THE WHITE SWAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1010, 28 June 1930, Page 31

THE WHITE SWAN

And How a Spell Was Broken

lasso was always known as the wandering gnome.” When he was IS years of age he sp.id to his mother. ‘Mother, the wandering lit is with me again, and I must go into the back country, and when 1 return 1 may have a wonderful story to tell you.” For Seven days he wandered where few gnomes had ever been, and on the ighth morning lie came to a lake which was a mile wide, with big bushcovered hills all around it. Here Tasso sat down to rest. And then, on the surface of the water, and in the far distance, he saw something white that was moving. He could not tell what it was, but it was moving quickly. lie watched it keenly, and in a few minutes he was able to tell that it was coming nearer to him. Soon he saw that it was a beautiful white swan. Seven times the swan swam round the lake, always near the water’s edge. “What can it mean?” asked Tass >. “Does this graceful bird spend i s whole life swimming round a mountain* lake?” “It does,” said a small voice. Tasso, startled by the sound, looked behind him. There, standing on a large fern leaf, which gently swayed up and down with his weight, was a fairy, with a long green feather poking out of his cap. “I am Greenfeather,’ said the little being, “and I am a fairy, who will always be pleased to be of service to a gnome.” “Then, please tell me about the beautiful white swan that seems to spend its life in swimming round and round this lake. Greenfeather.” “Yes,” said the Fairy, “I will. You seo the shore at the far side of the lake, where the swan is now swimming? Over there, in the deep bush, lives Rolladumdum, a giant. Many .Vfiflrs aern hpmitiful f:nnm!

named Mandy, lost her way and after wandering for many days she came to the edge of this lake. While sitting down to rest she heard crying noises that seemed to come-from an animal in pain, and then she saw Rolladumdum cruelly beating a dog at the water’s edge. Mandy was brave and she loved all animals and, picking up a stone, she threw it at the giant severely cutting his cheek. “You have doomed yours-yf, for I am full of magic powers,” ho roared, “and I shall put on you a spell that will last for ever. Step into the water and become a swan, and swim round and round the mountain lake and never rest by day or night, in summer sunshine or winter’s* snows; but swim

and swim and swim until the spell is broken. And whoever breaks the ! spell must break me first. And nothing on earth can break me, and nothing can break the spell.” Already the girl tv id where she had been a beautiful white swan stood, that slowly walked into the waters of the lake and began to swim around them. “That was many years ago,” said Greenfeather, “but in the heat of summer or in the cold of winter the swar has never stopped swimming.” “Do you think the spell could b€ broken, Greenfeather?” asked Tasso. “Every spell that was ever cast car bo broken,” the Fairy answered, “if tin way to do it can be found. There U a way to break every spell, but whe can find the May?” Tassa sat deep in thought for man?

minutes, then jumping up quickly, “I ■ shall try,” he said. “1 shall -go around i to the far side of the lake where the j giant lives.” “You are brave,” said Greenfeather. J “and I can give you a little help. Here ' is a golden bean and while you have it ono wish will always be granted to j you.” When evening had come Tasso was ! at the far side of the lake, where he } had soon found a well beaten path ; which led for a short distance into the ; bush. Then, in front of him, he saw j a house made of tree trunks and 1 branches. “The giant’s house,” he said, and as ‘ he spoke he heard heavy footsteps j behind him. He dived into a dense j growth of ferns that he might be hid- i den, but the giant, in passing by, saw j a foot that was not covered. “Oh,” he said, “Oh.” and he took hold of the foot and pulled out Tasso, j who was very frightened. The giant j said nothing, but he threw the Gnome over his shoulder and walked toward the house. Then a strange thing happened. A i parrakeet flew swiftly past, crying j into Tasso’s ear in a low tone, “Scratch j his chin.” When they were inside the giant j locked the door hut took no notice of Tasso, who stood in a corner of the J room. Tasso knew’ that whatever hap- j pened he would be brave. The giant | made up a big fire and roasted a whole J lamb that he had brought home in his j bag, and while he ate it up and ground j the bones with his strong teeth, Tasso, ’ who was very hungry, watched him. ! The giant then took down from the , wall a fiddle, a bigger fiddle than the : Gnome had ever seen, and. after 1 brushing his beard out of the way, he ] settled it under his chin and began to i play. He played for hour after hour, j and was still playing when the hour of midnight chimed. It was then that Tasso thought of the magic bean, and he said, “1 wish I were a mouse." and at that moment he was changed into

giant’s trousers, and ran up them unI til it reached the fiddle. Another littb* run. and it was on the top of the fiddlo and against the giant's chin, j Up and down, up and down, as fast i .is the little feet could travel, the tiny I claws scratched at the giant’s chin j Then the giant put the fiddle on the floor and sank into .a deep sleep. Faster J than ever scratched the mouse, and ! then the giant said in a sleepy voice; “What do you want?** The mouse { answered at once: I want to know ) how to save the girl who is now the | white swan on the lake.” Rolladumdum moved his wide j shoulders as if ho would throw aside tho sleep that had come over him, J but tho mouse, being alarmed, scratched ( faster than before. The giant settled down into a deeper sleep, then J strt i.ched himself and said: ; “When the swan swims swiftly by Climb into the magic tree. I Swinging ’twixt the earth and sky. You. if brave, may sot her free. Sho is clad in feathers white. Golden beak to graceful tail

As she passes in the light Count her feathers. Do not fall. If you name the number right. Then the spell will broken be. Magic spells will take their flight And the maiden will be free. | If you name the number wrong. \ You will perish in the tree. . You who now are young and strong Will but dust and powder be.” “I wish I were Tasso again,” said the mouse, and at once Tasso was standing on the floor, and tho mouse was gone. The giant still slept heavily, and Tasso took the key from his pocket, and. unlocking the door, passed outside. Ho ran to the water’s edge, and as the swan swam swiftly by he cried out in despair, “I cannot do it. I cannot. What living person oould count tho feathers on a swan as it swam by at night-time? Oh, wicked giant, what a cruel spell you have

thrown on this girl.” “Hello!” said a little voice, and Greenfeather hopped on to a branch. Tasso looked up. “Oh. Greenfeather.” ho said, “I want your help. How many leathers has the white swan?” “Come with me.” said the falrv. " hey walked through the bush on a track that the giant's feet had often trodden, and in half an hour's time they reached a lake, much smaller t. an the one they had left. In the bright moonlight they saw many .'-uuiis, all inky black, on its surface. Now,” said Greenfeather, “point out to me a swan the exact size of the ono that swims on the big lake” Very carefully Tasso selected a i which, at a whistle from Grcen- , leather, swa n to the edge of the lake ; Now, said Greenfeather. *we sha’U wii , rL it o feathers, and the number Iv. he the number ot feathers <n Um ! white swan.” j I*or a long time Greenfeather counted • ai ? < ! ay **roke he said, wearily: i * have finished; there are fifteen j thousand and thirty-four feathers on ■ tala bird.” Then he sprang quickly into a tree and calling out, "You must finish the j task, lasso,” he ran up into the branches and out of sight. Tasso j r:m swiftly along the track they had < ome by and was soon at the lake again, looking at the white swan. He \ \ rne y ' vhlch was the magic tree, for j he had noticed that the white swan j .seemed to be drawn always toward It, j swam under its branches. Pie . climbed up into it. and as the swan

• tame nearer he said to himself. “If I i Ti,, ’ f die, but I shall die bravely.” j Then lie called loudly: j rny tree on the lake-lapped Fifteen thousand and thirty-four And the | He stopped suddenly, and an anxious ; look spread over his face. He had i made a mistake, for floating on the • surface of the lake, he saw one whi*e ! feather. j “Now,” ho cried, “there will bo one i feather less on the white swan. If 1 ! had not seen this feather on the water, I would have said the few more words that would have made me ‘but dust j and powder.’ Oh! who could be as cunning and cruel as this giant?” j The swan was still underneath the wide-spreading branches when Tasso I cried out, “Now what care I?” i “From my branch upon the tree i Fifteen thousand and thirty-three Are the feathers that I see.” And then, for the first time in many j years, the white swan stopped swimI n 1 ng. Its feathers fell from it and : were taken up by gentle breezes until i they were lost in the sky. And then rhere was no swan where the swan I had been, but instead was a very beautiful maiden, who walked slowly to the shore. Tasso on me down from the tree, and the maiden walked to- | ward him. | Tasso took her two hands in his, j and kissed her. Then there was a j noise like a thousand trees falling I and they looked along the little track that led to the giant’s house. The > house was falling to pieces. The 1 sides had fallen, and they saw the I roof broken into a thousand pieces, j They saw the giant trying to get out. i but he was too late. Flames shot up j into the sky. and the broken homo of j Rolladumdum was burned into red d j And hand in hand Tasso and the ■ girl he had saved went back to * Gnometown, where they were married.