For the o o Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17408, 10 December 1924, Page 12

For the o o Children

I i ETTA*' S A DYE.NT VTi E. It, was a. summer evening and past Betty’s bedtime, but nurse had promised her a tew mi nutes longer while bei; bath was being prepared. Betty ay as pitting on the grass in front, of the house nud longing for something exciting to happen. “1 am tired of all my games and toys.” she said to herself. ' I wish something nice would happen.” ” If you av ill promise to he quiet,” said a shrill little voice “ 1 will show you something wonderful.” Betty turned round to find a fairy sitting on a. rosebud just, behind her. “Oh! How lovely!” said Betty. “But how can T? Nurse is coining for me in a- few minutes.” ■‘lf you do as 7 tell you, ' said the fairy, “ I will bring you bark in two or three minutes, and nurse A\ill not know anything about it. ” Shut your eyes.” said the fairy, “and do not open them till I tell you to.” Tt seemed a long tune to Betty before the fairy told her to open her eyes, but Avhen she did so she found that she had become so little- that she was about as tall as a, daisy which was. growing in the grass beside her. She Avas just going to exclaim Avhen. to her great surprise, she found that her feet had left the ground and she was rising higher and higher in the air, hand in hand with the fairy-. “ Have T got wings ’” asked Betty of the fairy. “Yes’’ replied the fairy. but as they are fairy wings you can hardly see them, and you did not feel them when T fastened them on.” Up and up they flew, until Betty could see the Man-in-the-Moon, quite plainly, smiling at her. ” Each little star is a Jairy’s home.” said, the fairy, and if you will let me. take you I will shoAv you where live. Betty was feeling very happy and. hand in hand, they mounted higher and higher. Presently they drew near a star, in which was a, door- ” This is my home.” said the fairy unlocking the. door with a silver key. “Come inside.” Betty Avas rather nervous at first, but when she saw what a. beautiful room it Avas she was so amazed that she quickly sat., down in the. first chair tln 3 fairy offered her. “"What a wonderful. fairy-like room!” thought Betty. “How T wish I could, have a room like, this for my own!” There were little chairs, little tables, and even little golden cups and saucers. ” You must be tired,” said the fairy. “Wouldn’t you like a fairy sweet?” “ Thank you.” answered Betty, and immediately the fairy placed before her, in a silver dish, the most lovely sweets you could think of. After Betty had finished tlie fairy told her she would have, to take her back again to earth. Betty aa* a s very disappointed hut a 9 she had promised to do what the fairy told her she quietly slipped her hand in the fairv’s and together they slipped nn * of the fairy's home. Down, they flew swiftly through the air, until Betty saw in front of her her house Gently they landed on the grass. The, fairy told her again to shut her eyes, and this time when she opened them she found herself sitting alone on the grass and nurse calling to her to go to bed.

PADDY IN GRUMBLE LAND. “Take your shoes off Paddy, dear, they’re, wet-.” said mother, as Paddy ran in from school. “Oil, dear! What a nuisance, 1 always have to keep changing my shoes.” grumbled Paddy, and kicked the offending shoes across the room. Mother pretended not. to see. Rue pudding, again! 1 hate rice pudding,” and Paddy pushed her plate “Why, you always like rice pudding, dear,” mother said, in a surprised tone. ‘ T don't like it to-daa . I'd like, something else ” Mother sighed, and went and fetched a- dish of fruit. “Time to get up. Paddy darling.” mother said, giving her small daughter a. gentle shake. “Oh, dear! It’s always time to get up.” and turned over and went to sleep again for the third time. “.Hurry, or you’ll he late for school.” mother said, gathering up Paddy’s books and gloves. I wish I hadn’t to go to school T hate school,’ sulked Paddy, and grabbing her school-bag stamped out of the front door. It Avas Saturday afternoon and v«ry hot and sunny. Paddy took a story honk into the garden and lay down under a big shady tree. It wasn’t a very exciting story and presently Paddy closed the book and lay staring up at the leaves waving in the breeze. Suddenly Paddy noticed dozens and donzens of tiny brown creatures climbing down the .tree trunk towards her. Each one was wearing a. big. ugly frown and a pointed re r J cap. Paddy stared. “Who are you,” she asked. "Our name is Grumble.” said the first little creature; "and.” he continued. “we’ve come to take you home.” “But- I am at home.” Paddy answered . “Oh. no. your are not ” said the second Grumble. “Grumble I/and is your real home and we are going to take you there” And before Paddy could say another word they tier] her up Avitli long grasses and carried her to the end of the garden deside a. gooseberry bush. ‘‘Vie've brought her. WeVe brought her,” chanted the whole company. And the gooseberry bush parted and showed a flight of stairs under the ground. Down, down, down they went, tugging Paddy with them. At the foot of the stairs was n. small open door. They pushed it opened and Paddy found herself in a, long, low room packed full of tiny brown creatures, all Avearing the same ugly frown and quaint red cap. “Make way for our sister,” they cried in a loud voice and the crowd fell back, and there in the centre of the room, on an upturned flower put, sat tlie King of Grumble Land wearing a paper crown. “Welcome to Grumble hand.. my clear." he said kindlv “Hope you will he happy among your brothers and sisters here.” “But I haven’t anv brothers or sisters!” replied Paddy. “Nonsense! These are your brothers and sisters they're all Grumbles, so the must he your brothers and sisters.” Paddy began to feel frightened. “I

want, to p:> home.” he wailed. ”t want my mother.” The King looker] distressed. Ho pushed hack his crown and scratched, his head. ‘‘f don't understand. I thought yon didn't like your home.” “Or tout mother.” chimed in a Grumble. "Or going to school. Or getting up in the morning,’ chanted two more Grumbles. “Of course. 1 like all those things,’’ Paddy said, indignantly, stamping her f oot. “Do you mean to say that you have on 1a been protending to l>c i Grumble all this time?” asked the Ring, sternly. “She's all imposter,” shouted .ill the Grumbles together in a. loud, “Turn her out ! Turn he,- out !” tbev shrieked, and made a rush toaa ard? her Paddy turned, and bump AAont her head against the tree trunk, -dm opened her eyes and looked about. “Tea is ready.” said mother, smiling down at her small daughter. Paddy sat up and rubhe d her eves “Have I been here all the time, mother ?' ’ 'A fs, 1 !.;irlinl:. of course. AYbat makes you ask?” “.Nothing.” replied Paddy. “Currant hung for ten “ said moth“lTorr lovely." sai,| Pnddv, Then, nestling close un. she whispered: - “I do lore you and home and - and --everything, mummies' Of course you do, darling.” mother agreed, squeezing the hot httle hands in hers. MIGN'OXETTE Once upon a tune there lived in a faroff country a beautiful, rich, but vain princess. She had no brothers or sisters to keep her company and so her cousin lived with her to share her work and plav. The princess's cousin was as different as you rould imagine; she was small and fragile, and, above all, she was modest and of a qujet nature Svbit, as she was called, used to spend most of her time helping others, while the princess spent most of her time enioying herse'f and in trying to choo=e from among the manv knights who came to visit her father one of whom she would accept as her husband. ° n - day, as Sybil was returning from visiting a poor little girl, she found the princess giA-ing a merry partA* in tlie gardens of palace Q n joining them she found that, theA~ Avere earh to choose a flower—their favourite. Prince Rupert, who came from a neighbouring palace, was ath- much IoA-ed La- the princess. Because she wanted to marry him. she Avantcd to please him, and so she plucked a crimson rose, the most beautiful flower in the garden. Sybil. Avandenng in the garden, set e.ves on a sprig of mignonette, her favourite flower, and picking a piece she placed it, in her dress. When Prince Rupert went to make bis choice be had a. difficult task before him. because, although be admired the beauty of the princess, lie knew tha.i, she was-as the rose she had chosen—beautiful, but only for a dav. and so he passed her by. When Prince Rupert came to SA’bil, who was standing modestly in the background wearing her sprig of mignonette, he knew that he had found one who Avould be willing to sharp his life with him. for bis favourite flower was also the mignonette -mignonette. " whose qualities surpass its charms.' sweetsmelling and full of bea.ut\-. the flower which charms a wav all ills. THE FLOWER C>F THE VALLEY. There was once a. little girl who so longed to be a fairy that the Fairv Queen, hearing her request, touched her with the magic wand, and carried her away to Fairyland. There she liwd among the flower

fairies and for some time she was vr.rv bappA But the other fairi«~ grew jealous of her. and after a while they begaa to be unkind. WhA* do vi*ii come among us? they cried. “ You are a mortal, and can. never really beoome one of us. Go back to a our own country." But thb tbev knew could never happen; for. though a mortal can become a fairy, a fairy can never l»ecome a mortal. At least. thc=e arc the laws of Fairyland. The Fairv Queen loved the httle mortal. loAcd to have her near her. And perhaps that was why the other. fairies were so jealous. Let me go back to mv own oounIrA-." begged the little one, " 7 am so unhappy here!" T cannot do that. " replied the Fairv Queen: “but vou shall not be unhappy am- longer!” And she whispered a secret into her car and flew awav. That night the little mortal could not be found. "Where is she?" cried the Fairy Primrose. Where is site?" cried the Fairy Celandine. Nobody knew . " Let. us go and seek her.' said the fairjrs; and they all set. out. The;* looked and looked, and. sudden]a- on a bank of buttercups and daisies in a sheltered vallev, they saw- a tin a light. "Look!" they cried. "The mortal! The mortal! ’ And. while they watched, the light died down ; and when it had gone out. they saw. in the. place where the mortal had stood, a flower that was strange to them a tall, graceful flower that we know and call the lilv-of-the-vailey. Tt was the first lily-of the-valley.