Adventures of Bud and Petal

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22350, 22 February 1936, Page 30 (Supplement)

Adventures of Bud and Petal

W W " Wonders o

Bud and Petal were awestruck at the beautiful things they saw there, and the peace and quietness were like nothing they had ever known before. The Queen of the Night received her guests in the throne room, such a room it is; the roof is made of solid moonbeams and the walls are of mother-of-pearl coloured star crystal. The throne is made of pretty rosy coloured clouds studded with twinkling stars..

The Queen was arrayed in her wonderful night-black velvet gown and in. her hair she wore the Evening Star. After chatting for a few minutes, the Queen called for the new lamps she had for the Fairy Queen and whilst waiting for them to be brought, Fairy Fleetwing asked the Queen if it would be possible for her to allow the twins to see the Silence of the Ages. The Queen agreed and called for the Keeper of the Silence to conduct them to the place in the palace grounds where the Silence is kept. The twins were wildly excited at being able to at last see this most wonderful of things in Starland and followed their guide with Fairy Fleetwing very eagerly. The Keeper led them to a very beautiful sunk garden and here in the midst of all the glorious flowers of Starland is the huge reservoir in which the Silence is ljept. This reservoir is made of glass and is very closely guarded by a strong guard of star soldiers who allow no one to enter this part of tho palace grounds unless special permission is obtained from the Queen of the Night. Tho twins were able to see the great glass reservoir. They drew near in wonderment and gazed through the thick glass walls. Then they saw that the Silence of the Ages is colourless, quite crystal-clear and like any other gas such as oxygen or ether. When it is to bo used, the Keeper of the Silence pulls the huge levers that work tho reservoir and tho Silence falls like balm upon the world below; it is used on beautiful moonlight nights, on bright suniiy days in the country, and you have felt it sometimes perhaps when you have been up on a mountain at night, or in a boat at sea, a wonderful feeling of quiet and the everlasting of all things. On summer nights the Keeper often perfumes tho Silence with Flower Fragrance, and again in the spring and in the autumn you can smell the Flower Fragrance in the Silence. After they had seen the \jonder of the Silence, the twins, together with Fairy Fleetwing, returned to the throne room where the Queen of the Night was waiting for them with the star crystal lamps. The little' fairies gasped when they saw how beautiful they were. Tho Star Fairies brought them in on velvet cushions and they were too brilliant for the twins to look at for any length of time. One

Bv ALTHEA FAHEY —Chapter 111. (Continued) V

was clear as water and glittered like fire.

"These lamps," said the Queen, are the two most precious we have ever made. This one," pointing to the waterclear lamp, "is ; the Star of Hope. Jt will be a -wonderful help to mortals, and the Fairy Queen alone knows how to light it. When she lights it in her ballroom, its rays will fall on the hearts of poor despairing mortals, and they will gain fresh courage and strength to go on." -Fairies are aways working for the good of mortals, and when they see anyone worried and upset, they light the Star of Hope lamp and place it so that its beams shine on them. Tho fairies watch all the time and they are always waiting to help all mortals, but we must believe in them, otherwise they cannot help us. Unbelief is a barrier that they cannot pass. The second lamp was a gleaming) twinkling, airv-loking lamp and this the Queen said was the Lamp of Joy. "With this in her ballroom," said the Queen of the Night, "the Fairy Queen will always be sure that her guests are happy." When its beams fall on the hearts of mortals, they feel joyous, happy and gay, and their lives become happy and bright and full of joy." , After receiving the lamps from the Queen, Fairy Fleetwing and the twins bade the Queen of the Night bye and set off for Fairyland. They re-crossed the Silver stream of Heaven in the same Star boat and climbed into the "Flying Cloud" which was waiting for them in Star Meadow. , Jf "We have had a wonderful time, said Bud. "Did you enjoy it too, Petal?," asked Fairy Fleetwing. Ohj yes" answered the little fairy. ' I will never forget my trip to Starland. "I don't want to seem greed?", said Bud, "but you show us such interesting places that I am eager to see more; where is it that you are taking us into the earth and what are we going for. "King Oberon wants a fresh supply of water from the Itiver Lethe )) ai, d am commissioned to obtain it, said Fairv Fleetwing. , By this time the aeroplane had reached Fairyland. Fleetwing landed and after leaving the twins with their parents, he set off to deliver the lamp to the Fairy Queen. , The Queen was delighted with her lamps and when Fleetwing told ne what the Queen of the Night had sai about them she at once gave orcle that nevej; should these two lamps allowed to go out, so night and day, all the time, these two lamps are burning in Fairyland and always th beams are- shining for the go°d mortals. , Next week I will tell, you how tfl® twins were taken down into the -ko World, how they were rowed J Charon across the River Styx an the wonderful things they saw the earth.

(To be continued)