HOW DANIE BECAME A FAIRY. (By Violet de Mole.) Chapter IV.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 40

HOW DANIE BECAME A FAIRY. (By Violet de Mole.) Chapter IV.

Luckily Danie was spared anyTfurther obstacles to her course, and was at length rewarded for her faithfulness to her duty'by seeing the gloom growing lighter till she came upon a large opening to the right. Oh, never was the light of day more welcome! She pressed forward eagerly, taking care, however, not to run this time.

At last she was once more in the open Jair, and how lovely everything round her seemed. As she stopd still for a moment and surveyed the profusion of flowers on every side she raised her hands to her head in a bewildered way, for it seemed to her that her past perils had been one long terrible nightmare. She now entered a wonderful wilderness, where the trees waved softly, and the sweet perfume of beautiful strange flowers was borne on the air. Danie simply gazed her fill at such a sight as she never dreamt of beholding on this hitherto direful journey. The fantastic trees were laden with tempting fruits, bright gayplumaged birds flitted to and fro like rays of light, while close at Danie's |feet rippled, a little bubbling stream, so clear that she could see every tiny white pebble through the sparkling water.

She nimbly stepped across a little bridge, eager to explore this new and wonderful country, while the gay songs of the birds lured her onwards with their wild sweet music, and all the blood in her veins danced with the joy of life. Gaily she tripped among the bright flowers, and almost laughed aloud as she thought of the fairy's injunction — "Never turn backwards ! "

" I do not think I shall want to, there is so much to see beyond," she said to herself. Her first disenchantment came when she paused by the way to gather a lovely white starry blossom that strayed across her path. She raised it instinctively to sniff the sweet fragrance that had first attracted her attention to it. Immediately she felt a giddy faintness stealing over her, and it was with an effort that she recovered herself. On looking at the flower, which felt strangely cold in her hand, she saw that it had changed into a horrid clammy toad, and with an irrepressible shudder of disgust she flung the reptile away. It pursued her for some distance-find then gave up the chase, and when Danie. had recovered from the revulsion of feeling at this serpent in her Eden she breathed more freely.

" Can I have been mistaken ? " she asked herself as she gazed once more at' the beauty on all sides. " Ah, now I remember," she exclaimed, "this is the deceptive wilderness."

As she spoke she gathered a rosy apple which nodded invitingly ov»r her head. She held it lightly in her hand, and gazed at it doubtfully, but no change ensued. She then ventured to take a bite, and found that it tasted of gall and wormwood, and so intensely bittrr was it that she craved for something to take the terrible taste away. She hurried forward to the stream, which sparkled so brightly in the distance, but the water only increased her burning thirst, while the heavy perfume of the flowers now oppressed her with its richness.

A bewildering sensation overpowered her, she fell helpless and unable to move. In despair, she ventured to take one step forward, but she stumbled and fell, lying exhausted among the soft grass and daisies. How long she lay thus she could not remember, but she was at length aroused from her stupor by a strange whirling sound over-J head. sitting upright, she found the whole scene around her was changed as if by the touch of a magic wand. Sun, .stream, flowers had all vanished, and she was lying in a dreary desolate waste, with not a tree in sight except a tall scraggly fir, which waved its arms above her like some gaunt spectre in the dim light of the fading day. It was bitterly cold. The sky was dark and cloudy, and sfee shivered while she drew her red cloak more closely round her. As she looked about her it seemed to her that the dense clouds ( overhead were travelling slowly but surely -nearer and yet nearer. Their motion was so visibly increasing that, rousing herself from idly watching them, she wondered if they really were •clouds. No, they were no clouds, and too soon she realised that the whirring sound was caused by tbe wings of an innumerable flock of vultures. Thicker and faster they' came, nearer and still nearer, till poor little frightened Danie shrank back under the miserable shelter which the fir afforded. Even in that terrible moment, however, she did not forget the fairy's warning, and with a horrified start of recollection she crept forward again. The noise of the wings grew louder and louder, and she heard the clash as one bird dashed against the other. As they crowded round her she placed her hand over her eyes in hopes of shutting out the dread sight, but they were now so numerous that she felt the pressure of their wings against her.

With an effort born of despair she raised herself on her feet and tried to beat them off, and as she opened her eyes she saw in the twilight that every bird near her had the eyes of a goblin. She instinctively grasped round for her talisman, but what was her horror to find that it was gone. She felt round everywhere with feverish eagerness, but no, there was not a trace of it. It flashed through her brain that perhaps that involuntary shrinking backwards was the cause. She saw nothing for it but to make a blind dash forward, in the hope of forcing her way through the hideous crowd. Every nerve strung to tbe highest pitch of excitement, with her eyes tightly closed and her hand raised before her face, she rushed headlong into the midst of the black mass.

What had happened? She felt strangely free, and slowly opening her eyes, lo and behold ! she was no longer in the midst of the goblin birds,- for not one was to be seen. A circle of fairy forms such as she never hoped to see again stood round her, and each appeared to her startled gaze to sparkle like frosted silver. Where was the wild heath, the cloud of birds, the witch-like fir ? Like the deceptive wilderness they in their turn had vanished, and Danie, rubbing her eyes to be sure that she saw aright, felt afraid that the present scene might vanish too. The sight before her, however, -was familiar. It was the same green sward where she had seen the fairies dancing in the moonlight. Her face lighted up with a joyful smile of relief as she observed the Fairy Torian standing before her.

" Are my trials really over at last ? Can I become a fairy now ? " she asked.

" Yes, Danie," replied Fairy Torian, " and a far better and nobler fairy than it can ever be

our fate to become. But let me take you to our queen," and she led the wondering child before the fairy sovereign. "Yes, Danie, you are to joiu my train," said the little lady, '„• but you are to be my good, useful fairy, whose noble "office will be performed in the mortal world. I give you this kiss as welcome," and drawing the weary, redrobed little figure towards her, the Queen pressed a soft kiss on the tired face. At this kiss Danie roused herself with a start. Where was the Fairy Queen and all her attendants? Looking up hurriedly she saw the kind face of her dear old father bending over her. He had roused her with his fatherly kiss, and gently stroking her soft cheek with his rough hand, he said, " Wake up, my bairn ; surely you've been dreaming, my lass. How big your bonnie c'en do look, to be sure." Danie passed her little hand feverishly over her forehead, and pushed back her hair as if the weight oppressed her. Then, suddenly realising her position, she raised herself in bed, and throwing her arms round his neck she broke into a little sob, crying, "Oh father. It cannot, cannot be a dream. Why, I was just made a fairy ! "

" What was it then, my lass ? " said the old man tenderly, taking the little girl in his arms. " You thought you were a fairy. Well, so you are, my dearie, always my fairy to me." "Ah, 1 see, daddy," exclaimed Danie, the glad smiles breaking out like sunshine, and with a happy light shining out of her soft brown eyes through the mist of unshed tears. "Of course lam your fairy. She said my work was to be in the mortal world."

" Tell me all about it," said her father, stroking her rough brown head. Danie nestled closer into his arms, and relieved herself by relating all her wonderful adventures.

The old man listened wonderingly, and when she had finished he said, " Well, I am glad you have not left me altogether for your fairies. I don't know what I should do without my fairy." And he lovingly kissed the bright upturned little face, ,and Danie _, murmured softly, "Yes, I am to be your fairy always, daddy."