LONG AGO STORIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1933, Page 19 (Supplement)

LONG AGO STORIES.

HONEST GRIZZLE. They arrived at dawn, and tramped into the courtyard of the stately mansion with a great beating of drums. Four men, three maidens, and a boy walked in front with a gaily dressed ape. Then came two painted waggons drawn by white horses, and a lumbering bear. “The tumblers and their creatures be come to town I” cried the servants, and there was a great commotion. One of the men was invited to his lordship’s bedroom, and the boy Hubert and Honest Grizzle the ape came with him. The maids screamed when they saw Honest Grizzle walk upstairs, but Hubert declared that he was as harmless as any Christian, and, though his lordship did

not like the; look of this particular visitor, he shook 1 ands with him. Honest Grizzle and Hubert were dressed alike in rich puce-coloured velvet suits, hats with green feathers and flowing red Cloaks. Tire showman said they had just performed before King Henry VIII. After arguing over the price with his lordship, he obtained permission to play in the hall , that evening, and my lord sent a crier round the town to tell the people that he was paying for a. grand show. Indeed, it was a show fit for a king 1 The hall was crowded with his Iprdship’s friends and servants,." the town- folic pushed in where they could. There were tumbling girls, .twisting, men, dancing bears, and clever monkeys who turned head over heels, holding, baskets of eggs in their hands without breaking one. Honest Grizzle walked among the company/ taking off his’ hat, bowing, sometimes frightening' the ’ladies. Once he got lost, and the shpwman beat Hubert who was - supposed to ■ look. after him, but later on he was found-in his lordship’s bedroom, . During the* feast that followed, Honest Grizzle took tapkards of wine from the guests, turned head over heels With them 6 without spilling one : drop, and handed them back... Before, the evening was out, the shyest maiden had made friends with Honest (Grizzle, and everybody patted. the old ape fondly when Hubert led him away. The moon was shining when the tumblers left the mansion, and they drove oft at’ a good pace. In one of the Waggons was a hghted lantern, and here Hubert and Honest Grizzle sat on the floor, while the other players stood round them. . “Out with it, Honest Grizzle, said Hubert, “Come on, and you shall have another glass of ale.” Honest Grizzle grinned, and produced a diamond buckle from his enormous pocket, then a necklace of a silver tankard, and a number of other jewels which he had stolen from the company and which he only gave Up in return for a glass of ale. -. At last he fell happily asleep, and the players divided the treasure and spoke merrily of the time when they would buy an estate and set up as honest gentlemen!

LOKI’S MEAT PIES.

A STORY OF GOD OF THE NORTH.

Once Odin, the great god of the North, went for. a little journey through the world with his nephew Loki, who never did any good at all in spite of the fact that he belonged to Such a noble family of gods. After they had walked a long way, Odin and Loki arrived at a shady, dell where they rested, and Odin suggested making a fire and cooking some roots to eat. ; • “Leave it to me,” said Loki, and Odin sighed, arid -hoped it; would' be all .right. Tripping along on the points of his toes,'Loki sniffed the air and a most delicious smell came to ■ him - on the breath of the wind; >.•>•,' ■ . . “Mgat pies,” he laughed, and, picking up a ; stone, he ■ rubbed it and was changed into a black cat. In the- shape of a black cat he went .up to a little farmhouse, and saw the farmer's . wife taking. pies and honey cakes put of the oven and putting them on the table to cool. Quick as lightning, Loki..stole .three pies and three honey cakes, while the old woman was looking into the 1 oven, and made oft with them. “Thief!” shouted the old woman aS she looked round, Into the garden she' dashed and threw a stone at the cat. But,to her surprise, it turned into a miserable old, cow,. Thinking she was ‘dreaming,-she took a xstick to beat the cow, -but all she saw was a raven and six little ones flying awayl Now when that raven settled on the ground he became Loki, and the six little ones became the steaming hot cakes and pies. Loki laughed merrily, but Odin was angry. “You are indeed a thief, said Odm, “Take these three stones back to, the farm and place them on the table. Loki did not like obeying Odin but, as he was obliged to do so, he changed, himself into a bird, and dropped the stones on the table. And those stones immediately became black stains! The extraordinary thing was that never again had the farmer’s wife any cooking to . 'do, because her table was always spread with the most delicious food. She was very happy at first and then she began to worry about those black stains. She rubbed them and scrubbed them but they never came out, and they spoilt her happiness. Wasn’t it stupid to worry about a thing that did not matter when she had so much to be thankful for ? SAVED FROM A WOLF. A message from Belgrade tells how two brave little girls saved themselves from a wolf. : The girls, aged 11 and 12, were sent out with some cattle which grazed on the hillside not far from a Bosman village. When it was time to drive the beasts home, and' daylight was beginning to fail, a pack of wolves appeared. The cattle bolted, pursued by all the wolves except one. This one sprang on the smaller child, flinging her to the ground. Quick as lightning, the other child thrust a stake into the mouth of the animal, and, ramming the stake hard into its gullet, • pushed the wolf away from her fallen companion. • She jumped up and, with an axe, killed the wolf, ■