Untitled

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1930, Page 9 (Supplement)

Now Gwen is not usually uncivil to strangers, especially gnomes and fairies, so Richard was a little surprised when she began to “answer back.” “Who are you talking to?” she cried. “I’ve as much right in the weed—even if it is enchanted—as you have!” The gnomes stared in great surprise. “Beware what you say in the enchanted wood,” said one solemnly. “Do be careful,” urged Richard, “We don’t want to offend them.”

But Gwen refused to be careful. She soundly rated the gnomes, and told them jhe had a good mind to scratch the lot of them. It was no good Richard trying to pacify her. “I don’t care for all the gnomes in the wood,” she screamed. Sure enough, they did get angry! Suddenly they pounced on. Gwen, rolled her over, and tied her up with reeds. • “Hi! leave her alone," shouted Richard.

Before she knew what had happened, Gwen found herself securely tied up, and being led by a string round her neck to a spot in the woods where th? gnomes held their court. Richard had thought about biting his chum’s captors, but he came to the conclusion that it might only make matters worse. So he quietly followed Gwen—which was very brave of him, because the gnomes had no idea of taking him prisoner. “This comes of being bad tempered,” he groaned.

The King of the Gnomes sat on a large toadstool. “Ho! Ho! Ho!” he cried. “What is this funny looking object?” “Object yourself,” retorted Gwen. Which remark of course, made the King angry. “You are charged with trespassing in the land of the gnomes, and what is more,” he added, "my men tell me you were very rrude. What have you to say?” “I’ll.tell the story,” cried Richard. “All right! Hurry up,” commanded the King. “Friends, Romans and countrymen,” shouted Richard, “I’ve —” “That’s enough,” said the King, “now I'll pronounce sentence.”

Richard tried to argue that he had not had time to say anything, but the King Would not listen. 'Til pronounce sentence,” he cried. "Listen to me! The last time I allowed mortals in the enchanted glades, they trod down all the toadstools so that we had nothing to sit on; they also left pieces of paper all over the place. Do you think I’m going to allow that? No!” “Hear! Hear!” chanted a little gnome. “Shut up!” shouted the King, in a tone that made the little gnome fall off his toadstool with fright. “I’m going to teach you a lesson,” the King continued looking hard at Gwen. H’m going to turn you into a frog.”

Gwen and Richard never knew how it happened, but, just when the King was going to turn Gwen into a frog, all the gnomes suddenly disappeared. "That’s funny,” exclaimed Gwen. “Where have they gone?” “Why! there’s the sun,” cried Richard. "It’s morning!” Now the gnomes had been so occupied that they had not realised how near daybreak it was, and, as they could only come out at night, they had to vanish immediately the sun rose. It was lucky for Gwen, wasn’t it- In the daylight the chums soon found their way home.