OUR LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1764, 12 September 1885, Page 27

OUR LITTLE FOLKS.

The Goblin and the Fairy. Deep in a dark and gloomy glen Dwelt the terrible Goblin Dhis-Khon-Tent ; Gnome never lived in^a'drearier den — No glimmer of sunshine ever went To brighten the glfcom of, the Goblin's lair ; Dank noisome vapours hung in the air Round his dark abode, Where the speckled toad. ' And snakes and reptiles slimy and cold, And slugs and spiders and centipedes, And loathsome creatures with names untold,

And each vile thing that in darkness breeds, All flourished, and brought up their families well, In the dismal depths of the Goblin's dell. Nought but the'rankesfc ojE,,weeds I would.grow Near the Goblin's cave"?- l " •"' <Jt i' : The trees were all stripped to the naked-bough, And would weirdly wpfe V « " '. As the wind stirred their branches to and fro, And creak and groan for the -long agp", • ■ • Ere the Goblin' seared thehvwith his breath And doomed all their sweet green leaves to death. For such was the power of this Goblin dread

That whene'er he passed .by -.--<. ■ - - His breath left the flowers all withered and dead, ■ - And blasted the leaves on the trees .overhead, ; While birds, bees, and butterflies fell like lead 'Neath the glance, of. his eye i; ,!< - .' ."_ He would grumble aUd' mutter ♦•'' L ■ • "' j ■ •'- " Tis foolishness utter To hope to be happy— there's no suoh a state; , • All is dismal and dreary, ' t ° f ■ J " Dull, hateful, and weary, , . ' And to live in the world js a hideous fate !", ; ■ For he could not see, though he was not blind, That the hatefuluess dwelt in his otondark mind. Nor that places that bloomed with a beauty gay Were blighted and,spojledwhen*h© < went thatway'. So for long, long -years this direful gnome, Had made in the glen his gruesome home ; And blacker and uglierieach day grew, While his heart grew blacker and uglier too. At last, one morning, he chanced to see Just outside of his glen, a beautiful sight— For a Fairy-maiden, as fair as could be, Was dancing about in the summer light. And wherever she tr6d in her sportive glee, That spot was bathed in a radiance bright. Her golden hair waved to her tiny feet, Her eyes shone starlike, and tender, and sweet, And she sang to herself in a voice whose tone Was enough to have melted a heart of stone. The Goblin watched her in. much surprise ; At first he could hardly believe his eyes That a being should venture to dance and sing, And look as happy as. anything, Within a short walk of his gloomy lair. "Why— surely sha couldn't know he was there ! But he'd let ncr know, ere she grew any older, That dancing and singing were quite out of place, Feeling sure that 'as' soon as ho spoke he'd behold her , ■ <•

Fly shrieking away with a terrified face 1 It was quite a shock to the Goblin's mind To find she did nothing of the kind ! For, chancing to see Mm where he stood On the edge of his'gloomy, leafless wood, She danced with the'gayest of smiles to greet him, And remarked that it gave her much pleasure to meet him. Now Dhis-Khon-Tent knew riot what to say He had never been used to be treated that way, And it made him feel small To see that his frowns were all waisted on air And had no effect on this damsel fair, For she didn't seem frightened at all. •' And who may you be ?' 7 he growled at last, With the fiercest look he knew how to cast, " Say -what is your name And from whence you came, And then you may go, For I'd have you to Know I allow no dancing nor singing here Where all is silent and dark and drear." " I have come uninvited, I must confess " The Fairy aaid, with a Witching smile. But «yy name, good Goblin, isChere-Phul-Nesse, And I've come to visit you for a while. I've come a long way and I've danced a good deal And I want a good rest and my morning meal • ' So please be kind enough, dear good Gnome, ' To lead me the shortest way to your home." What was the matter with Dhis-Khon-Tent ? He tried to frown at the Fairy again, But he could not manage it, that was plain He wondered what this new feeling meant. He tried to keep cross but it would not do, The Fairy's bright eyes seemed to look him through Ht could not choose, ' He dared not refuse, But he said, "My dark home is no fit place for you. "It will do very well," laughed the Fairy-maid, who was perfectly happy and unafraid. So the Gofyhtwas- forced to' turn him round And Bhow her the way through his private' ground,

The Fairy sang as she danced along, And the dead birds awoke to join in her song. The butterflies shook their paralysed wings, Tbe air was full of bright hunlming things ; The grass and the flowers spraug under her feet, Looking upwards the newly-found sunshine to greet, The young leaves grew on the naked trees And a thousand sweet odours were borne on the

breeze! , The Goblin fell 'Neathher wondrous spell, Though he struggled against it with all his might ; Tilfthe beauty and grace

Of her exquisite face Made him wish ho was not such a hideous fright, The Fairy seamed to understand What the ugly Goblin's wishes were, For she paused and took him by the hand And whispered softly, " You must not despair! If you wish to be handsome 't;» easily done, But you yourself are the only one -,Who can use the spell that will make you fair." No longer the Goblin looked gloomy and grim, For the touch of the fingers of Ohere-Phul-Nesee Had driven the gruesonieness out of him ; Though he still was ugly, I must confess. " Come, smile three times 1" cried the beautiful fay. "What? Smile! I smile? But I don't know the

way!" The Goblin stammered in blank dismay. •'You don't know how? Then just look at me, And you'll see it's as simple as simple can be I" Then the Fairy laughed out with a laugh so clear The birds ceased their singing the better to hear, And catching at last the infection of mirth That seemed to be ringing all over the earth, The Goblin himself grinned from ear to ear ! "Again!" and "Once more!" cried the Fairy in glee, When the gnome was as handsome and fair a3 could

be; He'd a classical nose And the loveliest clothes That anyone ever could wish to see. Then hand in hand the two went on, The happiest beings on whom the sun shone, While all dark reptiles fled scared away At the sound of their footsteps and voices gay. Since that wonderful day when 'fair Chere-Phul-

i • Nesse came The Goblin has changed both his nature and name ; For, lest folks should shun him wherever he went, He has dropped the " Dhis," and is called " KhonTent .'" — LnfiDSAY Duxcan, in the Adelaide Observer.