THE FAIRY AND THE FLOWERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 51

THE FAIRY AND THE FLOWERS.

" Oh, dear, how tired I am of this rain — it's never left off for 10 days, and I do want to go out, and everything is horrid, and I feel so sleepy and wrong. Holloa, what's this ? " — and before Molly knew what had happened, she found herself out of doors, in a most beautiful garden, with lovely lljwers on every side, and, turning round, Bhe saw such a funny little being standirjg behind ber, As far a3 she could make out it was a wee little lady, dressed in the most beautiful dress of shimmering purple, green, and gold, and, as Molly looked at her, she ?aid : "So you're tired of all the rain, are you 7 Well, come with me and I'll show you what happens when the rain comes after such a long spell of dry weather as we've had, and I don't think you'll grtiinble again," and away tripped the fairy, and Molly followed. They went along this beautiful garden till tbey came to a larger place, in which were, what seemed to Molly, hundreds of bode, and on each bed lay a most beautiful flower, and each flower had a lovely faC9, bub they all locked dreadfully ill. Molly looked, and saw some water ccmtog down in a shower upon the ill flowers. " Oh, what a Bhacoe I " she exolaimed ; " they are all getl ing wet." " Hush," said the faity, " that is not water — it is the medicine tbat is doing bhem good. Wait and watch a little and nee what happens." As Moll/ gazed she saw that as the water fell on the flowers they seemed to get better, and tome of them safe up, and finally stood up quite well. She stood and watched in sileDce till all the flowers in this huge hospital were recovered. " Oh, it's wonderful," she cried. "Do tell me what the medicine is," she added, turning to th« fairy. •' That is rain," Dawdrop answered ; " and now you see that come people want the rain. We have lost hundreds of our besb fairy flowers this year bscause the rain never came, and we wero in despair, as the3a were the last, and if they had died there would bave been no flower?." " Or», I am sorry I grumbled at the rain ! " eaid Molly. " Hit's Molly 'l Mies Molly ! Why, bless me 1 tha child ia asleep on the window-sill. 0 me, dearie, the rain has left off, and we'll go for a walk." Molly rubbsd her ey«». " Where am 1 1 " she said, " and where are the fairy and the Ebwers ? " # " You've been dreamlcg, dearie ; but come aloncr, and we'll go for a lovely walk." " Oh," paid Molly, " I'm so glad all tbe floweis got well befora the rain stopped, and I'll never grumble again, neccr ! " LETTERS FltOM LITTLE FOLKS. Saturday, Novtmber 23. Dear Dot, — 1 wrote to you ab, ut two years ago, and I thought then that I wouM njt live much longer, but I am still in very good health. All the hair is off my back and the point of my tail, and I heard them saying I was t3 be drowned as I w.*s not fit to livo, but s.n Idenly ib came out that someone fpilS hot water on me and ecilded me. I still catch a few rabbita, but 1 can hardly drag them home. lama very greedy old fellow, and could eat as much as thrca ordiaary cats. Six of my cat friends wore poifo-jed, and I reckon it served them right, for they had no busims* to eat ths poi#on. TLoy were all buritd io a row, and I saw each one carted off to ita grave ; and when one paiticular cab died is was tcought proper to have a tombetone put over ifc, so the crown of an old straw hat was gob, and a flower stuck in the front, and this was set at the hoid of its grave. I have three mateß left yet ; cne of them is tie yellow cab Tommy that wrote to you a while ago, and everything he said about himself was perfectly true ; indeed, there were nmny tbiugsa go xl "deal wo: sethun those hementioned. A starling built its nest in the barn, and one of tbe cats noticed it and waited uutil the young ones wctc a nice size, and then ib went up and ate them all. Don't you think it was a greedy cat, Dot P I have nob gob iuto any more ttap3 since I wrote last, as I generally know where they are set, and take care. I cannot eat a rabbit now at I have no teeth, and 1 am fed on boiled meat, which has bo ha out up very £u-~\ I also get plenty of milk to drink. I like to sit on the hob beside the fire with my tongue out. Dear Dob, I don't think I shall be able to write to joj again, as I think I shall die soon ; bub wten X am dead I hope some of the c*ts will vci'ite and tell yon. You c*n see that my wrifciog U very shaky, for my paw is very tired. So good-bye, Dot. — Yours btuly, An Old Bluk Cat (aged 17 years). Hokonui, November 20. [Well, I'm not so sure about thivfc ; indeed, I think it is remarkably good writing for a 17-year-old cit, even if she is an old blue cat. She should be ablo to live a while longer with such good treatment, and I shall nob be ia the least surprised if we get more than one letter from the Old Blue CM yet.— Dot.] Deau Dot, — I live «,fc Henley, which is a very pre'.ty place in the summer time, everything being so nice md gi'ceu. A lot of pop'ars and ■willows ad to the beauty of the scenery. We live r.eir tho riverside, and we see aH that is passing by. I have nob far to g? to school. Our examination wa» held last Monday, and I parsed from the First Standard into the Second. We have a picnic every year, and we are going to hold ib at the Taieri Beech this time. Mr M'K<-gg is kindly goirg to take us down tbe river in his steamer, the 8.9. Staff a. When I write again I shall leb y^u know & little about the Taieri Beach. I will gather some nice shells on the beach. When I get my holidays lam going to Saddle Hill to nay grandfather's place, and I am going over the hills to Brighton Beach again. I like to go when I am down, and my aunlids will buke ree over ban hills. I have a big doll ; please give me a. uume fcr it. I have no pets to tell you about— only a hen and eight little chickens in a box, and I have bo give them food and water. They are pretty little thing?. I ecclose six stamps for the Kindergarten Fund. — Yours truly, Anxie M'Larkn Black (aged 8 yeara). • Henley, November 23. [I hope you will have a good time at Ta:eri Beach, Annie, with blight sunny weaUier. I ehall be glad for you to write aud tell ua all aboat both your Tftieri Beach trip and your run

over to Brighton from Saddle Hill. CaU the doll Gwendoline. Thank you for the stamps for the kindergarban. The fund is getting on famou«ly. — Dot ] Dear Dot,— l live at a place cabled R>dcliff, on the Canterbury Bide of the Wnitaki river, 15 miles from the Wsvitaki North ttation. It ia a very pretty drive in fine weather. We are also 16 miles from Waimate. The gorge near Waimate is five mites long. The railway, a creek, and a road run through it. Wnimate ia a very pretty place, with a lot of bush about it. Do you remember the Waimate bush fire, Dot ? We can *e-i as far up the river at? Mount Domeb and the Kakanni Rmges. They lcok very pretty in •winter when tho sun is shining, they are so pure and white. The fields are looking i'reeh and grean after so much rain. We have" no tress on the Waitftki Plain, only those planted by the settlers round the homesxea-Jg. I have nine peb lambs, and they all drink out of tlie basin except one, and I givo it the tiat. I ssnd 12 btarnps tor the Kindergarten Fund. — Yours truly, Annie Blaik Rodson. Bedel 'ft', November 12. [A very nice It tter, Annie, and I hope it will nob bs tbe l*st we fihall get from you. You inusb have pleuty of work feeding nine pefc lambs. Did thoy all lose their mothers? No, I do not remember the Waimate bush fife. Was it a very disastrous one ? Thank you very much for the btimps. — Dot.] Dear Dot,— My father is a sheepfarmor, and we live in Cunlerbury ; but before we came up here we lived in Oatnaru. A frifud sends us th«- Otago Witness, and I like reading ths little fo'ks' lexers very much. I have two sisters and tlired bro'.hers. My sisters and I have a ! doll cash. D.ar Dot, please give me nica names for them. I hwe also a calf, wbijh is very tamp, and she will let me do anjtbing with her ; I call her Bet'y. Our teacher, Mi«s Oxby, had a very nasty accident. She tell off her hort c and broke her arm, so we had a w> ek'a holiday. Bly brother Bryce, my eisUr Nellie, and rnjself are going down to Dunediu for our fummer holidays with Aunt Mary, and we are to stay a month. Dear Dob, lam very fond of reailii g. and last year I gob a "Girlb'Own Annual," and I have read it nearly all, I got the prcs-nt of a book the other day. It. is called "Noah's Ark." I have uoarly finish-- d reading it. I enclo«e six itarop3 tor the Kindergarten Fund — Yours truly, X Roberta Wright (aged 9 years.) Qreenvale, Gapes Valley, Geraldine, November 17. [I hope you will haveagood time in Duuedin, and will return ready for another year's hard work at echool, Robtrba. Call the dolls Rosa and Lily. Thank you for ohe stamps. — Dot.] Dfar Dot, — As I hive a holiday I thought I | would write you a short letter. To-day is t.he lirst of the boat seasoD, aud nearly every boat in Gioborne will he on the water. It is very pretty to watch them. We had a nice holiday J on the 9jQ of this month, and we bad a long j pull up the river. There were a. lot of Sunday scluol picnic parties on each side of tbe river. We nearly filled our boat with beautiful wild floff-c-s and ferns. Igoto a private school. I j learn mu^ic and can play iairly well, and I think it hbo nice to bs able to play. I also think it nice to be able to writ^ to the Witness. I end. se three Btamrs for tho Kindergarten Fund.— Yours truly, May Morris. j Gihbcrue, Noveoiber 15. I [It is very nice indeed to bo able fo play, and you will think so more and rmro the older you get and thi more profiuieiifc you become. How plens?nt it must be svliiig up the river in your sunny climile, May. Ib is nob quite so nice down foj h, because ii is much cooler. Thank you for the stamps — Dor.] Dkar Dot, — I hava a very beautiful doll, with fair h.iir &ud blue eyes; please will you give me ft nice name for it. lam going to have ib dresfed in cream silk — Yours truly, Veiiosa Allan (aged 12). Cargill road, South Dauedm. . , [Call the doll Rof&mond. — Dot ] Dear Dot,— Our teacher, Miss Le<?, is gving away, and lam so sorry. Father says 1 will have to go to Long Bush School if Miss Lee leaves the Rirau School. I must 'earn all I can, because I eball bs leaving school in a year or tyro. I Inva a little yrey rabbit with a- white xingroiind its nrck ; please give mo a natre for him. I think Ism going to a cox-csrfc at OoeTree Point on Fii'lny. It is for the ber.efi 1 ; of the teacher, who went away fick. I shall tell you how I liked it when I write again. Gcodbye. — Yours truly, Schoolgirl. Rimu, November 24. . I [It is a pity you are abtmt to lose Miss Lee when she is such a favourite, but no doabt she is g^ing to better herself, so th*b must ba your consolation. Call the rabbit Silver Rirg. —Dot.] - J Dear Dot, — I live at Henley. I have two brothc-rs and one sister, and their uarn.es I are Jamaf, Robert, and Btlla. James and Igo to school. We were examined la»b Monday by Mr Fitzgerald, and I pasted and am now in the Stcc-ud S andard. James is now in the third class. We bave a cow and a calf and two pig«. I have a prt tfcy doll ; would you please give me a nice name for it. I eucloie 12 stamps for the Kiudergaittn Fund. — Youra truly, Jane FeiiGUson (aged 8 years.) Henley, November 22. [o*ll the doll Rosa. Thank you for tbe stamps ; we shall soon have the ttnth pound ready for Mis< Kcl«ey now. — Dot.] KINDERGARTEN FUND. Stamps received : May Morris, Gisborne, 3 ; K. Roberta Wright, Gapes Valley, Geraldine, 6 ; Annie I>lair Robs)n, Redclift'e, )2- Jane Ferguson, Henley, 12 ; Annie M'Laren Black, Henley, 6. LITTLE FOLK^ BIDDLKS. ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S RIDDLES. ♦623. By John E. Walsh, Waikouaiti — <1) Twenty. (2) Because he is let out at night and taken in in the morning.

— The hair grows considerably faster in summer than in winter. — Not *to be Taken in.—" Do you think that he would deceive a friend ? "—"" — " Of course not. None of his friends would believe a word he sayg." — Languid Stranger : " Have I time to Catch the train 1 " Smart Policeman : " You may have the time, but you don't seem to have tbe ppeed." ' Advice to Moturrs ! — Are you broken in your \ ivst by a sick child sutferiugwitU the pain of cutting teuth ? Go at once to a chemist and Ret a bottle of Mra Winslow's Soothing Syrup. It will relieve the poor sufferer immediately. It is perfectly harmless, and pleasant to the taste; it produced natural quiet sleep by relieving the child from pain, and the little cherub awakes "as bright as a button." It soothes the child, it softens the gums, allay,s all pain, relieves wind, regulates the bowels, and is the best known remedy for dysentery and diarrhoea whether arising from teething or other causes. Mrs Winslow'a Soothing Syrup is sold by medicine dealers every where at Is lid par bottle.— [Ad vt.]