THE MAGIC CARPET

Southland Times, Issue 23182, 24 April 1937, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE MAGIC CARPET

—PRIZE— The carpet on the marble steps was red. It had quaint designs of yellow and green on it, twisting and twining together. People said it was an antique, and stepped on it with caution, and a feeling of awe. Once a young man visited the castle where the carpet lay upon the steps. He thought it beautiful, and spent much time gazing at its red plush surface with its green and yellow figuring. When the castle lay asleep at midnight, the young man crept from his bed out to the shining wide hall. He stood on the red carpet. Just then the round golden peeped through the window. The young man felt himself rising and away through the window the carpet flew. You see it was a magic carpet, and when the moon shone upon its plush surface, it lifted, and flew to a lovely land. Way up to the black velvet sky, the carpet flew, past all the glittering stars. Suddenly it swooped downwards, and came to rest at the door of a shining castle of pearl. The young man, to his astonishment, saw that the carpet had assumed legs, arms and a head, and was also speaking, “Come, in sir,” he said. They entered together. Inside was a hall of fairy beauty. A King and Queen sat on a throne, and by their side sat a beautiful young Princess with curling yellow hair. Fountains played, and mermaids, diving and turning in a blue pond, strummed on golden harps. Lovely fairy girls with glittering wings and foamy gowns flew round with goblets of wine for the innumerable guests. The carpet said, “This is a land unknown to mortals. Come! I will introduce you to King Carol and Queen Mab.” “You are very welcome,” smiled the King and Queen, “And you will be pleased to meet our daughter Princess —.” The young man woke up with a start. The golden sunlight was streaming in the window, and a waiter had brought his breakfast. Afterwards he went down to the hall. On the marble steps lay the red carpet, with its green and yellow figures entwined. —Prize of 1/6 to Cousin Ray McLeay, M.A.C. (14), Otahu-Blackmount R.D., Otautau. —PRIZE— One day I went into an old second-hand shop to buy a carpet. At last I decided to buy a striped one. The shopman wrapped it up for me, and I set off home. When I reached home, I put the carpet in front of the fire. After tea, I was going to read a book. I put a chair in front of the fire, on the carpet, and had just sat down on the chair, when the carpet flew up, and out of the window with me on it. Before long the chair and the book fell off the carpet. “Go home!” I said. “I will not,” said the carpet. “Well, take me to Japan,” I said. This time he obeyed me. Very soon we had reached our destination. The carpet did not stop until he came to the door of a house. He then dropped slowly, and lay down by the door, as if he had been there all his life. The owner invited me into his house, and gave me a bowl of tea. After I had had my bowl of tea, the owner showed me around. I saw that the houses were made of paper. The partitions that divided the rooms were not permanent, but were taken down when not needed. Thy did not sleep in beds like we do, but on quilts, which were put in cupboards in the daytime. When I had seen all I wanted, my carpet took me home again. I am looking forward to having many more adventures on my magic carpet. —Prize of 1/6 to Cousin Helen Goldsmith (11), Dacre.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— Once there were two little girls who owned a magic carpet. When they gave the signal, the carpet would twist up into all kinds of shapes, and finally there it would be before their eyes—a boat, a cradle or some other article. Now these girls were always trying to de some good turn, and when other children were in trouble, the magic carpet always was of some assistance. One day, while Jean and Jeanette, were walking round the. street to play with their young cousins, they saw a little boy who was crying. They walked over the street to ask him why he was crying. He said that while he was playing with his rocking horse, another big boy came along and said that it was his. At once, Jean and Jeanette played a tune on their mouth organs, which the carpet seemed to recognize. It began to fly over their heads and

flap about, until at last it came down to tbe little boy as a rocking horse, just like his own one. His face began to smile, and as soon as he mounted it, it rolled along the path. Another day, when they were doing some messages for their mother, they saw a boy chasing a cat with a pea-shooter. The poor cat was mieowing, but the boy still kept on shooting it with his peas. The cat came running up to them lor shelter, and when it rubbed up against their legs, Jean and Jeanette immediately started to play their tune. The carpet did as before, flew up in the air, flapped about, and came down as a big cat. It ran about after the boy, and frightened him away. Let us hope that he will chase no more cats. While Jean and Jeanette were having a holiday by the seaside, they decided to have a sail in a boat. As they had no way of getting a boat, they were wondering

how it was to be done, when they suddenly remembered the magic carpet. They played a merry tune to which the carpet responded. It flapped above their heads, and came down at their feet a well-finished yacht. They pushed it out to sea,

and started to play another tune. Then they jumped into the boat and it glided smoothly over the water. They both agreed that it was a splendid way of passing the time away. —3 marks to Cousin Ella Lindsay (14), Drummond. —VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— Last Monday night, I went to bed early, because I was tired, and I was soon asleep dreaming that I was in Dreamland. I was sitting on a carpet, and its colours were lovely.

They were red and green and brown. Suddenly it started to move. Up and up I went till I came to the moon. We arrived at Carpet Land, where forty carpets were happily singing and dancing. In half an hour, the carpet said it was time to go home, So I jumped on his back, and set off. Up and down we travelled, and I thought we would fall to the ground, but at last we arrived home safe and sound. —3 marks to Cousin June Buttolph (8), Coronation street. —HIGHLY COMMENDED— Clarence Carpet lived in town with a firm called Jones and Company. He did not like it and he was always running away. He was always playing tricks on his cousins. One day, Clarence’s special friend was to be sold to an old man who always had dirty boots, and he did not want to go. In the night, Clarence awoke, and thought how horrid it would be to be trampled by dirty feet. So he got up and went over to his friend and waved himself over it. Suddenly Clarence’s friend changed to a different colour, and in the morning he thanked Clarence very much. —2 marks to Cousin Joyce Buttolph (10), Coronation street.