FOR YOUNG FOLK.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12429, 23 August 1933, Page 7

FOR YOUNG FOLK.

NOBSIE THE GNOSIiE. Flossie Fiopkins quivered in tlie air and then, without warning, suddenly nosedived to earth to land on a pile of grass which had been emptied from the box of a lawn mowed. ' “Bother these wings, there they go again/ 5 cried Flossie, **or rather they don't go! No wonder they call me Fiopkins, for these tiresome wings are always flopping just at the wrong time,” and two tiny tears fell down her cheeks as she sadly picked herself up. “What’s the matter now?” chirped Silverbeak, as he leaned forward from the branch of an apple tree in full blossom. u Oan 1 help you?” ‘ ‘Matter indeed!’ ’ whimpered Flossie tearfully. “If you had such tiresome wings what would you do? All the other fairies’ wings are all right, but mine never go properly. I’m always the last in every fairy frolic, and they never take me when 1 want to she gave another sob. “Come now, no crying,” said Silverbeak cheer fully. “Just come along with me to Nobbie the Gnome, he’ll soon fix 3011 up because I happen to know he’s making aeroplanes for the children of Airland, and why shouldn’t he make you one, too ? Let’s go along and see what he can do, shall we r ’ Flossie dried her eyes with, a daisy petal, and began to look more cheerful. “To-day,” she cried. “Let’s go!” “Splendid.” said Siiverjbeak with a smile “Catch hold of my tail and I’ll give you a lift!” And so away over liill and dale, rivers and lakes, and shining silvery seas, all the way to GHomeland, which, as you know, is under the hill, and right up to the magic door, and into the strange little house of Nobbie the Gnome flew Flossie and Silverbeak. Never mind how. Silverbeak opened the magic door, for that’s a secret, but Flossie let go of liis tail and landed gracefully 011 her tiny fee t. “ “Hello, there!” cried Nobbie. “What do you want ? 7 ’ “Oh, please, an aeroplane!” gasped the little fairy eagerly. “My wings are stupid and won't go properly.” “Ho! Hq! Ho!” laughed Nobbie the Gnome. “All aeroplane indeed. Ho! Ho! Ho! And who told you to | come to me?” “ I did,” said Silverbeak, “for I happened to know you were making a whole fleet focr the children of Airland.” “Well, well, well,” shouted Nobbie, for although lie was a funny little gnome, he had a very big voice. “Come along then, we’ll see what can be done.” Then Flossie and Silverbeak followed him through the house and into the field beyond, where from a Hangar floated off the dearest little aeroplane you ever saw, just the right size for a fairy. "Here you are,” cried Nobbie. “It’s a magic ’plane and goes by itself, so yon won’t have any more trouble about wings.” /Thanks awfully, 7 said Flossie, which was rather a funny way for a fairy to speak, and Silverbeak opened his beak very wide and dropped three golden coins into Nobbie’s little brown purse. “Good-bye,” called Nobbie the Gnome, and off they sailed over the hills and shining seas to Fairylind once more. “No need for your tail this time,” laughed Flossie, as they glided swiftly through the air. No longer was Flossie called “Flppkins,” for the Queen of the fairies changed her name to Wondcrwings, which wa-s certainly much nicer, and very soon, too/ all the other fairies wanted aeroplanes, so Sjlvc-rbeak -showed them the way to Nobbie the Gnome’s magic door. “Delighted to fix you all out,” cried Nobbie, and the fairies were delighted, too, when they mounted the magic ’planes and, led by Wonderwings, made their wav gaily back to Fairyland. '