A QUESTION OF COLOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22166, 20 July 1935, Page 4 (Supplement)

A QUESTION OF COLOUR

" Mummie, why is a beet so red? " asked young Billy turning the highly coloured vegetable over with his fork. " I don't know," said mummie. "Ask Cath. Perhaps sho has heard at school." But Cath was too busy learning French and geometry to know why beet wero> red. So Billy wandered down to the garden and stared solidly at the beet. " What's the matter," asked a Triamble pumpkin. Billy jumped, but anyway if pumpkins were going to talk ho might as well find out why beetroot were red. So he asked the pumpkin. " Sit down and I'll tell you," said tho pumpkin amiably. " Once upon a time all vegetables wero the same colour."

By PEARL HERBERT, D.M.8.G.,

" Green? " interrupted Billy. " Ye-es! A greyish green, just like me. But the whole trouble started when the Queen of all Gardens sent out invitations for her ball. Of course everyone wondered with whom the queen would dance. Suddenly the carrot said, " She'll dnnce with me, for I am going to be a different colour." Then the carrot began to dig his roots down, and drink the good things of the soil, till he became quite pink. Then the beet shouted, " I'll be redder than you." And the beet dug his roots into the warm earth arid drank the good things of the soil, tiill he was redder than the carrot. So the competition went on till tin the night of the ball the beet was absolutely crimson. And when the queen saw them she began to laugh, and she laughed till the poor beet and carrot blushed a deeper colour than ever. •' " Since you are so fond of gay colours," she said, " carrots and beet shall always bear the colours which you display." " Who did. the queen danco with," asked Billy. " With whom did the queen dance!_ echoed the pumpkin, wrinkling his skin in disgust. "If you'll believe it she danced all the evening with a drab dirty old potato. She mado him the king of vegetables, because she said lie could sot>, -justice.' "It must ;have been a potato with a lot of eyesr'' volunteered Billv. But the pumpkin had subsided an ordinary vegetable again, a&d inummie was saying: , " Wake up, Billy! Wo fire going to auntie's." Billv did not toll anyone the stoiry, because he knew they would only laugh. But as he walked away he thought: " Poor old beet. I am sorry ;fihe didn't dance with you after all your, trouble."