Will-o’-the-Wisp

Southland Times, Issue 22188, 2 December 1933, Page 18

Will-o’-the-Wisp

(Commended). How wonderful a thing it is to be a taveller! That joy has been mine, for I am that unattainable little person, Will-o’-the-Wisp. For hundreds of years I have travelled over land and sea. Many a moonlight revel I have had with fairies of other types. I have dreamt great dreams and I have pondered on many wonderful things. A rich man, of whom I am going to tell you, had a very warped conscience in money matters. He wanted to circumvent a poor man, who, although poor, was honest, and was a decidedly good worker. The rich man concealed from the poor man his wicked designs, and assumed an outward appearance of respectability. The poor man was unaware of the net that was being woven around him. I am a friendly fairy, and I did not like to see the rich man’s schemes proceeding as he had planned them. I determined to frustrate his schemes. By my magic I opened the poor man’s eyes to the wickedness that was being perpetrated upon him. By this time he was able to see the rich man in his true colours.

The poor man was a good bushman, and knew well the tracks in the bush. It happened that a band of robbers was in the bush in search of the rich man, whom they intended to rob. The poor man, from my instructions, knew what was happening, and he was in a safe hiding-place when the robbers passed. While the robbers were taking a round-about route, the poor man took a shox-t track to the rich man, and informed him of the danger he was in. The poor man led the rich man into a place of safety; and the robbers were unsuccessful in their chase.

After this noble action on the part of the poor man the rich man was intensely sorry he had ever had bad intentions towards the poor man. —1 mark to Cousin Margaret Tither (11), Edendale.