THE GIVER OF WISHES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1043, 6 August 1930, Page 14

THE GIVER OF WISHES

Night, with the quiet glory of stars and the pale loveliness of a moon. Somewhere in the stillness the song of a violin throbbed. Tho Giver of Wishes, old, whitehaired, heard the glorious rapture of music and heard the heartbreak behind it. Slowly he went toward the white cottage by the sea; leaning on his gnarled stick he watched the player, a slender girl with slim brown lingers, drawing the bow across the magic strings. Long he lingered in the shadows, watching and listening. The gill’s eyes were wistful, and her music was the most beautiful he had heard. Softly he spoke: “Little Maker of Music, why do you play so sadly? Why are the whispering notes so full of haunting wistfulness?’* With a start the girl came back to earth and looked at him. “Who are you, sir? And why do you wonder at the sad music? With the years that pass so quickly the fear has come that I may lose the gift of dreaming The glory of life to me is to dream in the shadows of the dusk, to dream of what might have been and what is to be. Perhaps the haunting note was just a prayer for dreams to stay with me—they are so precious.” “I am the Giver of Wishes. All through the ages I have wandered over the earth, granting one wish to each person. I have made kings from beggars, I have given the poor wonderful palaces, I have granted so many things, but all were vain, useless—the things that will not last. But now lam old. older than the pines so tall above you; to one person I may grant a wish, and you are the one I choose. What would you have, little Maker of Music? The choice is yours.” Brown eyes, wonder-filled, gazed up at him. “Oh, Giver of Wishes, I want neither the vain pomp of kingdoms nor the emptiness of palaces, but please, as I grow me have my dreams.” “You have chosen the greatest gift in the world.” said the Giver of Wishes, “and you have made my heart glad, for. when I join my comrades, I shall hear the music of your violin in a whispering song and you, with your young heart in your voice crying, ‘Still I have dreams.’” —Flying Cloud (Lesley du Faur). FOR WISE HEADS Word Diamond: 1— A consonant. 2 Encountered. 3 A number. 4 A beverage. 5 The end of inn. Hidden Groceries: In the following sentences are concealed the names of six things purchased at a grocery store, one in each sentence, but the six words are spelled backward: 1 — “They are trying to rag us,” he said. 2 The toy parrot lasted quite a while. 3 You should read Oscar’s composition. 4lt was a very nice circus. 5 Papa, Oswego is on Lake Ontario. 6 The boys would rally round the flag daily. Diamond: N, Got, Novel, Tea, Word Changing: Lore, implore, deplore, explore.