BEFORE THE DEW CAME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20508, 8 March 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

BEFORE THE DEW CAME.

By UNA 0. CRAIG, 19, Codaj Road. Epsom. The poor trees drooped in the afternoon sun, long, long ago beforo the dew came. " Oh," sighed Slender Tree, " I feel as if my back would break. There has been no rain for days and days, and my very trunk feels weak." " I'm the same," said Burly Tree, " only a million times worse. Look at all my branches! Why! if something doesn't happen soon I'll die of thirst." " Yes, you poor dear," replied gentle Slender Tree. "It certainly is much worse for you. If only someone could give us a drink as soon as the day is done, we would feel so much happier." "Oh! Oh! Oh!" shivered every tree in chorus, and that evening they moaned in all their branches, while the little bird-mothers crooned their babies to sleep just the best way they could. " Croon, cheep croon," murmured Mother Bird. "Cheep! Cheep!" cried Baby Bird. " I can't go to sleep." Now away in Fairyland, on the borders of the Wonder Worjd, the fairies were sitting down on mushrooms to their evening meal and the bees were buzzing around the flowers, drawing honey for their tea. Suddenly Fairy Sunsprite said " Listen! What is that strange sound I can hear away in the world somewhere?" "It sounds like someone moaning, said Funflip. " I wonder who it is ? " cried all the fairies at once, and stopped to listen as the sound grew louder and louder. "Oh, dear! What a terrible sound," said Tender Heart. " I am going to find out what it is." So she left her mushloom and her tea end flew far into the world all by herself. When fairy Tender Heart reached the world she found all the trees swaying and moaning terribly; so she went tip to Burly Treo and asked him in a very small, kind voico what the matter was. Poor Rurly Tree was making so much noise that ho couldn't hear her, so she flew over to Slender Treo and said: " Oh, little Slender Tree, do tell me what you are all crying about." Slender Tree stopped her gentle weeping and told Tender Heart all about it. " You see, little fairy," she said, " Father Sun and Brother Rain have had a quarrel and Father Sun lias not let Brother Rain como near the earth for weeks and weeks, so we are all so very terribly thirsty." " That is too bad," said little Tender Heart. " What are you going to do about it ? " " I don't know," said Slender Treo; and began to weep again. " Perhaps you could help us." " Well, I will try," she said and few back to Fairyland to ask help from all the fairies. That evening they held a largo meet- ! ing under the treo ring and invited Cousin Night to be there. Now some people aro very frightened of Cousin Night, but really he is quite a pleasant person and very kind-hearted indeed. He was dreadfully sorry to hear how thirsty the trees were and very anxious to help them. " I know what I will do," he said. " In the sky as I come through I always meet the Dew Fairies. Now they have plenty of water up there. I shall ask i them as I go back if they could sparo any for the trees." "Oh! Good! Good!" cried all the fairies. "Oh! I'm sure they will. All fairies love to help someone." So on his way homo Cousin Night stopped to ask the Dew Fairies to give the trees a drink. "Of course," they said. "Oh, yen! Yes!" And at once flew off down to the earth with great big bubbles full of dew. Oh! How truly glad all those moaning trees were! And now whenever Brother Rain stays away too long in the summer timo and the trees begin to get thirsty, Cousin Night whisjiers to the Dew Fairies as he passes by and they fly down to give the trees a drink of their magic, magic dew.