A Little World for Little People

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 810, 2 November 1929, Page 33

A Little World for Little People

friendship is a steady light shining in dark places

SILVER SICKLES PLEASE tell me a story, Dawn Lady,” begged the Little Thought “Everyone else is busy. The Doorkeeper is polishing the knocker on the Place-of-You-Never-Can-Tell the .Joyshop man is wrapping up some new summer jovs and the Woodpecker is adding up a sum. When I asked them to tell me a story they said they were expecting visitors, so I have come to you.” “Well you have just come at the right moment,” said the Dawn Lady, because I was thinking of a storv to tell the Sunbeams, and now I can try it on you.” “Please begin.” said the Little Thought, folding his wines and settling back comfortably against the trunk of the Happiness Tree. “Once upon a time.” began the Dawn Lady. “Oh, it’s going to be a real story,” mused the Little Thought with a contented sigh. 0 ’ “Hush! If you interrupt T might forget it. Well, once there was a little pixie called Work-a-day ” “What a funny name!” “Yes, but then lie was a funny little pixie. He couldn’t do anything but cut grass, but no one else in the world could cut grass as well as Work-a-day. A beautiful princess came to heal'd him. and she gave him a silver sickle and emploved him to keep the grass short m the palace garden. The sickle cut beautifully, and he was very proud ot it; but one day a cross old gnom p climbed over the fence and laughed at Work-a-day and'seized the sickle. When Work-a-day tried to take it back the gnome threw it high into the air, where it turned into a little sickle'moon. All the people began bowing to it and turning their money, but poor Work-a-dav ran hither and thither looking for a ladder v long enough to reach it down. The princess soon heard about it. and she felt so sorry for Work-a-day that she ordered a new sickle to be made at once. But silver sickles take a whole month to make, and no sooner did Work-a-day begin cutting grass again than the wicked gnome did exaptly the same thing 'with the second sickle. The princess ordered another at once, and this sort of thing has been going on ever since. The princess orders sickles, the gnome throws them into the sky, and Work-a-dav runs hither and thither looking for ladders to reach them down. . . . There should be a new moon ’in the sky any evening now. When you bow to it please spare a thought for the poor little pixie who has lost his . sickle. Do you like that storv, J (ir\\ T J Little Thought M iL. ftj “Aes, thank you, Dawn — —■ ■ Lady. Please tell me another.” Y