THE WENDY HUT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 2

THE WENDY HUT

Our Children’s Corner.

My Dear Children— Another Letterland yet to record in this year barely begun and to-day's story is ralher a special treat. Let's commence upon it at once: King Dagobert was untidy, and his court deplored the fact. One day when the King appeared with his velvet breeches put on inside out, his lords decided that something must be done about it at once. So a very magnificent young gentleman approached the King and said, in a horrified whisper, "Your Majesty’s breeches are on inside out.” "Are they? I'll turn them when I have time,” replied the King. To the despair of the court he worked on the improvement of the laws of the land the whole morning with his breeches inside out. After that it was decided that somebody must point to the King Dagobert that, for the honour of his country he must mend his ways, and Saint Eloi offered to undertake the difficult mission. The opportunity came the following day when King Dagobert was to receive some important foreign princes. Saint Eloi, always carefully dressed, was horrified al. the King's appearance when he saw him arriving in the throne room, and drew him gently into an ante room on the pretext of having something important to communicate. "Your Majesty has a ladder in his stocking,” began Saint Eloi. "Dear, dear, so I have," laughed the King. “Take off yours, my good Eloi, and give them to me.” Saint Eloi gasped, took off his white cotton stockings and exchanged them for the King's purple silk ones which were full of ladders. "And if I may say so, Your Majesty has a hole in the elbow of his coat, and a tear in his cloak," continued Saint Eloi, and the King interrupted him again. "Then give me yours and you can have mine,” commanded the King. “I’ll have your wig, too, and your gioves, and your shoes with the silver buckles.” When Dagobert walked into the throne room with Saint Eloi behind him, his lords and ladies were almost overcome with horror, but as the foreign princes were already waiting, the reception started at once. After it was all over, the lords listened at the door of the room where the foreign princes were reposing before going on their journey, to hear what dreadful things they were saying about Kin" Dagobert. They heard one of them remark that he was surprised to see the King tidy, although his clothes were ill fitting and of very coarse material. "But only those who are poor in spirit, and have no courage in their hearts and no money in their pockets have need of fine clothes in which to face the world, ’ replied the wisest of the princes. "A great and kind man like King Dagobert can afford to be shabby—but obviously his lords can't.” And the lords bowed their heads in shame as they crept away. Well, dears, the out-of-doors is calling and off we must go for our games of Reality await us now. All my love and kisses from your ever affectionate WENDY