Fairy Farm.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20426, 30 November 1929, Page 4 (Supplement)

Fairy Farm.

PART II

By ALICE KENNY. Griffins so I have been told Have great stores of fairy, gold, But it's best, so travellers say. From Basilisks to keep away.

Michael soon found that ho had got into a very strange country, for ho had not gone far before he met a griffin. He approached it with some anxiety, for it looked very fierce; its scales shone, its tail had a great spike on the end, and its claws were long and sharp. But when ho was close to it he saw that it seemed dreamy and rather sad. " Mr. Griffin," he said politely, " can you kindly tell me if I am in fairyland?" " You are in one of the outlying districts of fairyland," replied the griffin gently, " the part which is called the Ilegion of Fabulous Animals." " Thank you," said Michael, " are you a fabulous animal, sir?" " Not in the least," replied the griffin, " but some of the other inhabitants are." He sighed and shut his eyes, and Michael noticed that a tear rotfed down his cheek.

" Excuse me," said the boy kindly, " but it seems to mo that you are in trouble, and siuce trouble is a thing that comes to all, perhaps I could help you." " .Alas," said the griffin, " my heart is broken and no one can help me. I love a fairy princess and she refuses my lovo because she doesn't like rny claws. " Doesn't like your claws!" exclaimed Michael, " why, a finer pair of claws couldn't be found in all the land."

" And that's true, even if I say it." agreed the griffin, looking a little cheered. " but what can one do if they make no impression on the princess' hard heart." " I should think they'd make an impression on anything, so I would," said Michael, " but I've a good idea now. Let you slip on this pair of gloves nest time you go courting, and you 11 have no more trouble with the princess." He pulled out his gloves and put them on tho griffin's paws, and tho griffiu smiled from ear to ear with joy. His fangs, when ho smiled, looked so dangerous that Michael stepped back a yard, but the poor creature meant no harm. " Noble boy, you havo saved, mo." he said.

" Don't mention it," replied Michael. "How can I reward you? Shall I use my influence with tho Great Griffin and get you made a Lesser Griffin, or a HalfGriffin, leaving the upper part of you mortal, if you preferred?" " I couldn't think of giving you all that trouble," cried Michael, rather alarmed. " If you would just give me a piece of fairy gold to add to a collection I am

making I'd thank you kindly, and go on ray way." "It is too little, too little," said the griffin warmly, but finding that Michael wanted no more he gave him the gold, and they shook hands and parted. As he was still in the land of Fabulous Animals he was not surprised at encountering a basilisk a little further on. It turned its fearful eyo on Michael and ho began to tremble. He feit> as if his spine was meltings and at the same time his feet were like lead, so 'that he could not move. But in a moment the creat,ur« shut its eye. " What are you ?" it said gloomily. " I can hardly see to-day. I overstrained my eye at the sports for fabulous .animals, and 1 haven't been able to melt rocks, or bore into anybody's spine since." " I've—l've got just the thing for you," said Michael, quaking, and he pulled out his tinted spectacles, and handed them to the basilisk.

" Wear these for a few days and the rest will restore your sight completely. In about a week you won't be able to look at a haystack for fear of setting it ou fire."

" I should do so at once," replied the basilisk. " I like setting things on fire." Michael thought he was a very disagreeable creature, and was half frightened to ask him for gold, but the dark glasses wore such a relief to the overstrained eye that he paid Michael at once. " Come back and see when my eye is better,"- he cried after the boy, but Michael was quite suro ho would do no such thing. " He'd be after turning me into stone, or some such devilment as soon ;is that ugly eye of his was well," he thought, "and I'll not go near him again. But, anyway, that's three good pieces of gold I've got."