FOR THE CHILDREN

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12022, 27 December 1924, Page 13

FOR THE CHILDREN

A RICH MERCHANT Once upon a time there lived a rich merchant, who sent his ships to 6ea, laden with com and wine and spices, and he expected these cargoes would make him richer than ever, but a great storm rose, and the ships went to the bottom, and everyone on board was drowned. The merchant was now quite a poor man, and all that was left to him was a little farm, where he went to live with his wife and little son. One day he went for a walk, with his head bent, thinking sadly of his lost fortune, when all at once he saw a little man with a long grey heard, sitting on a log, smoking a long pipe. “Good morning,” said the dwarf. “I can see you are in trouble, and I am sure I can help you. Sit down here,” he continued, making room for the man, who told him about the loss of his ships. “That’s nothing,” said the little man, “if twelve years hence you will give to me whatever meets you today when you reach your gate, you shall have as much gold as you want.”

' As a rule the new puppy met the man at the gate, so he joyfully accepted the offer and went off whistling. Just imagine his dismay when bis little son ran to greet him. But the merchant tried to console himself by thinking that the dwarf was only a silly old man, playing a joke upon him. There was no money for him, and he tried to forget all about it, but after a month he went into the loft where the apples were and there stood a heap of gold half-way up to the ceiling. The man could hardly believe his eyes, hut the gold was hard and bright, and he and his wife went to live in a fine House, and then, after twelve years, the man remembered his promise to the dwqrf, and told his son about it. “He is probably dead by this time,” said the boy, “and, anyway, I will soon settle him. Let us go and find him in the wood.”

The dwarf was waiting for them, and nothing would melt bis hard heart, and in a voice of thunder he ordered the boy to get into a boat which stood on the shore iff a lake nearby, and be even made the father push' off the little vessel.

Dark clouds came up before a terrible wind, and the coat heeled over, and the father, believing his son was drowned, went home in great sorrow.

But nothing so dreadful had happened. The storm abated, and then, before a fair wind, the boat raced into a beautiful harbour, near which stood a white marble palace.

The young man walked up ter it boldly, and there in the centre of the hall was coiled up a great white snake, which said to him: “At last you have come to free me from enchantment! To-night twelve men will come and try to kill you, but be bold and fight them with the l sword that hangs on the wall and you will be the victor.” When night came all happened as was foretold, and suddenly the white snake cast off its skin, and before the victor stood a lovely princess, and next day she and her deliverer were married, and for a year and a day they lived happily. One day the King of the Golden Mountain, as this lucky young man was now called, told his wife that he wished to visit his father. His wife consented, and when he left she gave him a ring, 6aying, “Whenever you want anything, turn this ring on your finger and you will have it at once. But never wish for me or misfortune will come to us.” Then, disguised in a shepherd’s smock, as he Wished to surprise his parents, the King set out, and made his way to his father’s house. The old people would not believe it was their son, till he Bhowed them a red mark like a strawberry on his arm. There was great rejoicing, and for six months the long-lost son stayed with his parents. Then he began to long for his wife, and one day he turned the ring on his finger and wished, and she stood before him. “How dare you send for me?” she cried in anger, and it was long before she was calfm. For a while all seemed well, but one day when he was sleeping the Queen took the ring from her husband’s finger and vanished. When he woke the king discovered the loss of his wife and his ring, and he was in great distress. His kingdom lay far away, and he set off at once to cross the mountains on his homeward journey. On the way he met three giants who were going to draw lots for a magic sword that would overcome all enemies, a pair of seven-league boots, and a cloak of invisibility. Giants, you know, are good-natured, but stupid people, and when they saw the stranger they made friends with him and asked him if he would like to put on the boots and the cloak and wear the magic sword. The king saw his chance, and before the giants know what wne happening be had disappeared with their treasures. However, they did not mind much, bnt played a game of skittles and drank ginger-beer till they fell asleep and snored so loudly that people

thought there was a great thunderstorm, Meanwhile the king had reached his C' toe, and here he found that there been a revolution and that another king was ruling in his stead, and the queen was nowhere visible. The new courtiers jeered at him and would not Jisten, so be drew bis magic sword and it flew from his hand and cut off the head of the rebel leader. Then a search wa6 made through the palace far the queen, and she was found at last in one of the dungeons. She was full of joy at seeing her husband again, and told him how, when she reached the palace, she found a j*sw king on {He throne, who had cast her into a dungeon, where she had been nearly starved. ' “It was all the fault of that wishing ring,” she said, throwing it through the window into a deep well which had no bottom. _ Then she and her husband were reeotV oiled and lived happily ever aftei i. wards. THE ELEPHANT'S HICHWAY Long before the Ramans made roads, the African elephanis were hard at work driving roads through the forests and bush of Equatorial Africa. Dr Christy has just told, in a book on “African Big Game end the Pygmies of tho Ituri Forest,” how these roads cut their way in all (Erections through the tall grass and bush and the dark forest. There are main highways from two to three fee* wide, which inn for scores of miles across the almost impenetrable country. The roads are rammed too bard by countless elephant feet for anything to grow on them. For many miles 'at a stretch a (bicycle could be ridden along them, and the natives use them as highway. Some are many hundreds of years old. as one can see by the way the track has worn a path through the rocky banks of rivers and such places. Brandh tracks and short cuts lead off hero and there, but always with a purpose, such as to reach a river crossing or an outlying block of forest, or to aonnect up into highways leading to other parte of the country. The elephants seem to know their way about them as well as a man can find his way about the streets of lia native town, being able to tell exactly where they are. and not only whrih road to take in the dark, but' exactly where the short cute are,