WILL-O’-THE-WISP

Southland Times, Issue 22038, 10 June 1933, Page 18

WILL-O’-THE-WISP

—First Prize— Peter lived with his mother in a little cottage at the edge of the forest. They were in very poor circumstances, and Peter used to lie for hours at night, wondering what he could do to make things better. He earned small ..urns by running errands for people, but, as he was only ten years old, this was about all he could do. When his father was alive, things had been very different. There had been always pleny of everything; in fact, Dad had said just before lie died, that tney would soon be rich, and able to move to a big house, but alas, he fell very sick, and in a few days he died. Neither Peter nor his mother knew where the expected riches were coming from, and, as the months dragged by with little money coming in, they gave up hope. One night, as Peter was lying in bed, thinking, as usual, about their trouble, he saw, through his little window a light moving outside. This was unusual, as it was late, and his mother was in bed. For a long time he watched the light bobbing about, until he was so fascinated that he got quietly out of bed and went outside. There, sure enough was the light, but no sound, and Peter could see no sign of anyone carrying it. He was a bit scared but he went back and slipped on a coat, and walked towards the light. He had walked some time when he found the light seemed just as far away as when he left the cottage. He kept on, however, till he was quite close to the forest and Peter was too scared to follow, so sadly mystified, he returned home to bed. Night after night, the same light appeared. Sometimes Peter followed it again, but always at the forest’s edge his courage failed him. In the meantime things were going from bad to worse and Peter’s mother was beginning to look ill with worry and shortage of food. Peter was getting desperate, and one night when the illusive light appeared as usual, he made up his mind to find out the meaning of it. As always happened, the light entered the forest; but this time Peter boldly followed. In and out through the trees the light bobbed ahead, always the same distance in front. After what seemed hours of travelling, the light seemed to stand still. Plucking up courage, Peter sped forward, but, to his dismay, it suddenly vanished altogether. A bigger surprise awaited him, for just then the moon shone out. Peter found himself in a small clearing. At his feet were some tools. Peter instantly recognised them as his father’s tools, but the biggest surprise was yet to come. He noticed the gleam of moonlight on a piece of metal lying near. He picked it up, and was astounded at its weight. It was gold! Now he knew where his father’s riches were coming from. With a fast beating heart he turned for home, and was not very much surprised to see the light ahead of him. Safely by its guidance he reached home, and, tired out, was soon fast asleep. His mother wondered next morning why he slept so late; but Peter kept his great news to himself in the meantime. After breakfast he made his way to the forest to find the treasure in daylight, but to his dismay he could not remember any part of the journey through the forest. After wandering for a long time without success, he turned sadly for home again, wondering if it had all been a dream. When he reached home he was surprised to hear voices. A strange man was talking to his mother. When Peter appeared he was introduced to the gentleman, who, it seemed, had been an old friend of Peter’s father, and had come on some business about a letter that Peter’s father had sent to him before he died. The letter contained the news of a rich gold find he had made away in the forest, and asked his old friend to come and share his good fortune, and help him to mine the gold. Owing to being away the letter had not reached him till now, and his sorrow was great on learning of the death of his friend. He was still further distressed when he learned that no one knew the whereabouts of the gold. When Peter heard this he lost no time in telling his own story. At first the man was convinced that Peter had dreamt the whole thing, but so earnest Peter became that he decided to stay a few days and see what he could do. That night, when they had all retired, Peter was overjoyed to see the strange light dancing about outside. Quickly he roused his new friend, who was soon dressed and ready, but when they got out the man could see no sign of the light. He was inclined to think that Peter was either dreaming or a little mad, but Peter seemed so sure of his direction and so intent on the supposed light, that he rather reluctantly followed. As on the first journey, the same things happened. They eventually landed at the clearing, where the stranger was soon convinced of the truth of Petfer’s story. After a good search they were ready to return to the cottage, but no guiding light appeared as on the last occasion. Peter was rather worried at this, but his friend did not seem to mind. He gathered wood and built a fire, and as they sat round he entertained Peter with stories of his travels. When daylight came, he soon found his way back to the cottage, carefully marking the way as they went. The troubles of Peter and his mother were over, for the mine proved very rich, but Peter is still wondering what fairy hand carried that illusive will-o’-the-wisp, which first directed him through the lonely forest. —3/- and 4 marks to Cousin Connie Jcjyman (14), Queen street, Otautau. —Second Prize— There was great excitement in the brownie glade in Fairyland. The reason for all this excitement was the twenty-first birthday of the Princess Rosemary, only daughter of the King and Queen of the Glades and Mushroom Rings. The Princess was a very gentle, kind fairy, and everybody liked her, and the fairies were always willing to do anything she asked of them. Now it was her special wish to have a birthday party and ask whom she liked, so the day before the party she herself put in every- fairy workman’s letter-box a neat little invitation to her party. When the little people arrived home from the party preparations, and found the invitations, one can imagine how excited they were in that little village glade, making up their little party frocks and doing up their old ones for the great occasion. But they had their other work at the castle to do as well, and these industrious little folk were to be seen flitting here and there, just like so many pretty moths, ever - so busy in the spreading and setting of the birthday tables. This was not the most important tiling of all; it being the lighting up of the ballroom, and to a certain family of Glow-worms the King gave that extra special job. This family was extra large and they were well known for the very bright lights they had, which were' far stronger than those of any other glow-worm families. The night of the ball had arrived and all was excitement and bustle. The general rule in fairyland was that any dance held therein had to start at midnight, but the Princess had begged of the King to have her ball an hour before midnight, so that they could all have lots more dances, for it would not be long before the sun would be rising. So the King had readily consented and everybody was feeling as happy as larks over it . . At last the bluebells rang out loud and clear to tell the fairies that supper was ready, and everybody tripped in to be seated round the table, in the midst of which stood a great pink-iced cake with the princess’s name on it. The supper proved a very popular thing and when it was finished the King escorted them all to tfie dancing glade, which was beautifully illuminated with lots of little glow-worm’s lamps. The brightest place of all was where the musicians’ stage was and there sat a little fellow called Willie Glow-worm, shining his best and brightest. The ball had been going for quite a lo ig while when suddenly when htc fairies were in the middle of a waltz little Willie’s lamp began to get dimmer and dimmer, and he became sleepier and sleepier, and as he dosed away, soothed by the music, he fell fast asleep and his light went right out. The musicians were in a great state because they could not see to play, and the fairies could not dance without music, so everything had to stop. In the middle of all this confusion up strode the King in great anger to demand of the musicians what had happened to them. They pointed to a corner where Willie Glow-worm was supposed to be shining, and when the King looked there in the comer lay Willie fast asleep in dreamland, worn out by last night’s preparations. The King felt annoyed to think Willie would do such a thing on the occasion of the Princess’s birthday, so he immediately ordered him to be imprisoned in a spider’s hole, with the trap-door fastened above him, saying he would pronounce his sentence before daylight. Poor Willie, he sobbed and sobbed, until he had not sufficient light left to light the spider hole. There he sat in darkness. After what seemed hours the trap-door was lifted and Willie ordered to come up. There stood the King, still angry with him, and this is the sentence he passed on the tired little glow-worm: “For evermore you will live above ground instead of in the ground. “Your light instead of twinkling in the one place will move hither and thither. “You will be found always above marshy swamps instead of in dry bushy soil.” So when we see a travelling light on a dark night over swampy ground we can be sure it is only poor Willie Glow-worm ; carrying out his sentence. The earth people have named him a Will-o’-the-Wisp. —2/- and 3 marks to Cousin Jean Neill (14), Tokanui.

—Highly Commended. — Some centuries ago in Ireland there lived a poor boy, who was always kind to travellers. One night he saw a light near a distant swamp and, thinking it was a traveller carrying 1 a lantern to guide him on his way, and being full of sympathy, he hurried to the spot where the light was shining; but he walked into the marsh and was never seen again. The people soon missed him, and searched 'everywhere for him, because he had been so kind to them; but they never found him. The next night another man saw the same light; but not being so kindhearted as the boy, did not follow it, and he also guessed that it was the light that the boy had followed. Ever after that, the Irish people, who :

were very superstitious, thought that the Will-o’-the-Wisp, as they called the lights, were pixies with lanterns to lead people to them; and when they got past, the pixies would pounce on them, and probably eat them. This should have been a warning for the Irish people; but no! People were still led into the swamp and were unable to get out because they had sunk into the horrid slime Now I am going to tell you what this light really was. In Ireland and other marshy countries the vegetable matter rotted in the swamps and turned into marsh gas, and when mixed with another substance would burn of its own accord. The bright light of the burning gas would move about in the wind and attract the attention of lonely travellers and they, thinking it

was a light in the window of a cottage where they might obtain shelter for the night, would go towards it; but instead of finding a cottage they were being led into their last resting place. That was hundreds of years ago; but it is said that some people still believe that the pucks or pixies still haunt the marshes. „. , „ , „ —2 marks to Cousin Faith Campbell (10) 161 Clyde street. —Highly Commended. — The old porter looked enquiringly across the waiting-room at the group of eager-faced girls and boys. “And be you young folk after wanting someting?” he said addressing them. “Yes, we are waiting for our tram! answered Peter, the eldest of them. He was a tall, clear-featured lad of about sixteen. . “Where you be going to?” queried the porter. “To Bramleight,” said Peter. “Well, it be no use you waiting for the last 'train’s gone past half an hour ago!” “Wha-at!” gasped Peter. “Then we’ve missed it?” “Ay! That you have.” Peter, very much dismayed, turned to the rest of the quartpt and stared at them with a blank countenance “Well,” said Ruth, “what are we going to do now?” “Walk it, I ’spose,” Peter mumbled. “Walk!” gasped the three, “Why, it’s miles and miles.” “Only a matter of five miles.” “Hmm! May as well be fifty,” said Jack. “You’d better give up the idea of it.” “I’ve said we’ll walk and we shall walk," said Peter determinedly. True to Peter’s statement, half-an-hour later found them tramping across the moor. It was pitch dark, and a thick mist was quickly descending. “It looks very eerie,” said Joan. “Pooh! That’s only a girl’s version of eeriness,” Jack scoffed. They tramped on in silence for a few seconds and then Peter gave a grunt, “What’s the matter?” asked the three, simultaneously. “I think we’ve taken the wrong direction!” “Oh!” gasped the girls. “Don’t be silly,” said Jack. “I can see a light over there.” They all looked and sure enough, there, not far away, glimmered a yellow light. “Let’s make for it!” shouted Peter They all set off running, but just as they neared it, they saw another light and heard violent shouting. They all recognized their father’s voice, and instead of going to the one light, they made for the one in the direction of the shouting. They were soon by their father’s side, who, it appeared, when they had not arrived, had rung the station and discovered that they had set off walking. “I wonder what the other light was?” said Jack. “I can tell you that,” said their father. “WTiat?” they asked eagerly. “It is a delusive light, called Will-o’-the-Wisp, though it is sometimes known as Jack-a-Lantem. People follow it on dark nights, thinking it is a lantern held by someone. It always flits over very marshy and boggy grounds and people are left to sink in the bog. Had we not come along just at that moment, and had you gone on, you too would have suffered the same fate.” “How glad I am, that we didn’t!” exclaimed Peter. There was an immediate chorus of “So am I!” —2 marks to Cousin Molly Hynd (13) 169 Elies Road, E. Invercargill. —Commended.— Often, when you are in the country, you have seen grey, stagnant pools with tall brown bulrushes swaying to and fro near them, but I wonder if you have ever thought who lives in these swamps? In the time of the Norman invasion of England when everyone had large, bright log-fires, there lived in the big black grates, little fairies. They carried little glow-worm lamps with which they made the fires all the warmer for the people grouped round them. These little fairies gave warmth and comfort wherever they went. But when the use of steam was invented and then gas, gas-heaters were made, and slowly but surely they took the place of the warm, friendly woodfires. The fairies were very sorrowful as often when they came to look for their fires they found that the fireplace had been blocked up and a gasfire put in instead. Therefore they had to seek another place which would afford them warmth. As you know the marsh water is stagnant and warm, so having nowhere else to go the fairies sought the comfort of these lukewarm pools. They still carried their glow-worm lamps and so as they flitted in and out of the rushes they were named Will O’Wisps. Ever since then they have been said to have been flitting in and out of these stagnant pools and many are the superstitions the Irish have set up regarding them. —1 mark to Cousin Edith Mclnnes (13) 9 Duke street, Invercargill. —Commended.— In a far comer of Fairyland, there lives a little fairy lad called “Will-O’-the-Wisp,” and this is how he got his name. In a little grove of trees at the end of Fairyland there was a lake called the Whispering waters. Round the edge of the lake there grew some little white flowers called wisps. One moonlight night, Will came out of the bush with a lily-pad and started floating on the waters. After floating for a while he grew tired, and lay in the wisps for a sleep. When midnight came, a little band of fairies came from the woods to float on the lily-pads. When daylight came, the fairies jumped off the pads, and who did they see but their fairy friend, Will! Very soon the sun rose and the fairies trooped home, and Will awoke. Next night, he again slept ip the wisps, but this time he woke up to find a sound of singing very near. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, and there were his playmates calling, “Will-O’-the-Wisp, Will-O’-the-Wisp, he is sleeping by the Whispering Waters.” —1 mark to Cousin Lilian Todd, (13) Toa, Rimu.