STORIES OF AUTUMN

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20464, 2 April 1938, Page 21 (Supplement)

STORIES OF AUTUMN

QUEEN AUTUMN’S VISIT QUEEN Summer was growing very tired and she was badly needing her rest for she had been working for much longer than usual and already the days were growing shorter and shorter and her once beautiful blossom-trimmed gown of silver and blue was becoming faded and worn. As she looked about her she saw that her flower people, too. were beginning to fade and she sighed deeply and .then yawned very, very slightly. The special messenger of Mother Nature had arrived only tha m riling I • isk Summer if she could possibly stay on in The Land of the Mortals for another few days as the material for Queen Autumn's gown had not yet arrived from the fairy weavers who had had a shortage of the right shade of dyes and so they had been unable to have the gown completed on time, and now as Summer looked about her she saw that all her gaily' coloured phlox had died and her beautiful one-day lilies were fading fast. Indeed, there were hardly any really beautiful summer flowers left and all the gardens were looking very bare as they awaited the arrival of Queen Autumn and her golden train. Down beneath the earth in Mother Nature’s palace there was great bustling and hurrying for only too well did Mother Nature know that Summer was becoming very tired after her long stay in the Land of the Mortals. All around there mere fairy subjects very busily engaged, in making the autumn flower petals and close by stood Hoppity Elf complete with pots of gold and red, flam'e, brown and softest green paints ready to start on his journey to make the world glow with his autumn shades. But alas, although the flowers were nearly completed and although the Hoppity Elf was ready to start his painting immediately, still the gown of Queen Autumn was not even half finished. There had been so many upsets, so many delays that already the frock was three weeks overdue and Mother Nature was very much afraid that it would be another week before Queen Summer could be called to her well earned rest. At the end of the week, however, the frock was almost complete and when Queen Summer heard the news she was very pleased for that very morn- * ing her last one-day lily had died and the last of the roses, carnations and poppies had long since lain asleep in their warm earth beds. Next day, the mortals were delighted to see that the leaves on the trees were slowly turning to shades of gold, red and brown under the busy hands of Hoppity Elf, (of course they did not know that Hoppity was busily working at that very moment, because they did not believe in such things as fairies so they were unable to see this skilfifl Jittle elf splash his paint into the air and turn those ordinary looking green leaves into pictures of autumn beauty). Two days later Queen Summer slipped underground to her home and was very soon fast asleep in her rose petal bed and in the Land of the Mortals ruled Queen Autumn in all her beauty. As Autumn wandered through woods and dells, over plains, and through busy streets and gardens, in her path there sprang gardens of golden blossoms, great tawny bronze chrysanthemums, and leaves in all their autumn frocks lay in carpets for the Royal feet to step on. Her raven black hair curling around her rosy bound with pale gold chrysanthemum buds, leaves and tiny bunches of purple grapes, and her flame frock was hung with garlands of flowers In autumn tints while tiny ears of corn trimmed the hemline which brushed the grass as she passed. Golden pumpkins, marrows, deep blue, black plums, golden pears and rosycheeked scarlet and green apples peeped from their heavy foliage waiting to be picked and packed. The blue sky above was scattered with soft white clouds and high in his- heavenly home the golden sun smiled down on a land of scarlet and gold for he knew that very soon, when all the fruits of harvest had been gathered in and Queen Autumn with her colourful train had, like summer, grown tired, there would be rest for all ’neath the cloak of Queen Winter, but now, Autumn, the most beautiful season of all, was reigning supreme.