AUSTRALIAN WONDERLAND: A FAIRY CHAIN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 64

AUSTRALIAN WONDERLAND: A FAIRY CHAIN.

By A.A.B. and Hei.tjieac.

Melbourne : Ward, Lock, and Co. ; Dunedin: Whiteombe and Tombs. This beautifully illustrated and prettilybound fairy story is inspired evidcntlj' by ihe universally be'oved "Alice in Wonderland." The little boy v. hose adventure in the wild dreamland of delirium induced by a sunstroke constitutes the story i* a very human little boy indeed, who prefers play to lessons, and when he goes to sleep iii tho sun on his way home from school is wondering how he can scrape enough Latin words together to impress rhs good, ignorant old "Pater" with the extremely fallacious idea that he is " getiing on at

school."

Naturally his dream is tinged with this idea, but the charming personages he meets, though wise,, are also witty — though improving they are never dull, but .wrap up their good advice so delightfully that one cannot help wishing our own friends could tike a leaf from their book ! Emus, kangaroos, and the most delightful company of crocodiles, all in turn take Charlie Brendon in their confidence as he pursues his various qnepts through Australian Wonderland. The variety of commissions he is requested to execute speaks volumes for the originality of the authors.

The Platypus, whose peace is broken by the " crack jaw " nunc bestowed by scientific men, and who thus bewails himself : Tell me not in horrid numbers That a '• Platypus " I seem ; " Paradox-US " haunts my slumbers : I'm the spirit of the stream. desires a bunch of primroses for his garden ! The company of crocodiles who in turn constitute themselves an express train across the Queensland desert and an oceangoing locomotive for the simple purpose of obliging Charlie, desire on return some hairs from ths manes of Neptune's horses !

After many delightful adventures — very cleverly illustrated — Charlie at last arrives at the very shrine of Wonderland, the Jenolan Caves, where he is presented to the Fairy Queen " Benignitas,"' and obtains from her a safe pass back to — liims3*f.

The lesions he learns — of the pleasures of education, the nrlbility of gentleness and kindness to all dumb animals. — though taught so wittily and fantastically in the dreams of delirium, nevertheless, we are assured, impress his whole after life. Nor can the children who read Charlie's adventures, even while laughing he irtily at the dull boy who could only find one thing duller than himself, a brass-headed pin ! fail to appreciate the lessor's, so daintily tiiight in " Australian Wonderland." We heartily commend it to our readers as a delightful book for presentation, especially for sending Home to little English or '" British " cousins.