A VISIT TO HOLLYHOCK LANE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1932, Page 16

A VISIT TO HOLLYHOCK LANE

(Original.) JOHN MICHAEL lay on the lawn under the ngaio tree. Above, the sky was blue, -with only a fluffy white cloudlet here and. there, and the _ sun was very, very hot. ... A humble bee buzzed about, and John jMichael stirred lazily as he heard the monotonous drone dovelop into -words. "What's that you're saying?" he asked. "You talking to me, Bee?" "I am,"- answered Bee, coming to rest on Tail-ups small, rounded aose. "I. was just wanting to know if you'd like to eomo for a visit with me to my friend in Hollyhock Lane." "Would I liko to?" said John Michael. "I'd just love to! How do :We get there, and can Tail-up come too? The others -won't mind staying ■here—Growly and Tuppence and the others—but Tail-up, he's different." "Course he can come," replied Bee. "Just sit on my back and hold Jtight." _ £ So John Michael climbed on to Bee's yellow-and-black striped back, and 'an less than five seconds' they were buzzing along through the warm air like hundreds of other bees. Their Bee seemed-to know everyone, John Michaelthought, for they\ all called a greeting to him. Across1 the fence they iwent, and into the garden, next door. • | "This is Delphinium. Doll," explained Bee, as they passed through -B garden of blue delphiniums, "and over there,is Nasturtium Nook, where ■ S live." He indicated a corner of brilliant golden nasturtiums, and cool ijrroenleaves. ... , , ■?'■' "And/here we are at Hollyhock Lane. This is where my friend Butterpip liv.es. You"see^ she's been very ill-for they made her go into the fields' rat Spjirigtimejbefpfe King Winter had gone.' She caught a chill and she's ;been in bed eversince. Here it is, No. 5, Hollyhock Lane." ' ' > . They stopped before the fifth hollyhock on a tall stem .... a brilliant scarlet was^ne-h6>use with yellow smoke, curling out of the chimney. They climbed down" i'rom Bee's back, John Michael and Tail-up, and followed Bee up the little green path to the door. ' v "May we come in/Battercup?" ho asked. "I've brought some friends |to visit you." f "Yes, do," came a sweet voice from inside. "Just lift up the >latch and ;-wali right inside."'' ;,:>', ;■ 'i Bee so, and they Y'ent into a. pretty little room, all a pale lemon ■ shade. rßuttercup, like a little bit of fairy gold, was lying on a couch ;;before a glowing fire. . '.'.. ;, •; "How 'are-you, :Be'e?" tshe said, as v they entered; ' "And this is John Michael and.Tail-tip? ?' t .■:'*-. . . .> ;, ; Beejnodded; and.gave them each a little stool to sit on. \ "And how do you feel to-day?" asked Bee. "Are you any better?" ;J _ So Bee was a doctor, tho/ught John Michael. That's why everyone knew him..' ..-^ ;. : ■ ~■,/■!-;. .."-.'■"' -f. Doctoj Bee seemed .quite at home in the house at Hollyhock Lane, for she bustled rouitd and gave them^a delicious afternoon tea of weo straw-J-berries and 'fairy cream. ' ' ■'.'_■ "Now we must be off again," said Doctor, after they'd quite finished. ♦1m glad I brought John Michael and Tail-up with me. for you look much brighter already." i ■ Buttercup, laughed—a little, tinkling laugh*—and said: "I'd love you to .bring them'again, Doctor, for I am so fond of visitors. Good-bye, John. JGood-byeylTail-iip.^ .■;.;' ■■''■'„... ;' The latch; clicked behind them. . . . John Michael stirred drowsily. There was Bee still' droning away in the* garden, a big bee with blaek-and-yellow stripes, and there was the brilliant scarlet hollyhock, iust over .the fence, nodding at him. ■«t ."^ 11, I did enjoy my visit to Hollyhock Lane," he said to Tail-up. .„ °? e we go.:again soon, before summer's gone, for then the hollyhock will die, and we won't know whereto find Buttercup. Didn't you love her,-,TaU-npT And I'm going right now to ask Bee. where she lives in-winter." And John Michael stood up on his sturdy brown, legs, and wandered about the garden trying to find Doctor Bee Kelburn. r "POLLYANNA" (17).

DEAE-MY-PIXIES : The little Summer Lady hid her face most of this iveek behind the grey, rollihg'clouds. Thai isn't like her at all, and I can only suppose that she was mourning because the most of you were spending her days, b,ack at. school, with your small noses buried in new books 'stead of .lifted to the four winds. ... . But she was in J the Fairy Ring, in heaps and piles of paintings . . . with a sweet, I shoeless elf swinging into a swnset sky, and with three pixies on a | warm brown wall. ... •■" | _' Such paintings were made beautiful, colourful things— — i with here a little green shoe a-flying, and there a tall red holly- I hock. It was hard, ever so liard, to guess the best, but these, I \ think, took the greatest care, and these the Postman ivill visit: I Betty Blow, who is .aged fourteen; "Pirate King," two years \ younger; "Carolina Moon," a pixie of ten; and "Silver Moon," 1 eighf-and-a-bit. , When you visit the Ring you may see these paint- | ings, and the almost-as-good ones too "Pollyanna's," in a rib- I ban frame, and "P.E.N.'s," "Water-Sprite's" and Marj.'s," "Kohine's" and "Sea-Horse's." All of them beautifully done,.so that the choice was ever so difficult. , \ Maybe these elves will be fortunate in our Sea-Page paintings \ which is not so very faraway. Wfltch for it, dear-my-elves, and write me a story or two for it. \ FAIRIEL.