HUMPTY DUMPTYA-A FAIRY TALL

New Zealand Graphic, Volume V, Issue 46, 15 November 1890, Page 19

HUMPTY DUMPTYA-A FAIRY TALL

Mi: and Mrs Stane lived in a small village near Fielding. Their house was quite away from any others, and they had few visitors. They often felt lonely, for they had no children. One day Mrs Stane said to her husband: ‘I do wish we could luiy a nice little boy. He would make our house so lively, and would soon be able to help me to feed the chickens and ducks.’ Soon after she had said this, Mrs Stane went out to look after her pet flowers, and to hunt for the greedy slugs and snails which are always waiting in the spring to eat up anything good. just at she was catching a very large snail, who had come out to enjoy some rare seedlings which weie showing above the ground, she heard a voice. The flower-bed was under a wall, ami the voice seemed to come from behind the wall. ‘ Mrs Stane,’ it said, ‘if you want to buy a child, put the largest egg you can find on the wall with three bright sovereigns, and come here at four o’clock to-morrow morning. and you will find something that will please you.’ Mrs Stane guessed at once it was a fairy, and looking closely on the wall, she saw a little bit of green moss moving, and she thought the fairy was under that. But she did not like to touch it. for fear the fairy would be angry and would not give her what she had promised. So she went off to the fowl-yard to look fot a large egg. She was surprised to find in one of the nests an unusually big one, nice and white. She took it indoors, and getting three sovereigns, she put them all on the top of the wall, where they would not roll off. The next morning at four o’clock, she went to the place. What do you think she saw? Look at the picture and you will see.

She was so surprised and pleased she did not know what to do. At length she held out her hand. ‘ You dear little boy,’ she said. ‘ What is your name ?’ ‘ Humpty Dumpty,’ said the little boy, and then a voice sang : ’ It's Humpty Dumpty on the wall He must sit still, or else he’ll fall : For no Maori horses, and no Maori men Could put Humpty Dumpty together again.' Then Mrs Stane lifted him gently off the wall, and kissed him many times, and took him into the house and gave him a good breakfast. Some other time I must tell you what else the fairy did for Humpty Dumpty. Jack Frost.