybird at all.

" I think you one beautiful child," he gasped in admiration,

" I believe I'm going to cry." said Ladybird.

"No fear." died Hew a in alarm. " You no have a tangi here; you drown all the little glowworms. Look, there oid Bill Massey laughing at us out of the moon up there."

Ladybird was smiling again. " Silly boy," she said. " I only wanted to cry because I'm so happy. 1 wonder what, they do with all the old moons. Brown Boy ?"

"Cut them up into stars, I think," said Hcwa, laughing. " Yes, the little fairies cut them up." ISo, hand in hand the two Earth Children passed through the magic portal into the realm of tile Forest Children. " There are the Kiwis." said Ladybird. I' I'm so glad we saw them first ; aren't they dears ':'" " No; doers have four legs." laughed Rewa. "Naughty Brown Boy to tease: anyway you never could do grammar." Mother Kiwi and Father Kiwi and all the little Kiwis came hurrying along, anxious to see Kewa's friend, the beautiful little Earth Girl they had heard so much about.

" I hope you wear wool next to your chest, my dear," said Mother Kiwi

kindly. " It's chilly in the bush at night,"

" Bet my whiskers she don't," said Father Kiwi

"Thank you; I'm quite warm and comfortable," said Ladybird, laughing. " What have you got in that funny basket?" For over her queer little stump of a rudimentary wing Mother Kiwi carried a flax basket.

" Worms, my child." Ladybird shuddered and gave i little shriek.

" It's really too had, you know," continued Mother Kiwi in a confidential tone. "On our invitation it said ' The Kiwis are requested to supply their own worms," so just to show our independence I've put in a few fresh eggs as well."

" How nice." said Ladybird. " I love a fresh egg; they are so scarce now." " Well, I suppose we may as well all go along together," said Mother Kiwi. " How do you like the way I've curled the children's feathers?"

" I think tliey are perfectly sweet," said Ladybird. " All the little Kiwis giggled self-consciously. " Ain't mother funny," said the biggest little Kiwi. " Oh, there you are." said Kewa as he caught sight of a morepork in a tree. '" Ladybird, this my friend, the Morepork." " Pleased to meet you," said the Morepork, turning his head right round and looking at Ladybird over his back. " Aren't you afraid of dislocating your neck," cried Ladybird in alarm. "Not me! I do this for hours and hours; I like it." "Don't you ever get giddy?" asked Ladybird. " No, I don't, but I have an aunt that is. My giddy aunt, you know." " Well, you are a queer bird with your head turned round like that. I can't tell if yon are coming or going." " I'm coming to the party all right, and I'm not going till the last. May I fly along beside you '!" " We must call for the Ponga Fairy next," said Rewa. The Ponga Fairy was the daintiest little creature imaginable, with flowing brown hajr and a gown of green and silver. She was sitting upon a leaf of the big fern tree. " I was afraid you were not coming," she cried. " I have been ready for hours." Then, turning to -Ladybird, she said a little shyly: " You are the lovely Earth Child that saved our dear tree

Father: "-Why aren't you playing with your new engine, Bobby?" " 'Cos it's on Are."

for us. 1 have been longing to see you. Would you like to have a pee]) at my babies ?"

" I should love to. Brown Boy, dear, you must please lift me up." Rewa lifted her up, and she peeped into the depths of the tree-fern: but all she could see was three fat fronds ready to uncurl and looking just like big brown snails. But she was a tactful little girl, and did not want to offend the tiny creature. " I see them, the darlings, all curled up in their brown velvet sleeping suits." " They are rather sweet," said the Ponga Fairy delightedly; "and do you know I got the stuff so cheap. The Stitch Bird had a bargain sale the other day, and by taking the whole piece I managed to get it for— " I think we better be going," said Rewa, "so we not keep Grandfather Kauri waiting." " Are you going to call for the Rush Lawyer?" asked Father Kiwi. "No fear," said Rewa. "He the very rude to me last time; I no ko near I him."

" But the Parson Bird has been talk ing to himj he is quite reformed now."

Just then they were all startled by the most extraordinary sound that ever was heard in the New Zealand bush.

" 800, hoo, hoo. B-r-r-r. " 800. hoo, hoo." It was something or someone crying very loudly.

"Oh. Brown Boy, look!" cried Ladybird, clutching at Kewa rather wildly. " It's a bear!"

And sure enough it was. Seated under a nikau tree was a half-grown yellow bear cub. howling lustily, his silly little fat nose was swollen with crying and his eyes had nearly disappeared.

" You absurd creature; who are you?" said Ladybird.

" Please, I'm the Edwin Bear. I ran away from the Onehunga Zoo because I thought they might poison me. 800, hoo, hoo."

"Poison you? How dreadful!"

" They talked of poisoning tlie lions, and thev have sent mother to Wellington, and they would think nothing of poisoning a little chap like me." And the Edwin Bear rocked himself to and fro and cried harder than ever.

" If you wouldn't make such a noiso and tell us all ahout it we might bo able to help you," said Mother Kiwi sensibly. "Yes," said Ladybird; "it's awfully silly and Early Victorian to cry. It's not done nowadays." "I don't care; I want mother!" and off ho went again. " 800, hoo, hoo."

" You ridiculous creature," laughed Ladybird. " How ever did you get out ''."

" One night when the keeper was feeding us he left the door a bit open. He thought we'd never leave the food: but I did, I bolted. 800, hoo. and I'm so hungry!"

"That little bear not such a fool as he look," said Rewa. " But what wo do with him I not know."

" Take him to the party, of course," said Ladybird. " You wouldn't leave the poor little thing there all alone."

" No you wouldn't leave me all alone," sobbed the Edwin Bear piteously.

" Cheer up, then," said Ladybird kindly, as she dried his tears with a corner of her blue silk kimino. " There will be lots of nice things to eat at the party, and perhaps Grandfather Kauri will adopt you as one of his Forest Children." And she took him by his funny paw, and he trotted along contentedly beside her, every now and then sobbing quietly to himself and murmuring:' " I'm the Edwin Bear anyhow." Just as they all got started once more, Rewa felt a touch upon his shoulder, and there was his old enemy, the Bush Lawyer, who had hurried along after them.

" I say, old chap," he said affably, "let bye gones be hye-gonos; shake. Ever since using Dunlop non-skid tyres I've been a changed being."

" Glad to hear it," said Rewa, shaking hands solemnly.

" Just then a jack Rabbit came running toward them. lie carried piles of pukapuka leaves. " I say, you're all awfully late," he squeaked. " Programmes, 3d each."

" I not think wo had to pay," said Rewa in a disappointed tone.

" Rut it's for a charitable object. Some of the fantails had their fans stolen, and we're selling these to buy them new ones. It's awkward to come to a party without a tail, especially if you are a bird."

" We manage all right without them," said Father Kiwi.

After another delay, Ladybird found a threepenny piece in the bottom of her pocket. " I'm afraid one will have to do for all of us," she said, and the Jack Rabbit solemnly handed a large pukapuka leaf to her. " Don't pay the amusement tax," said the Rush Lawyer, nudging her. " You mightn't bo amused, you know.'' At last they really arrived, and came in sight of dear old Grandfather Kauri. "Oh!" they all cried, "how lovely!" For every little leaf of Grandfather Kauri was lit with a glow-worm, and they shone their very shiniest. His branches were hung with fairy gifts, and the little Bush People had twined garlands of scarlet pohutukawa blossoms round him, and he. looked very fine indeed. The Fairies had made use of a pretty grove of nikaus and had plaited the leaves together, and they made the nunningest tables you ever saw. The Rush Orchestra led by Hie Bell' Birds and conducted by Grandfather Kauri gave an overture of welcome to the Earth Children. The Jack Rabbit and the Kowhai Fairy were the M.C.'s. "Rut what have we here?" said Grandfather Kauri, looking hard at the Edwin Bear. "He was not invited to the party." " Oh, please," said Ladybird, " we want you to adopt him as one of your Forest Children. He's run away from Onehunga. and the bush is a lovely place for little bears to play in." " Unipn, I dare say," said Grandfather Kauri doubtfully. " Rut he's such a cuddlesome cub and he's so round and fat you couldn't help liking him," pleaded Ladybird; "ana he's come all the way from Onehunga." " Well, I suppose that does make some difference," said Grandfather Kauri. " Anyone would want to get away from Onehunga, so I suppose he can stay. But listen to me, Edwin. As long as von are a good, well-behaved benr you may stay with us, but if you get into mischief or steal honey from the Stitch Birds, or take pork from the Morepo-h, or quarrel with my Forest Children, I will turn you into a Huhu Bug. not a Bulgarian Bug, mind you, that lives in a nice clean glass of milk, but a nasty wriggly coiiimun Huhu Bug that lives in a rotten log."

At <his awful threat Edwin began to weep again, and Ladybird had to comfort him. " That's only if you are naughty, silly." ~ '*' We will begin the party now, shouted the Jack Rabbit. "On with the dance. Take your partners for the kiwi kick." " I forgot to look at the programme, cried Ladybird. "Oh, what funny dances/' And this is what she read:—

PROGRAMME. The kiwi kick. Rata romp. Is'ikau nudge. The ponga prance. (Slow-worm glide. Kauri kuddle.

Of course, all the fairies and everybody and everything wanted the first dance with Ladybird, but they had to wait their turn, for from the very first she had promised it to Rewa. Away they went, her fairy slippers twinkling, twinkling, and the" happy laughter of the little people tinkling, tinkling. She was very warm when the dance was finished, and the Fantails that had their fans left obligingly fanned her until she was cool again- „ • The rata romp she danced with Edwin, but he was rather a clumsy little chap. He put one of his claws accidentally through her pretty blue gown and tore quite a large rcntj but the Bush Lawyer kindly gave her a piece of red tape to tie it uj) with. " I always keep some about me, you know," he said. Ladybird thought the dances delightful, especially the glow-worm glide, for they lit up the whole bush, darting here, gliding there, shining, sparkling; in fact, it was far superior to the very best municipal fireworks display. "Supper!" called the Ko.whai Fairy, blowing through a rapu reed. " No pushing, now; no confusion. You know your tables; all stand till our guests of honour are seated, and he led Ladybird and Rewa to a table a little apart from the others, just beside Grand-

father Kauri. Ladybird wondered what there might be to eat, and felt a little nervous, as the Kiwis and the Morepork liked such strange diet. She was much relieved to see beautiful slabs of golden honey laid upon cool green fern leaf fronds. " We just love honey," she cried. " Oh yes, we keep a bee," said Grandfather Kauri, smiling. "Honey!" squeaked Edwin, and he buried his in it and gobbled his share in two gulps, and if you have ever tasted bush honey you will know how good it was. It was a merry meal. The Ponga Fairy, who sat next to Ed win, got quite friendly with him and shared some delicious karaka berries with him. She daintily eating the coating of soft sweet yellow pulp, giving l.im the inner nut, which he cracked with his sharp white teeth. He enjoyed himself hugely, and when he thought Grandfather Kauri wasn't looking, amused himself by throwing the Jiusks at the three Kiwi children, who were really behaving themselves beautifully and eating their spiders quite nicely. " I hope it's not going to rain, ma." said the youngest little Kiwi. " I felt such a big drop just now." Presently Ladybird began to feel the least bit sleepy, and even Kewa had difficulty in keeping open his big brown eyes. The Ponga Fairy was leaning affectionately upon Edwin's shoulder, and he was quite fast asleep, his woolly head resting upon his paws, and every now and then snoring queer baby snores. " Take your partners for the last dance, the kauri kuddle," cried Jack Kabbit, but his voice sounded far away— so—very —far —away. " Kauri kuddle," said Ladybird in a drowsy voice. " I'm afraid—l'm—too — tired—to—dance—it—too—tired—"

Then Grandfather Kauri drew his Forest Children to his great broad breast; lower and lower dropped his branches, nearer and nearer came the great enfolding arms, till his children were all cuddled close, close to his kind great heart, and the dawn rose red over the drowsing bush. "Rut where am I," thought Little Sister Ladybird, sleepily rubbing her eyes. "In my own white bed." And someone was holding her close, ever so close. It was Ekine, with her dear morning face and loving Christmas greetings. " I thought you would never waken, darling. It's the Christ Morning, and there are such lovely presents for you, and Rewa's coming for the whole day." Rut Little Sister did not tell she had only just left Rewa, for there are some secret things that little sisters cannot tell big ones; no, no matter how much they love them.