OUR LITTLE FOLKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2331, 3 November 1898, Page 57

OUR LITTLE FOLKS.

Dot -will be pleased to receive short letters from jurenile eorre ipondenta on any matters of interest to thcmseHea — short stories of pet animals, desonptioni of their favourite toys, their parties, ituusenients. &c. The lettert to bo written by the children themselves aud addressed " Dot, care of tho Kditor," and to be publiihed in the paste devoted to " Our Little Folks."

BROTHER AND SISTER.

(Written fob. the Witness Little Folks by Fedora.)

A FAIRY TALE. IN TWO "CHAPTERS.

LETTERS FROM LITTLE FOLKS.

CHAPTER 11. Wynia found her mother lying back very white on the rough bed which she had slept in for so long. By her side was Oscar, looking very anxiously at her, and scarcely knowing what was the matter. There was a' slight rustle in the doorway, and a beautiful cieature stepped in, and came to their mother's bedside. It was the fairy Chena. Her eyes were full of tears as she bent over iiei friend. " [ have come, darling Wynia," said she. " T have watched over you and your children all the time, but I have not been allowed to speak to you." "I knew it," said the Princess. "If I had not thought you were near me I could not. have lived. But my children — take care of them — help them to love one another and let them go home again." The fairy took -the dying woman's handr " I promise that your children shall reach their home again if they are kind to one another." " My children," said the mother to Oscar and Wynia, " love one another always, and then you will not be punished all your lives, as your mother was." She lay back dead ; and for the first time in their lives Oscar and Wynia knew whac grief was. Fairy Chena stayed Avitli them for awhile to comfort them, and the oak fairies, her servants, buried Princess Wynia deep under the leaves of the forest. Then the fairy told the children the way to the Palace of the King, their grandfather. She gave them much loving advice as to how they were to act on the way, and how they were to get food. " And remember," she said, " if you always love one another you will reach home easily and soon, but if either of you attempts to quarrel with the other, the one who commences will be brought back to the place you started from, and the other will be left ta continue the journey alone." So the children set out, hand in hand, for tlie King's Palace. At first everything was new to them, and therefore strange and beautiful. But they had a good many hardships to go through. Sometimes there was very little food to bo got, sometimes there was no water. At first Oscar was pleased and proud to look after his sister, but as more troubles came in their way he gave up taking care of her, and let her take care of him. He began to grumble. Why had they left their home in the forest? He did not want the King's Palace, he said. At first, of the two, he had been the more anxious to go. One day he wanted to walk too fast J for poor Wynia, the next, he chose to idle ' all the time by the bank of a river. He was very trying, but the sister managed to keep her temper with him and to be cheerful. At last food became very scarce. They had been living on nuts and berries, and in some places there head been so many that Wynia had suggested that they should carry food with them in case it got scarce. Oscar 'had said roughly that they had enough to do to carry themselves, and Wynia already lagged behind too much. They went on, but it seemed as though they would never find anything to eat again. "It's all your fault," said Oscar, angrily this time. " You will push on in such a hurry, and leave the place where there is plenty to eat." Wynia was very nearly going to retort that he might have listened to her and taken some berries with him, but she saved herself in time, and they went on, tired and hungry. For two days they came across nothing that they could eat, and Oscar became more and more aggravating. On the third day they ■were both famishing, when they came in sight of a tree with a few small berries on it. They both rushed forward towards it, but poor little Wynia was so weak that she sank to the ground before she could reach tlie tree. Oscar ran up, however, and greedily ate every berry that was upon it, at which thoughtlessness the sister could contain herself no longer, but burst into tears at his unkindness. Then she suddenly remembered that they must not quarrel, and she looked up at her brother in a fright. He was standing near an oak tree, gazing at her angrily, and behold ! she saw the branches of the tree bending down towards him. Before she could warn him, the tree had taken hold of him, was lifting him up in the air, and was tossing him to the next oak, in the direction in which they had come. To her dismay, poor Wynia saw her brother being sent back towards their old forest home. Then a voice from the oak whispered : "Eat, Wynia, and go on your way." To her surprise, Wynia saw that the little berry bush which they had both, struggled to get at was only the first of a great number of larger ones. She ate as many as ever she needed, and, twisting a little basket of long grass, she gathered as many berries as it would hold to carry with her. Then she spoke to the oak tree. " 0, Oak," said she, " carry me back to my brother, that I may take care of him and lead him, forward a'train to tJia King's PalJtaft"

| But the oak leaves sighed and whispered, " No, Wynia, go on, and leave him alone. He is too selfish for you to care about." : But Wynia shook her head. " I will never go to my grandfather's Palace and leave my , brother lost and lonely. I will do as my mother bade me, and take him too." So, as the oak tree would not answer her request and carry her back to Oscar, she began to retrace her steps. I will leave you to , imagine how long the way seemed to the girl, ! already tired with tramping and hunger. She struggled bravely on and on, sometimes j losing her way, but managing to get back in the end to the track which the fairy had shown them. | After many, many days of struggle and | weariness she afc last reached the clearing |in which their old hut had stood. To her surprise she found in place of it a pretty house, and a cultivated garden. She went to the little river which had run past their cottage and leant over to drink. She drew back in astonishment at the face and figure sho saw there. Instead of being a child, she was now a beautiful maiden, with sunny locks curling round a sweet face, and grave violet eyes. Then she rose, and found herself face to face with a tall, handsome young man. It was her brother Oscar. He put his arms round her with a cry of delight. "My sister! "he exclaimed. " I knew you would come! For so long I have waited, and now you have saved me! " Then lie led her into the house ho had built, where he had made everything ready for her, against her coming. " I am glad I was sent back then," said he " I was not fit to be a Prince. I should have been spoilt by tbe luxuries of a Palace. And I could never have found the path by which we set out, it seemed closed against me. But I had one thought all along. I trusted my sister, and I knew she would come. Now"that we are older and stronger we will start once more, and perhaps some day we shall find the Palace of the King." So they set out a second time, Wynia finding the path quite easily. And now that they really loved each other, the way seemed so easy that they laughed to think it could ever have been difficult walking. They reached the end of the great forest at last, 'and found the Palace of the King. When they got there they found the Court in mourning for King Oscar, who had just died. But everyone knew them at once for the lost children of Princess Wynia. Oscar was made King with great rejoicing, and sweet Princess Wynia helped him to rule all the days of his life. | ! j

Dear Dot,—We are having capital weather here just now, and everything is looking fresh and green, quite an uncommon occurrence in this part of the country, as the ground is so poor and shingly. There are plenty of fish in the streams, so if 8.0.8. ever pays this outlandish place a visit, he can bo sure of having plenty of sport. Speaking of 8.0.8. I have just read in an old Witness, which I happened to miss, his account; of a love-letter which he received when at school. I wonder if it ever struck him that it might have been a "boy who wrote that letter, for to me it seems quite inexplicable that a girl should care whether a fellow got the cane or not? The girls in my class at school used to take a delight in seeing the fellows getting punished, and consoled them with an expression of opinion to the effect that they didn't get half onough. We boys used to publish (on a sheet of foolscap) a weekly paper, and paid the girls out by writing all sorts of nonsense about them. We christened this paper the Illustrated News, and as we had an editor and sub-editor, also plenty of fellows who were willing to contribute articles and sketches, it afforded us capital fun. The editor was always getting into scrapes, and it took him half his time getting out of them. His articles were especially remarkable for their lack of veracity and the comic photos of local scenes which always accompanied them. Maggie says I think girls a nuisance; I only think so sometimes, when they are troublesome, as our girls are awful ieases. Perhaps Maggie is not a tease.—Yours truly, Con-. Dear Dot,—As there are so many interesting letters appearing in your page nowadays, I thought that I had better chime in, too. I like 8.0.8.'s and Harry's letters very much. What a difference there is in the letters now that the older ones have taken to writing to you! About eight years ago I wrote a letter to your page. It was the usual kind, of course, beginning with " Dear Dot, I go to school, and am in the Second Standard," &c. I wish I could write letters as nicely as Sybil Scribbles, Nancy, and some of the others. I noticed in one of Nancy's letters that she was thinking of becoming a cook, or something like that, and that she would like to take lessons of Mrs Miller. When we were in Dunedin, I used to go to Mrs Miller's cooking classes, and I wish I could fro again. There were six of us altogether, and every Saturday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, we started to work. Dear Dot do you think that England and France will go to war? If they do, Nancy and I can go as cooks, 8.0.8. as war correspondent, and some of the other girls as nurses. Then in some of the newspapers paragraphs like the following might be seen : — "STARTLING CASE OF POISON! "A soldier who had received a wound during a fight was taken to one of the hospitals near at hand. While drinking some beeftea, he was suddenly seized with_ violent pains, and soon afterwards died in great agony. On inquiries being made it was found that one of the cooks (of whom there were two, Z. and N.) had put 'Rough on Rats' into the beef tea instead of salt. Where the poison came from is a mystery which has not been cleared up. The cooks were caxifcioned to be more careful in future, which they promised to be." Dear Dot, I hope you will receive me as one of your senior little folks, and I hope Ux ha able to write a better, letier paxi tima,

I will now conclude with best wishes to the little folks' page. — Yours truly, Ziska. Temuka, October 25. [Welcome back, Ziska, and I hope we shall keep you in the page till you have no longer any claim to be considered one of us, even among the senior division. lam afraid you will have Nancy down on you for your supposed paragraph from the field of action. — Dot/] Dear Dot,— Are you very fond of poetry? I am, and have lately read such a beautiful piece entitled, "After the Battle of Hastings." It was a prize poem composed by a young girl of 18. Dear Dot, it is because Priscilla and I are so fond of the wild flowers ourselves that we though of sending some to you. The little white violets that grow so abundantly over the hills are so pretty, although they do lack perfume. Last November Pris. and I each gathered a bouquet of buttercups, and hid them in a secret place. The remains of them are still there, ■with a scrap of paper marking the date. It is "November 17, 1897." One day, not long ago, my brother found a moa bone, which was upturned by the buckets of a dredge. It is much larger than the same bone in a bullock's leg. I think it must be very old, as it is of a bluish colour, aud was thought to be a piece of wood by one who saw it. So you see, Dot, at one time there must have been moas wandering about the places where wq have so often played. In the summer afternoons Priscilla and I often go for a ramble over tho hills. One day we went for a walk over hills and dales to some old ory/jtal mines. When we got there, we searched for tho object of our walk, and were rewarded by finding several pieces of quartz with crystal in them. We got plenty of berries on the way up, and also tome daisies with a perfume not unlike that of tobacco. It was a terribly hot day, and we were very glad to sight a rock on the top of a com. paratively high hill. This was a truly inviting prospect, and we managed to scramble to tho top, where we had a refreshing broezo full in our faces. Next time I write I shall tell you about a picnic which some girls have planned, and to which Priscilla and I are going. I remain, your loving friend, Pauline. Waipori, October 24. [The wild violets are certainly pretty little flowers, Pauline, and I do not wonder at your loving them. Fancy your finding the little bouquets after noarlyayear had passed. It would bo interesting to know how long the moa bone had been in the river. It must have been very old indeed. — Pot.l Dear Dot, — We are having very wintry weather here. Last night it began to rain, and to-night the thunder was pealing and the lightning was flashing, while the rain poured down in torrents. Dear Dot, I had such fun tho other day with our dog and a, ball. I found an old ball which some children had had for a football. I threw it about, and the dog. which is a shaggy old thing, made a iump at it, cautjht it in his teeth, and began tossing it wildly in the air. If I wanted to get it from him, ho would snap it up and run away with it. I had to throw something else to him to attract his attention while I grabbed it away. One of my poor dolls met with an accident the other day. One of her hands got broken off, and then the cat bit a. piece of her toe off afterwards. I was so sorry for little Rosalind. — Yours truly, Miss Muffet. Waipori, October 26. [Dear me, I never heard of a cat biting a doll's toe off before, Miss M. Surely pussy did not mean it. Poor Rosalind, I suppose you will treasure her all the more because of her losses. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — As I haye just seen in the Otago Witness that children often write to you, I thought that I would like to tell you all about our holiday in Hawke's Bay. We live in Dunedin, really, and are only spending a short time here. At present we are staying at my brother's place near Napier, which is a very beautiful little station, situated down in a valley, and surrounded with bush through which a little creek runs. My brother has taken me for several rides on horseback, sometimes over hills and all sorts of rough placet*. Wo shall be returning home in a fortnighb, and then I will have to say good-bye to horses and cattle and country occupations and start town life again. You will find enclosed a few stamps for the Kindorgarten Fund. — Yours truly, Rusipelstiltzkin (aged 13 years). Hawke's Bay, October 16. P.S. — Rumpelstiltzkin is a part I acted in a play once. [I have no doubt, dear R.., you will feel all the better for your delightful change when you get settled down to your studies once more. You will no doubt miss the horses very much ; biifc then, what a lot you will have to think about, and to tell your companions the means of enjoyment on a North Island station will give you as much pleasure as it will them to hear of it. Thank you for the three stamps. — Dot.] Dear Dot, — Our school was closed to-day for two weeks owing to the illness of our teacher, Mr Featherstone. There has been a lot of illness about here lately. Dear Dot, I intend to spend my holidays rambling about the bush. There are lots of wild flowers out here just now, and the bush looks lovely with the vines, which are in blossom. I like gathering them. Would you like to be in the bush, Dot, gathering wild flowers and ferns? My sister Mary did not pass her exam, this year, but I passed into the Third Standard, and she is in the same class as myself. She is nearly three years older than I. I shall write again, dear Dot, and lei you know about my rambles in the bush. Good-bye. — Yours truly, Christina Hurley (aged 8 years). Mabel Bush, October 18. [It must, indeed, be pleasant in such a bush as you describe, Christina, and I should certainly like to be able to ramble through it. Be sure to tell us all about your ramble when you write. — Dot.l Dear Dot, — We get the Witness every week, and I read the little folks' letters, and I like them very much. Our examination is over, and I passed, and am now in the Second Standard. Dear Dot, it is some months since I wrote to you last, and [ must tell you that Gipsy has grown into a fine big cat, and catches mice. But she is also mischievous, for she sometimes gets into the cupboard and steals the tart. We are having terribly stormy weather here at present. I send two stamps for the Kindergarten Fund. — Yours truly, Thornton Harris (aged 8£ years). Riverton, October 22. [That is very wrong of Gipsy, Thornton, and I think you should- try to break her off such a bad habit. Thank you for the stamps. -Dot.] Dear Dot,— l live in Balfoui. I go to school every day. I and my brother Willie are in the Third Standard, Mr Learmouth wA MUb Baldsot ova out icapaers.. % have

two brothers and one sister. Their names are Willie, Frankie, and Clare. — Yours truly, Lilt Sheed (aged 7 years), fit is very good for so small a girl to Le in the Third Standard, and I have no doubt you will secure a scholarship by-and-bye, Lily.— Dot.]

DICKY DONOVAN'S YARNS.

No. 4.-" SHOT BOTH EARS OFF." It was raining rather hard from the southeast the other night, so we piled on a good firo, and determined to make ourselves comfortable and to have a yarn or two. Well, we were hardly seated comfortably and nice like, when Alb. Mason said, " Rabbit-shoot-ing's grand sport." " Yes," replied old Jimmy, the stockman, sarcastically ; "a lot of rabbit-shooting you've done." "Well, I've done a bit, anyway," replied Alb. "Where?" asked Jimmy, as he winked his " other eye " to us. " Shall I tell you '" said Alb., "where I once shot a rabbit?" "All right," wo replied, "go ahead." "Well," said Alb., "we were all picnicking out of Wellington at a place not so long ago. My brother had a gun that was worth £25, and he took it with him to the picnic. He laid it, with some cartridges, against a matai tree in the bush where they were having tne picnic. I saw it there, so I went to have a look at it. While I was a- glancing along the barrel I spotted a rabbit away up in the top branches of the tree." "Jerusalem !" exclaimed Harry the Ploughman. " No," said Alb., "it wasn't at Jerusalem, it was at a place outside Wellington a little way where I saw the rabbit." " All right, Alb.," we s&id, "go on with the yarn." "Well,'* continued Alb., "when I saw tho rabbit there, I flipped in a cartridge quickly, and took careful aim before firing. I blew both his ears off, and blow me, blokes, if he didn't fly away." "Where to?'^ asked H?iry the Ploughman. "Jerusalem? 1 "I don't know where he went to," replied Alb., " but anyway, blokes, if ever you come across a rabbit with both his ears off you may bo sure it's the one I shot at." "Oh, Jerusalem!" wound up Hany the Ploughman.

LITTiE ?OLKb' BIDDIES.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S HIDDLES. By two school girls : 1, A penny ; 2, a pair of boots. By Priscilla: Neva.