THE MAGIC CARPET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE MAGIC CARPET.

BY ELSIE K. MORTON.

IN A FOREST GARDEN.

It 15 springtime in tho Golden West, and tho Magic Carpet is all ready to take the voyagers far out into tho country to soo tho carpet of wild flowers that tho goddess of spring has laid over tho hills and valleys. In Now Zealand, wo only know that spring has come by the budding of the fruit trees, tho blooming of daffodils and the tiny green orchids in the bush. But in California —oh, what a difference! Little New Zealanders could not imagine the beauty of the wild flowers, for they are unlike anything ever seen in this almost flower less country. In spring and early summer, the Californian fields and forests are ablazo with wild flowers, so that you may come back from a day's outing with great bouquets in which almost all the flowers are different!

Now wo arc approaching the mountains and the forest, and here, as the Carpet makes a descent at the foot of the gian redwoods, the voyagers cry out in joy and amazement. For we have landed m the midst of an exquisite forest garden, the like of which none of us has ever seen before. Tho ground is carpeted with dainty white and yellow violets and tiny mauve violas. Above a bank of dew-wet fern, is a tall spire of scarlet columbine; down by the creek, white, blue and mauvo flac-lilies'dip to the water's edge. Uut loveliest of><all is a tiny flower which one little voyager calls us to come and see, a dainty haro-bell. The hare-bell is one of the most lovely and fragile of all Californian wild-flowers. It is pink in colour, that lovely, almost transparent pink you find in sea-shells, and it on a slender stalk _ about six or inches long. Something like the hare-bell, only bolder in colouring, is its cousin, the mission-bell, a handsome, plumcoloured flower with greenish spots. As we watch these beautiful little blossoms swaying lightly on their fragile stems, it seems as though they wero ringiag a faint chime of bolls, to welcome tho coming of the Spring Fairy. Other flowers there are in plenty in this lovely wild garden, blue lilac, something like our own koromiko, wild raspberry trailing its white, starry blooms all through the forest azaleas, golden Solomon's Seal, the tiny, pink bell-like blossoms of tho huckleberry, tiger-lilies, and Indian warrior, a spear-like flower, scarlet, bold, and brilliant as fire. So beautiful, so entrancing is our first glimpse of this flower-garden of the forest, that we would like to stay and wander there for hours. But the sky above'the tops of the redwoods is gold with sunset, the long, happy day is almost done. Another time we will come again on our enchanted carpet, and camp beneath tho mighty redwoods, so that we may learn more of the beauties and wonders of this forest-garden.

But come quickly! Let us fly oyer the blue harbour and out into the hills beyond! Soon we aro passing over the Coast Hills, and looking closely, we see they are delicately, faintly blue. A sad and beautiful little story is unfolded every springtide in the Coast Hills. Many years ago, a poor mother lost her little "boy in these hills, and when she found him he was dead. And as a memorial to her little one, she went out with bac;s of forget-me-not seed, and sowed it far and wide. The beautiful little blue flowers sprang up and gradually spread over hillside and valley, forming a lovely mantle every springtide, a memorial of a mother's undying love. "Oh, see tho golden fields!" cries a little voyager, and we fly low, passing over wide fields of escholtzchia, or " golden poppv," which is California's state flower. Here and there in tho wide sea of gold aro islets of brightest blue. These aro tho wild lupin, and there are golden lupins as well. By tho side of the road, a host of dainty blossoms marches valiantly, cornflowers, little pink flowers like ixias. blue-bells, scarlet poppies, wild forget-me-not and many others whose names I do not know.