FAIRY OF UNDERSTANDING

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17326, 11 February 1928, Page 16 (Supplement)

FAIRY OF UNDERSTANDING

ti:: ‘ the little girl who was. i.rDEAF; AND BLIND. ' E-v; Vi’m: tired" of being so different from other girls, Mother,” Sybil said, as her mother, tucked her* up for the night. “I don’t understand what you mead,” P’ her mother. said. “We are all made differently, and it is a good thing,” she added. “All the other girls have big cars, and lots of party frocks and plenty of money, while I have only tvyo pretty frocks, and' our car is almost worse than none at all,” Sybil said. “Would you like to have as much wealth as the richest man in the world; more than lots of them have; the sort of wealth that year by year grows more and more, no matter how much - you-spend?” her mother asked. “Yes, I should,” Sybil replied. .>"■ -“Then go to sleep. now, and tomorrow, if it is fine, I will tell you all about It,” the mother said. Sybil went to sleep, thinking of all the wonderful riches she was going to have, and how jealous Jean and Phyllis would be when they knew how wealthy she had grown. Suddenly she was awakened by a lot of tiny brown elf-men running all over her bed, and even dancing on her face. They all had small’ pointed spears, and took a delight in putting them fiercely in her eyes and her heart. • When she tried to sit up she found she couldn’t. '••••—“Who are you; and why are you hurting me so?” Sybil asked. - “We are the demons of Discontent, and you yourself asked us to come here,” they said. “I don’t know you, and I didn’t ask you to come here,” Sybil said tearfully. “I do wish Mothgr,:would come.” |sll right; I’ll'- call her,” said one dittieman. E Almost immediately Sybil’s mother came,' and' asked what was the matter. “What.are all tfrese little men doing here, and why . must they put those spears in my eyes?” : Sybil asked! “I don’t see any little men, dear,”, her mother said. “But a lot of little fairy folk.” Gaily the little elves, danced t up and down Sybil’s bed, and she could not understand why her mother could not see them, but saw fairies-instead. Sybil’s mother had:learned all about the riches, and ttiattyas why. she saw ; r .m\y dpvt&r little fairies, with delightful 'coloured frocks, ; a,nd instead of spears, .wands covered, with rainbow-lined rib-

bops., . . . •■s.* Mother, vkferit back to bed, after she had cpnifortOdY Sybil,, but. somehow Sybil .cppldift get tcrsleep, aijdfthe elf; men persisted ln-.rrunning all over ner face. ""ft • “Tell me why my mother couldn’t see you,” she said, and one of trie.little men replied, “Your motherjjs fairy,, you know, and fairies never can see demons.”' "/• s - • •• - .•• ■ “Don’t be silly !” Sybil said.- “Mother -is - not a'fairy-.-- ‘ "

- you,”- the little --man ..'replied; < ‘-‘hut all. •. goo.d mothers are fairies, as everyone Jmows. “Well, I think we’ll leave you now,” he said, and one by one ( theyfpdisap-peared.,'^r-|a^,.P Ev Syblilawakened in ; ?tho-.morning to find room rnother standing beside he*/>“,,C i-"'.-“Will ready to come with;-me?” • her asked, “and I will 'show you ail the -wealth I have'promised you.” • ■' ' ‘ “I’-11--get ■ ready 'very-quickly,” - Sybil ‘"-' Sald.' r ' - r'-t■

After breakfast they got out the car and drove into the country. "We’ll leave the car here and walk into the Enchanted Spot,” the mother said. As they walked along she asked Sybil what sort of riches she would like. ... “I’d like diamonds, mother —hundreds of them, spread out in front of ‘ 'me, so that 1 could see the lights danc-%-ing in them. Then I’d like gold—;armsfui ,of it—and wonderful gardens full of orchids, as well as violets, and daisies, and ferneries with miniature lakes in the centre. I’d- like music, beautiful pictures, soft carpets to walk on, the sort my feet would sink into, playmates who would romp with me, but not get tired nor cross.’’ Sybil’s mother led the w r ay to a patch of soft green grass, and, standing still, she said: “Sybil, dear, here are your diamonds, hundreds of them, sparkling in the sunshine, and you may have all you can, see for your very, own.” - “Where, Mother?” said Sybil. “I ; can’t see diamonds, but only the dew on thegrass.” “Gome, then, we will find the gold you said you would like,” her mother replied. They walked through the trees till they came to a mass of wattles in bloom, and her mother said: “There, dear,'is gold enough to satisfy the greediest ’of us.” . "‘‘That'is not gold, mother, just wattle trees,” Sybil said. “I’ll show you now where you may find a wonderful garden such as you dream about, with its lake and also the ferneries you want,” her mother said. She led Sybil to a shady place where the sunbeams were dancing on the orchids- violets, daisies, buttercups, ground; while all around there were fuchsia trees, boronia, just all sorts of wonderful flowers, even deep red poppies, baby ones, and tiny geraniums. In the centre a little creek widened out in places, making tiny lakes where maidenhair fern grew, while close by giant tree ferns made a fernery wonderful enough for the most particular folk.

“Here is your garden and your fernery, too,” said Sybil’s mother; “and could you find a prettier little lake than the one in front of you, that is fringed with maidenhair fern?” “Those are, only ordinary , wildflowers, and the creek I’ve " seen heaps of times,” Sybil said. “Where are the pictures and the lovely-carpets and the wonderful music you promised me?” Sybil asked. A few yards further on her mother stopped in front of a soft green, patch of grass.-'"'' “Here is your-carpet, and if you look through those trees you- will see another wonderfully'patterned one, over there on the hill.-. See the deep chocolate brown, the red, the soft green and deeper emerald green, and how wonderfully it covers, that side of the hill we can see from here. Then listen to those birds singing in the trees, and tell me is you want . more, beautiful music.”

“That is only grass, and that hill just a cultivated paddock,” Sybil said, ‘i want to see .the pluymates who will romp with me and never grow cross, and the be-autiful -pictures.” 5 ' “Then come to the car, and after tea wc will find the other things you wanted.” They drove home, and afi-er, tea .went down to the beach,' just at sunset

——...-“ There-, are -your.:.- plavraaies.Sybil : you" need never be afraid of them getting oross because they are tired. gad

they will romp with yon to your heart’s content.” “I can’t see any playmates, but just the waves,” said Sybil. “Now,, look at the wonderful pictures here, dear, see those crimson clouds and the pink ones under them, and that great ball of.gold sinking over the sea. Could any painter give you a better picture than that?” she asked. “You’re so funny, Mother,” Sybil said. “Not one of the things you’ve promised me have been true; and, oh. I’m so unhappy.” She threw herself down on the sand, and cried bitterly, and her mother, being, of course, a fairy, left her alone. (Fairies always know what to do.) Presently she felt something touch her face, and opening her eyes she saw', standing beside her, the smallest person, dressed in the colours of the sunset.

“Who are, you, little girl, and why are you unhappy?” the small person asked.

“I wanted to be rich and have everything I could wish for, and mother promised I could, but she has broken her word; She just showed me things like wattle trees, and the waves. But, tell me, who are you?” Sybil asked. “I’m the Fairy of Understanding; I make blind people see and deaf people hear,’V the jwee; person said. “I wish you’d make rhe see the wonderful things I want,” said SybiL “I will ,then," and the tiny person laid her wand softly on Sybil’s eyes and pn her ears£ : Looking round, Sybil saw' her mother, and, running to her ,she said, “Mother, dear, forgive me for’being such a discontented girl, but I didn’t take any notice of those things you showed me before. Now the fairy has touched my eyes and my ears, and I can see all those lovely things, and I won’t envy the other girls any more, for am I not wealthier than they, and have I not a fairy. fbi*“a mother ?’’ So. that is how Sybil became wealthy and. learned to • see and to hear.