THE WENDY HUT

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1928, Page 20

THE WENDY HUT

TOE THEATRE OF THRILLS-TOYTOWN. GRAND GALA PERFORMANCE TO-NIGHT AT SUNSET. ALL THE STARS. POPULAR PRICES. One little Fairy read the notice. Another little Fairy read the notice. And before you could count ten, a thousand little Fairies had read the notice. And everybody decided to go to the Theatre of Thrills that night. Lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses, gathered in the wee Fairy boxes at the side of the stage. Merchant princes came with their haughty families and occupied the stalls. Little Fairy shopkeepers filled the circles, and all the rest of Fairyland seemed to have crowded into the pit and gallery. “A fine bouee,” murmured Man Friday, who was stage manager. But the play was a long time starting! Impatiently someone commenced to ciap; then someone else commenced to dap; and soon every person in the whole theatre was clapping. Still the curtain did not go up! Let’s go behind the scenes and see -what is happening, shall we? All the “Stars” were there—Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, 80-Peep, Jack Horner, Tom Thumb, the Sleeping Beauty, the Forty Thieves, Jack and Jill, and even the White Queen and the Red Queen! But the Stars were not ready! The “Grand Gala Performance” had been announced before they had time to rehearse or collect their costumes. Everyone was at sixes and sevens, and everything was in an uproar. Still the impatient clapping continued, and desperatelj' Man Friday signalled for the curtain to go up, just as Cinderella came racing down the stairs, wearing Little Red Riding Hood’s cloak and grasping 80-Peep’s crook. “You’ve forgotten your slipper, Cinderella,” shouted the Giant, and flung his seven league boot at her. Cinderella, completely bowled over, went hurtling down the last few steps. Now, the Hill was at; the foot of these stairs, and poor Cinderella continued to roll until she was half-way down. Jack was climbing up ready for his “turn” when I - met her in the middle. ‘Jills started too soon,”- !.-■ muttered,* and, turning round, . rolled down again. In a corner of the stage sat Jack Horner, in Boy Blue’s suit, weeping bitterly into little Miss Muffet’s curds and whey. "They’ve stolen my plum,” he sobbed to Jack the Giant Killer, who wandered past arguing with 80-Peep about Cinderella’s dipper, which she carried under her arm. “Who’s stolen Jack Horner’s plum?” roared Jack the Giant Killer, drawing his sword. No one answered, and Jack swung round and caught the Sleeping Beauty a tremendous whack on the head. ‘Thais not logic,” muttered Tweedledee crossly to Tweedledum. It isn’t;'not nohow,” agreed Tweedledum wisely. In a tearing rage, the Queen of Hearts rushed on to the stage. “Off with their heads!” she screamed. “They have spoiled my Gala Performance. Off with their heads, I say!” Everyone started to run at once, and to talk at once, and scream at once. The Forty Thieves crept out and stolp everything they could lay hands upon, and disappeared into the forty tubs. The lights went out, and the curtain went down. The audience clapped and shouted, and Man Friday eame forward rubbing his hands, and bowing deeply. A fine performance!” the Important People remarked on their way home. “A very fine performance. So-so DIFFERENT, you know!" TINKER BELL.