THE FAIRY AND THE FIVE PARTRIDGES.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1930, Page 21 (Supplement)

THE FAIRY AND THE FIVE PARTRIDGES.

Long ago, when kings had the right to levy certain tolls on their subjects, there was a young knight, called Aymon, who was obliged to take five partridges to his sovereign On the first day of Autumn. Now this annoyed Aymon tremendously. He would have given gold, or a fine horse, or a sack of corn, rather than the five partridges which he had to shoot. / . . One year he could fi nd no partridges ifi r liis Woods. ; He tramped-'hither and thither with his bow and arrows, but no ’little’ brown bird came his way. Very soon the sun would set, and after that no good hunter ’ Would draw his bow. “I shall be late with my toll, and most likely it will be doubled for next /year,” said Aymon aloud. “You'should not have left it till the Idrit moment,” laughed a me;ry ’ voice., “It is such a small toll, compared with your riches, and lands, and castle, Aymon.” ’ * ’’ To his amazement, Aymon beheld a lovely’niaiden sitting under a tree, and he knew at once that she was a fairy maid. Harebells twined about her head, her gown was woven from the most delicate ferns, and round her feet were chains of buttercups. ‘‘Maiden, command me to do a great. deed for you!” cried'Aymon. " The maiden laughed, and clapped her hands, immediately five partridges flew out of the hedge, and Aymon took them for his toll. Dayvafter day he went and talked to the. fairy, maid, and at last he persuaded her to marry him. “On condition that you never grumble about those five partridges again,” she said. ' Aymon promised that he would never grumble about anything again, and for one year they lived in perfect bliss. Then, on the'last day of Summer, Aymon remembered the five partridges. He immediately began to grumble—and the fairy vanished before his eyes. “LADYBIRD—LADYBIRD—.” It is an old custom that we must never kill a ladybird. This is perfectly justified, for the ladybird is the greatest friend of the farmer and the gardener. In fact, it is of such value that the Government has a special farm near London which breeds vast numbers of these tiny beetles to send out to farmers all over the Empire. If you have a little chat with your gardener he is sure to grumble about the troublesome green fly which damages his plants. Here is where the ladybird does its work. The young greeri fly is a little fat insect, and provides a most tasty meal for both parent and baby ladybird. The ladybird lays her eggs in the most infested plants in your garden in order that her little ones—slate-grey marked with yellow dots—can have an abundant food sup- ' ply. These grubs delight in ridding your garden of its green fly pests, and race about the leaves looking for them. The .ladybird beetle varies greatly in colouring, but is very easy to distinguish. Some have red wing cases with black spots; others. orange, and some even all black. I recently found a pretty little fellow with most beautiful yellow wing sheaths. You will notice that some have seven spots, and some only two. ’ . Frota the moment of leaving the egg the grub begins to consume the green fly and continues the good work for about a month, killing- at the rate of thirty or forty and hour. Later these grubs turn into beetles to lay more eggs and so carry on the good work. In winter they find sorne snug retreat (as the under surface of the bark) from the cold. In spring they come forth again, although they are more common during the evenings of the ■ summer. The ladybird interests us in other ways. Its wonderful “feelers” consist of many plates like joints which become wider towards the extremities, and are ■ covered with very fine hairs. Its legs are queerly constructed. The last joint before the pad and claw is wider at one end than the other, and covered with fine hairs. This enables the claw rip move with remarkable freedom.