THE CONCEITED FAIRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19382, 17 July 1926, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE CONCEITED FAIRY.

There was once a fairy who would not be photographed, because, she said, she had noticed other fairies' photos, in children's picture books and she did not want her face shown before humans. "Stuff and nonsense!" said a fairy who always spoke her mind. "Why you won't be photographed is because you are conceited and do not think you will make a pretty enough portrait." "That may be," said Fairy Flo, with a shrug of her dainty wings. "Anyhow, I will never allow any camera gnome to come near me." "Won't she!" said the fairies. "We will see!" They waited nntil the Queen's ball, which is a very important event in Fairyland. This year it was held in an old rabbit warren. A camera gnome stood at the entrance, ready to "snap" the fairies its they arrived; but when Fairy Flo appeared he dropped his camera, knowing her dislike to be photographed. He was greatly surprised when, later in the evening, he heard .it was Fairy

Flo's wish to have her portrait taken. The faiiies directed him to the corner where she was sitting. Directly she saw the camera gnome Fairy Flo gave a little shriek and covered her face with the first thing she could catch hold of. Click! went the camera- Fairy Flo fled. The next day, in the Fairies' Gazette, Fairy Flo saw a very strange portrait. It was headed "The Fairy, "Who Would Not Be Photographed," and showed the halfsmiling, half-sad face of a man. Fairy Flo realised that she must have caught up a mask when the camera gnome had come to snap her, and the face on the mask had come out. "But the photo, must be destroyed," she said. "If ever that creeps into the children's books " She shuddered. But a worse thing than that was to happen. Locking up into the sky that night she saw the portrait hanging there. "The Queen has hung it in the sky as a punishment for your conceit," said the fairies. "The full face won't always be showing; sometimes she'll slip a black cloth quarter or half-way across so that only a part of it will be seen. But it is to remind you to try to euro your conceit." Think of the fairy who would not be photographed the next time you look at the Man in the Moon! ■