TINY TOTS' COLUMN.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17412, 26 May 1928, Page 16 (Supplement)

TINY TOTS' COLUMN.

LADY MOLL'S TRYST.

A DAINTY DISH

My Lady Moll shook off her crowd of admirers and companions. She had a tryst to keep. Down a winding stair of the palace she ran, and slipped out of her little door to walk in a garden of long ago, all ablaze with flowers. .'arterrcs and borders glowed with marigolds, monk's-hood, love-in-a-mist, snapdragons, damask roses, and rows of nodding sunflowers; but pretty Moll moved, a blot of black, a shadow, through the bright colouring of the sunny scene. Black clothed her from throat to heel. Her hands were clasped in a black fur muff; a long black veil floated from her littTo head. She was an orphan. An assassin's hand had slain her splendid, worthless father. But the King of England had brought her up among his own children, and had married her to an earl's son. She was a widow, though she was only nine years old. Demurely she paced through the stately garden, laid out by the Italian gardener Tradescant, in shaded alleys, playing fountains, terraced walks, adorned with vases and statues, after the formal fashion that his royal master preferred.

In the king's stiff Italian garden there was a homely but beautiful intruder —a fine old apple tree, covered with rosy fruit, and to its shade did the small Court lady resort. Windfalls In plenty Jay scattered or; the soft fine sward beneath, but the best apples grew on the highest boughs. So, quite regardless of her dignity, up the tree climbed Buckingham's daughter, as nimbly us Bet or Sue, and began to feast at tier will, and to stuff the pockets hanging on her girdle round her waist. Higher and higher she mounted. From her airy look out she could see two tall figures coming down a flight of steps, > and advancing towards her. It was King Charles, who, dismiss-

ing the cares of state, had come for a stroll in his garden, accompanied by his Gentleman of the Bedchamber, Mr Endymion Porter. As they neared the apple tree the king saw.a great shaking among tb.3 leafy branches and the "flutter of something black. "Endymion," said he. "There Is a very strange bird in that apple tree. The biggest blackbird I have ever sec::. Co and fetch your gun and bring it to me." It was not long before Mr Porter arrived at the foot of the tree, gun in Ids hand. But before he could raise it to his shoulder little Moll opened fire first herself, pelting him with a shower of apples. "Madam, it grieves mc to tell you that the King hath commanded me to kill the strange bird in the apple tre?, and bring him its feathers," said the handsome Endymion. "The King must not be disappointed,' said Moll, and slid down the trunk, with much rending of black draperies. At that moment Mr Parkinson, the Queen's favourite gardener, came by, directing his underlings, very imposing in his satin doublet and wide laceedged ruff. "Mr Parkinson, pray bring hither your withy basket I" called Lady Moll. In the twinkling of an eye she skipped into the hamper. Her rougish face peeped from beneath the lid. "Good Mr Porter, am I not a dainty dish to set before the King? Please carry this blackbird pie to him." The sedate Mr Parkinson and the stalely Mr Porter entered into the joke. They packed her in, shut down the lid, and carried the basket to the Kmg. "There, Sire, is the \range bird in the apple tree," said Endymion l J ortev. "which 1 had the good fortune to taki alive."

The basket-lid sprang up like, n Jack-in-the-Box, and up jumped sweet Moll. Quite regardless of torn cloLhcs and hands all moss-stained with treeclimbing, she flung 'her arms round the King's flowing lovelocks and falling lace collar, and kissed him affectionately on the cheek.