MIDSUMMER COTTAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19496, 27 November 1926, Page 4 (Supplement)

MIDSUMMER COTTAGE.

There was magic in the air of the summer's eight, j for even sleepy-headed Francie couldn't shut her eyes. She peeped out of the window, and she listened hard, for there was certainly voices—yes, and laughter. Then there were shouts of joy, and before she could move half a step across tho floor tha room was full of fairies. Fairies searched in the bed and under the bed. Ai last she plucked up the courage to creep forward, and they all crowded round her, flying on her shoulders, kissing and patting her. An owl hooted. "Hurry, hurry!" they called, and Francie found herself whirling through the air, down to the garden path. She landed with a bump, while the poor little fairies collapsed into tho grass after their heavy load. Sho opened her eyes to see fairies everywhere. " Let's do something for Francie," everybody cried. "We will make her a house, and live with her for always." But it took a long time to find out exactly whether it should be a castle, a mansion, or a cottage. In the end they chose a cottage because it wouldn't take so long to build and then Francie could give a party at once. At last the house was finished; then the paperhangers came in. " What papers do you like best!" they all questioned. But Francie told them to choose their favourite colours. They carried in the . ; furniture and the goblins arrived to ™——»"'-1 arrange it and tho gardeners got busy with the flower beds. Now it happened that lilac was her favourite flower," and because it was midsummer nighti any wish could be granted, so although lilac was out of season it bloomed everywhere, especially under her window. Oh, the excitement of walking op the garden path of your very own house; Francie pushed open her gate with the nnmeplate on the outside. Her letters! must be addressed to " Midsummer CotJ tagO," ;, :t ; ■ There were hails of delight from the garden path, and, with a clashing of trumpets, a procession appeared, and in I flew the Fairy Queen, who took her seat at the head cl the table. The feasting and dancing began j never had fairies been livelier. H o w & v e r, even they were tired sometimes, and the Queen bestowed an unheardof honour on Francie by saying she would occupy the best bedroom for the night. The owl hooted. The orchestra stopped _ playing. In a minute T-—h e hooted again and Francie found horself being dragged along. Next morning a crowd of goblin servants, clambering up the path on their way to work, saw a little girl lying in their fairyland home. She was still asleep, so they half-pushed and halfdragged her into the little house. And there she stayed. "Midsummer Cottage" has quite tho air of an old residence now. I don't think Francie will ever leave, except, of course, when the spring cleaning is being done; she will just pay visits home to see her mother.