LOLAYLA OF THE WHITE WINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22214, 14 September 1935, Page 4 (Supplement)

LOLAYLA OF THE WHITE WINGS

Ereryon*? has heard about the Four [Winds, who built themselves a whitewallcd palace above the equator, from which, every day. they would set out on their journeys round the world; but how many know the story of their little sister, Lolayla ot the White Wings? Now it isn't very easy for a little girl to amuse herself all day lons in a great, empty, echoing palace, even if she is a princess, and so it is not to be Tondored at that in her brothers' absence Lolayla often felt lonely Kven Ramon, youngest of the Four Winds, whose gentle ways and happy nature made him Lolayla's favourite, was often too tired to entertain his little sister. It. troubled him to see her listless at a ■window of the palace when he returned from his travels, and he wearehed his mind for some way in which he could ' bring the dimples back to

, her rosy cheeks. At last he lit I upon the very thing—she should .go with him on one of his daily flights to the South Seas. And so it "happened that he showed her the blue Pacific Ocean with its strings of jewellike islands and pointed out the green, peaceful land of Ao-tea-roa. ' The little princess was delighted and for many weeks could talk of nothing but.the beautiful sunny Pacific islands. She never grew tired of listening to JUmon's tales of the Maori people who lived 'in Ao-tea-roa, of their beauty, Vtheir bravery and their prowess in sport. After that there were many such visits to the South Seas, and sometimes when liamon flew over Ao-tea-roa, scattering warm showers of rain and light cooling breezes, Lolayla would ride on his shoulders and looking down she would watch the brown people far below fishing from their great carved ■canoes. One day, Sebastian, the eldest and most unruly of the Four Winds, returned early from a visit to the North Pole. Ho was in a violent temper, and finding no hot soup waiting for him in tho palace he stamped off again grumbling bitterly to himself. Out across the Pacific Ocean he stormed in search of ■a victim for his rage. It was unfortunate that the land of Ao-tea-roa la.y directly in bis southward path With a great howl Sebastian swept along tho coast lashing the peaceful waters into white-capped waves. The Maoris who were out fishing had little time to paddle lor the shore, and in a feu minutes tho heavy seas had swamped their canoes. Then Sebastian turned in- | land, bending the trees double, flat- I tening out or uprooting the crops, puff- I ing fiercely into the open doorways of i the whares. When an hour later Ramon and I Lolayla reached Ao-tea-roa a scene of desofation mot their eyes. The shores : were littered with the wreckage of 1 fishing canoes and from the battered I •whares came sounds of lamentation. I Sadly brother and sister returned | home to find Sebastian already back at tho palace. " Oh, how could you do it?" Lolayla cried reproachfully. " You are too soft-hearted, little one," was the gruff reply, for, though Sebastian loved his sister very dearly in his own quiet way, he could never understand her tenderness of heart. For many weeks peace reigned in tho Palace of the Winds. Then there came 1 a daj whon Sebastian flung home in one of his bad moods, and the floors shook as he strode sullenly about tho palace. Lolayla listened fearfully, knowing that soon he would rush out to vreak his ill-temper on the peaceful islands of the Pacific, and she trembled for tho safety of her beloved Mnoriian tiers. Slipping quiotly 9& the

By MARY L. SMEE. 27 Ridinsa Road. Remuera. 5.E.2,

palace the little princess made her way to the cave of the Great Moa, who was supposed to be the oldest and wisest bird m the world " Most wise and powerful of birds." she said humbly. " please lend me a pair of wings that will carry me over the sea to warn the Maoris that Sebastian is coming." The Great Moa stood on one leg and thought for a while Then at last —" I can't give you wings," he said, " but 1 can give you a s|>ell that will change you into a great white hird." He told her the spell and Lolayla learned it by heart. When she had said it over soveral times she suddenly noticed that she had changed into a beautiful white bird, anil spreading her wings she rose from the ground and soared up into the sky.

Faster than any ordinary bird she flew, never pausing until she saw the islands of Ao-tea-roa far below As she swooped lower she could see the

Maoris irishing in their canoes, for the sea was; as calm as a pond. She circled anxiously above them uttering sharp cries, and then flying to and fro between 'the canoes and the shore. The Maoris utraed in astonishment at the strange bird until cne of the wise men cried out that it was an omen from tlioir gods. Then all the warriors paddled their canoes swiftly to the shore and ran inside their whares Her task completed Lola.vla turned homeward, but before she had risen high enough into the sky a great gust of wind struck her. Sebastian had come She could see him rushing along the coast howling furiously and flinging down great handfuls of hail. Driving piles of black clouds before him. be swept up lashing the water into mountainous waves that crashed in cascades of foam on the deserted shores. Helpless in the fury of the storm, poor little Lolayla struggled vainly to rise, but wind and rain heat mercilessly on her outspread wings, driving her down toward the leaping waves. Sebastian, if he heard, paid no heed to the cries of the strange white bird. " Sebastian, it is 1," she cried pifcionsly, as she struggled in vain to rise higher above that hungry soa. Then wildly she began to re|>eat the Great Moa's spoil—backward this time. The result was immediate but terrifying. Suddenly she was Lolayla the princess again, ami she was falling, falling, through the air. But Sebastian had seen her and with icy fear clutching at his heart he swooped down. In a moment he had snatched her up and was sweeping homeward bearing the damp, trembling little princess gentlv in his arms. Very bitterly he reproached himself for his evil temper, humbly begged for forgiveness. Back in the Palace of the Winds, Sebastian called togethor his three brothers and told them what had happened, how their sister's life had been endangered through his folly. Then taking Loloyla 011 his knee tie tried to tell her how much he loved her and how ashamed he felt of his conduct. " Listen, dear heart," he said gentlv, and his stern face was kind. " You are too small to go wandering out into the world alone, and we cannot spare .von. Hut never again will there be need for you to go; yon shall have the swiftest and most trusty messengers of the air to do your bidding—the seabirds. They shall be your special charge and all men will know them for friends. ' Lolayla, Queen of the Seabirds,' men will call you." And so it was. That is the story of Lolayla of the White Wings, and to this day her messengers, the sea-gulls, may be seen flying inland, screaming and wheeling over the paddocks whenever bad weather is approaching. She it is who sends the sea-birds to meet all home-- j ward-bound ships so that sailors may know the land is not very far away; and it in said that whoever harms 0110 of Lolayla's messengers meets with nothing but misfortune until by some act of kindness he wins the paidon of the iittlo prweesa.