OUR STORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 48, 11 August 1939, Page 6

OUR STORY

THE MUSIC BOX The room was- very quiet. Everyone had gone to town except Anne, who was sitting on the window seat, her feet curled under, reading a story book. The glass door leading to the garden was wide open. Anne had left it open because she liked to smell the garden. She was reading about a brown rabbit and she was feeling sleepy. Her curly head nodded, sho blinked her eyes, the last words on the page were not too clear. Not even the picture of the brown rabbit on the opposite page was clear. Some how he was all mixed up with the bushes. Somehow ho had got out of the somehow he liad got into the room where she was—through th? wide open glass door, very likely There he sat on the rug. sat and stared at her as if he was not quite certain of what she was going to do. But she didn't move, not .?ven a finger, and so he turned about anfrl waving a paw called in another brown rabbit very like himself. Anns wanted to pick them up, tlfcy were go cute but she kept very still and presently they began to whisper to each other. "What a funny place/' the second j one said. "It's not a garden. It's not a wood." j "It's a .room,'* the first answered; "and it has chairs and a table and n bookcase and a clock." He pointed to cach in turn. "It's funny just the same,' the second said. ''What's that over there?'' *His nose twitching, he pointed a paw toward a square box that sat on tJie floor. "Is it a table?'' he asked. The first rabb't looked puzzled. "It's not a tabic/ he said, "becauseit hasn't ii leg to stand on. let's go nearer." They hopped toward it soHlv. "It*s got a key.'' the second whispered. Me stretched forth a paw and l->ok hold of the tiny key. ''Turn it,'' the first rabbit said. Slowly the second rabbit turned the funny little key. Around and around and around he turned it uni til it Mould turn- no more. And j what do you think? I iFrom inside that small square box | came, a tune, n gay, jingling, "rollick, j ing little tune. ! Tra ? I Tra f lalala | Tra' La, La! I ! The two rabbits looked at each I other and grinned. "A music box," j the first cried. "Come, let's dance!" | But already the second rabbit wa<r j noint'ng a paw. Over the rug h? j danced, back and forth, back and I forth. He bowr>d ( lie turned he fii::; [ out his paws he whirled so fast tb'il | two' ears looked like one! And behlmi him the first rabbit danc.-d. [too, I J Aiine could not keen from l-iiis'.'i- ! ing aloud. Indeed she laughed so [ ha 1 -*! that she rolled off the window | seat and with the bump, opened bei I eyes wide. [ Where were the rabbits? S'if blink [ ed, s'tting upright. Ah, that wa: the tail of one of them hiii:ryin£> '"OTiT'd the door. Or was it a bit of thistledown? Stt-i could never be certain. And "ct tin- m.i L- box was still plnying.