Why the Lady Autumn Smiled.

Southland Times, Issue 20771, 11 May 1929, Page 22

Why the Lady Autumn Smiled.

—First Prize— In Nuvilite Land Summer, that merry, hot-tempered maiden, reigned over the world for four and a-half months. As soon as those four and a-half months were up, the keen, cold sprite, Winter, would pounce upon the hot, sun-baked earth and torment it with sharp frosts, rain, hail and by cold, howling winds. So sudden was the change that many thousands of the little black Nuvilites died by it. Nothing but disease would grow, and this spread rapidly. The corn had to be gathered in while it was still green, or else be left to be ruined by Winter. Often too, the green corn could not-be used for bread making, and then when a Nuvilite could not manage to trap some of his inexperienced brothers for food he died of starvation. At the change of these seasonal monarchs it was a common thing for one to see whole villages wiped out, and the remains of them looking like terrible human fly-heaps. It was the last month of Summer’s reign. On the earth all was heat and dread. In the heavens all was bustle and quarrel. Winter, of the cold, biting tongue, bedecked in robes of frosted, dazzling white ice was having her annual dispute with the mellow old dame, Autumn, who was clad in rich garbs of russet brown leaves with garlands of flowers round her head. Winter declared that it was not fair that she had to descend to earth one whole month and a-half before the time Dame Nature had set for her, while Autumn spent her time looking at the toil of others. Autumn smiled sadly and asked Winter to try and see her side of the dispute, for how could she spend her reign of gladness and rejoicing in a land where the inhabitants were continually fightii g amongst themselves and eating one another. In fact, in a land where Nuvvy, her own special little Nuvilite favourite, had been devoured by his brothers, her evil little black subjects. While thjse two were quarrelling in the heights above, down on the earth a great meeting was being held to decide what was to be done before the great, yearly disaster came. No agreement could be rached so the cruel little chief, Nugly, cast his eyes round to see if he could see any small, juicy looking Nuvilite that would fill his meat dish. At last his greedy, lobster-like eyes came to rest on a small little chap, as black as ebony, with merry, rolling brown eyes, and pearly white teeth. He was dressed in the Summer costume of his people, which consists of a mat of richly coloured feathers, four or five long strings of gay beads, and two huge brass curtain rings on each arm. This little fellow was a great favourite with the whole tribe because he was a distant relative of the historic Nuvvy whose death had been so awfully avenged, and also because he was such a jolly little Nuvilite himself, so, when Nugly came near him looking so gluttonous quite a crowd, of Nuvilites gathered round to protect him. Nugly was a crafty old fellow, so he came up to them and cast a most loving glance at his expected prey, and asked him his name. Then the little fellow’s mother came up, beaming with pride, and told Nugly that her son had not yet been named because no one could think of a name that was worthy to be given to a second cousin of the step-sister of a great departed Nuvvy. When Nugly heard this he pricked his ears up and had the whole story repeated for his benefit. When at last he had heard of all the proofs of this story Nugly called the meeting together again and he jumped up on to the platform (a kerosene tin) and addressed the assembly, saying:— “Ladies and gentlemen, you remember a few moments ago we could think of no plans for our safety. I have just been forced to believe that we have in our midst, a descendant of'Autumn’s old favourite, Nuvvy. He is a boy about the same size as Nuvvy was, and he has the same features, but he lacks a name. I have been thinking that if we can think of a name for him similar to the name of Nuvvy, but one which has some suggestion of Autumn in it perhaps the lady Autumn might reward us, for then she will see how sorry we are for serving Nuvvy up without sauce six years ago. I think we should call him Autumnuwy. How do you think that name would suit him?” "Excellent.” mumbled a few listeners, but the remainder of the audience was too busy hanging round the newly christened Autumnnuvvy to pay any more attention to the chief. too busy hanging round the newly christened Autumnuwy t opay any more attention to the chief. Then it was that the wicked Nugly felt the first tinge of jealousy. He was

about to step off the platform when a new thought struck him. He gave the tin a mighty kick to attract attention and then he delivered his short message which plainly showed up his evil character.' “If Autumnuwy does not do his duty by us, that is, if he fails to make Lady Autumn smile her blessing on us he shall find a resting place in the recesses of my stomach. He shall be the first I shall devour after the changing of the seasons.” This brutal speech turned the eager audience into one gloomy mass of idols, in the midst of which stood the undaunted, shining little star, Autumnuwy. Autumn looked down from above with interest. She could hardly make herself believe that this was not her own old Nuvvy come back to life. She marvelled much at the resemblance for, not only was Autumnuwy the image of Nuvvy, but he showed that he possessed Nuvvy’s chief habits and thoughts in his every movement. Winter arose and started to walk slowly in the direction of the seasonal throne, while Autumn watched the movements on earth after this apparent lack of appreciation on her part. Nugly wore ? look of fierce hatred and scorn as he approached Autumnuwy, who on his side smiled genially and awaited the onslaught of the enemy. “I have come to tell you I wish you to. come to my castle at ten to-night. You have failed to bring Autumn to the throne. It is already beginning to freeze.” ‘I pray you, I am but a little boy, but I trust in Autumn. She will come to us, of chief, before Winter comes. Please have a little mercy great Lord Nugly.” . “Ten o'clock to-night,” replied Nugly sourly. Autumn delayed no longer. She gathered up her brown robes and ran to pass Winter before she reached the throne. She had just set out as the clock struck ten, and Autumnuwy had set out for the castle. As soon as he reached the castle he was cast into the deepest, darkest cellar, there to await the time when Nugly should desire a change ol diet. Although he was thus shut away from his fellow playmates little Autumnuwy did not spend his time in crying. He was a cheerful little- fellow, and he believed that he was shut up thus so that the rest of the Nuvilites might enjoy the sacred blessings of the Autumn’s smile. His trust, and the trust of the whole tribe was so great in 'her, that Autumn smiled in joy, and .when Nugly choked himself with a small boy’s leg, and Autumnuwy was pronounced to be boy king of the Nuvilites her joy was complete. She smiled with her sweetest and most glorious smiles, and thus blessed the land of her new favourite. The green corn ripened until it was as a mass of gold, shining in the mellow autumn sunlight. The loaded fruit trees spelled the words, Plenty, Happiness, and Prosperity. The people were so happy under their new king, Autumnuwy, and they had so much else to eat that the idea of eating a fellow creature was looked upon as being a thing passed human unoerstanding, and all remembrance of the times of the cruel Nugly’s reign were kept hidden, so ashamed were the people to think that they had lived under such conditions. Now, not a single person dies between Summer and Winter, because the mild, ripening Autumn comes in between, and has long since been established as a usual season of rejoicing and happiness. -5/- and 4 marks to Cousin Beatrice Witsey (15), Riverton. —Second Prize.— The smouldering fire flared fitfully, and the old lady sat nodding in the dim light of the embers. Suddenly there was a rush of feet in the passage outside the room, and the door burst open and in rushed two children. The old woman started, but smiled when she saw her visitors. “Halloo”, granny,” cried the children, kissing her. "Oh, dear!” said granny laughing at their eager faces. “Is this the way to treat an old lady when she is having forty winks?” "But we came to hear the other story you promised us,” cried the little girl. “So you have, so you have,” she said, and'rising, she turned on the light and brought down an old story book from the book shelves. “Now, where was I?” she asked, turning over the pages. “Well,” said Tom, “you had just finished the story about the four gods—Tu, Tane, Tiki, and Tawkeri-Matea —how they separated Papa from the sky and went to live with Rangi.” “Yes, yes,” replied the old lady, and turned to the place. “This story is called ‘When Autumn Smiles.’ ” The children fettled down in front of the fire and prepared to listen to this story. “As you already know from the preceding story, the gods went to live with Rangi, the sky, leaving tneir mother Papa so lonely. These gods were not really cruel, and seeing how sad she was they sent their daughters Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn to live with her. But still she was sad for she loved her sons, so the gods considered the matter and decided to spend three months a year with her, and after drawing lots Tawheri-Matea, the god of storms, with his daughter, Winter, roamed the earth together delighting in tearing and beating all the trees and flowers, and leaving them bare and cold. “Next came Tu, the god of war, and hs daughter, Spring, rose up to meet him, and together thev wandered over the land. Tu loved to see all things in conflict, and they joyfully watched the struggle of nature to reach the sun. “Tane the forest god, and Summer, fostered the green shoots and they grew into trees and with the flowers Tane decked hi daughter’s' golden hair. “Then came Tiki, the god of man, and his dark-eyed daughter, Autumn. Now, Papa loved these two the best of all, and she decked the land in glorious robes of red and yellow and brown, and Tiki seeing such splendour, said to Autumn: “‘lt is a pity that there is none to see this beauty,’ and so he began to fashion a creature, and breathing on him rubbed him up and down. Immediately the being rose and walked. “‘Let him be called Tino,’ cried Tiki,, and suddenly Autumn smiled and laughed such a rippling laugh that he started, and seeing such a new sweet expression on Autumn’s face gazed in wonder. To the sound of her laugh the flowers on the trees

formed clusters of fruit, and to the sight of her smile the nodding ears of grass formed corn. Tino in his curiosity tasted the fruit and pronounced them good, and Tiki, delighted at the result, cast a spell over the land and demanded that to commemorate the birth of smiles and laughter the trees should bear fruit when the sound of Autumn’s laughter is first heard, or when her smile is first seen. “But sometimes there is strife in the sky- when Tu is tired of peace, and Autumn is sad and does not smile for she grieves over their quarrels, and then the crops fail, for they only grow — “When Autumn’s sweet silvery laughter Echoes through dale and hill, And the patter of feet coming after As she sped over meadow and rill, There’s a harvest of corn in the space Where Autumn has smiled in her glee, Then the men with their weather-tanned faces Pluck fruit from the branch of a tree.” “There you are,” said granny, and closed the book with a bang. The children kissed her good-night, and with much noise sped away home leaving her to nod over the fire again. —2/6 and 3 marks to Cousin Dorothy Maslcn (16), 314 Taranaki Street, Wellington.