IN CHRISTMASLAND. A STORY FOR "DOT'S" DOTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2181, 19 December 1895, Page 30

IN CHRISTMASLAND. A STORY FOR "DOT'S" DOTS.

By Ada A.- R. Ludfobd. Ye9terday morning as I was sitting looking out of the dining-room window, and thinking how very enjoyable it would be to go for a nice long walk, I heard & am nil vjice which s made 1 like a great number of tiny Christmas bells sa>ing : " I know of a delightful place where you can t»ke n beautiful walk. I will not tell you what you will see and hear there, for that would spoil it completely." Then I said : "Is this charming pTacs of 1 which you speak in Dunedin ? It cannot be anywhere in Wellington, I know, for there are no really nice places here." " It is neither in Dunedin nor Wellington, "" answered the voics. "lfc is in Christmasland." How my heart jumped and bounded at the prospect of seeing such a. new and wonderful place. Suddeuly I fell fast asleep, and when I awoke I found myself standing in a very large garden of flowers. Such queer flowers. Each of them seemed to ba smiling such a happy joyful emile. • I suppose it was beoauie they lived in Christmasland. Suddenly a lob of tiny voices started to sing : Ring, ring, Christmas bells, Over hllli and over dtlls ; Turn, leaves, into toys : For the merry girls and boys. all ait once the leaves of a tall tree — very much like our poplar trees — turned into hundreds of toys of every dessription : Dolls, balls, kites, marbles, skipping-ropes, and hundreds more. But what puzzled me was there were bo children to be seen anywhere about. What were they going to do with all these toys ? Then once more I heard the bell-like voice which had spoken to me in the dining room saying : " I am the queen of the Chrisfcm&s fairies, and this is where we live". Have patience, and you will soon know for whjm and what all these toys are." And as she spoke she blew a gold trumpet, and out popped, whom do you think, children ? Can you guess ? Why, old Santa Claus, from behind a large rose. "Hide, hide — quickly!" cried the fairy. But I was just too lata, and poor old Santa tried hard to crouch out of my sight. But the | fairy explaiued that I was her guest and would | never tell any one that I had seen him.

Then tho bade him bring the Dingo ; and what do ran think the Din#o wai. children P

Ib was a very largo thing shaped like six baskets, and joined here and there by & string of pearl shells. Thon the fairy told me to t<hake the t y tre a , and when I did sd down fell fcho toys helter skelter — some into the Dingo, aud s mmo of the b autiful china dolls fell on to the ground. How frigSlo iad I w*s ! But, would you believe it, girls, when I pick*d them up again there was not a sign of eoratob oc mark ou their pretty facos. I think the ground of Ghristaasland must be very toft indeed, 41 Santa," said the fairy, "you must visit New Zealand first, and then come back for England's toys." Sin la bowed, pioked up the Diago, and troitei off. And as he wont all tho flower* begin to make a ruttliug noise witu the : r leaves, only the noise sounde.l like a piano, aud out tripped » hundred fairies, singing : Good old Santa, t»ke your leave From this. land on Christmas Evfl ; When you've reached the earth, then say, Merry, merry Christmas Day. Fill the children's stockings all With the doll and sweets aud ball. Then I beggad tha f<iiry queen to alow me to tell the children whut I had seen and beard, and after a time she g«ve me leave to write and tel the Witness lit fc o folks all «boufc ib. Tbere ! I w*a nearly forgetting her message to you. She s*id to me : 44 Wish all tha little readers from me A Very Merry Christmas And A Bright and Happy New Year." Christmas, 1895.