WELCOME TO . . .

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 108, 2 November 1940, Page 17

WELCOME TO . . .

"Monty" (12) City. Kathleen Thomson (11) ... Miramar. Murray West (12) ......... Karort. "Ninepins" (14) Seatoun. "Lazibones" (15) Lower Hutt.

"Stiver Cap," Ngalo.— Witches and broomsticks flew into the Rlug every time we opent-d a letter. 1 like the verse you sent for Hallowe'en. "Peßalorum." Lower Kutt-r-Of course we re member this King name very well and we'rr delighted to Ond you back in the artists circle. "Child of Sprlnc" Is a charming sketch but too finely drawn for good repro ductlon. .1 nope you'll come visiting when you eoino to the city. Blue Veil," City. Congratulations on all your (food work. All the Bine people are dolnu their share of war-work with a will. I'm Elad you have made friends with a "llttltBrlton."

Ninepins," Seatoun.—Letterbos Elf and I have been haviiiK ureat fun with your puzzli letter. We tried a long time before we • could put It together. , . . You may havt this penname. pew pixie. Lazlbpnes." Lower Hutt -We do not have vlsltinp Mmc on a Saturday morning, but It you happen to be in town you may call at the Ring. Tell Letterbox Elf when you art romlnu. 'Fairy Web," City. — l hope you've escaped those teases the Sneezes, small elf. What a ga> garden you've planted around Crayon Cot taeel "King of the Fairies," City.—Thanh you for sen dins me those funny postcards of Timothy Mouse. I hope he didn't lose his handsonx ...whltkers In the accident. 'Honoy Queen." Pukerua Bay.—Now Letterbox Elf is bark at 'he Rinu with stores of eneri;* so he should find you a eood game. When he was In the north he became & real waterplxle. I suppose you are. too. -Tassie." Kelburn, What fun ~ , the welcome home letters! Letterbox Elf and I will eer falnly join In. We were excited when w found your letter with news of "Child of Happiness." "Pearl o the East." Mlraroar.—A message from "Joy Germ's" mushroom, which reads, "Please tell 'Pearl o' the East' bow mucb I enjoyed her spring poem-" '

(Original.)

There s a Spring breeze a-swaying

Through awakening lands, The Spring girl's playing,

With laughter in her hands; From her store of loveliness

Lavishly she spills Spring buds, violets. And golden daffodils, —Pat Dobson (16

Dannevirke,

Once upon a time, long ago, -here was a glade in the middle of Ockmgton Forest. In this gladfc were twelve toadstools, which formed a fairy ring. Here at midnight on Hallowe'en the twelve guardians of the forest met to discuss many things. This year when the elves arrived at the glade, they did not look happy but soi owfuJ and angry When they were seated on the toadstools an elf arose to address the gathering.

"Brother guardians," he said, "since

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last Hallowe'en, two greedy and selfish farmers have come to our lands. They have taxed the peasants cruelly, beaten their animals, and starved their dogs until they set upon any who ®ome

near them. They have even sworn there are no fairy folk, and refuse to put out saucers of cream for us as the peasants do. This is Hallowe'en and we are given the power to do what we please until sunrise. It .s time these men left Ockmgton Forest, for they have brought nothing but misery to the peasants, so let us use our power to drive them away.

"Yes yesi" chorused the guardians approvingly. "Let us begin now!" And so it was that six elves flew to Farmer Grumble's big farm, and the other six to Farmer Grouch's.

The first thing the elves did was to pull up all the "Trespassers will be prosecuted" signs, pile them ut in a meadow, then set fire to them The bonfire blazed away merrily as the little men worked Some opened the gates of the sheep-pens and chased the sheep away down into the village, where the peasants found them next morning After that an elf raided Farmer Grumble's larder and gave all the meat there to his three hungry dogs. As he walked back to the others the elf munched the remainder of a large apple pie.

Another wee man went to Farmer Grouch's wood shed and found there two tins of paint, one white and one red. Swiftly he got to work and painted the roof of the house white and the walls red. Next he paintea the windows so that Fanner Grouch could not see anything when he awoke next morning. One elf went to the fowl-

A number of the pixies skipped into Farmer Grumble's stables, and gave the horses there the best feed of hay they had had for a long time.

Dawn was breaking as the elves flew back to the glade in Ockington For est. They looked at each other and laughed heartily as they thought of the farmers' faces when they saw what had happened

Farmer Grouch woke at 8 o'clock next morning He was a lazy man and never got up early to do any work. He thought it was very dark, so he turned over to go to sleep again. Just then, however, his clock struck eight, and he wondered why his room was so dark. So he jumped up out of bed, ran to his window, and pushed it up. What a sight met his eyes! His flowers were uprooted, and his fowls were grubbing for food in his once-pretty garden. He turned red and white with anger as he looked. He hurried on his clothes and ran on swiftly as possible to Farmer Grumble's.

Suddenly he stopped in amazement. Gxmmble's farm had been treated in the same way as his. Even as he looked, Grumble ran out yelling at the top of his voice. He was frightened as well as angry, and as he passed Grouch he cried out, "I am leaving Ockington for ever. The place is haunted—look, demons have been at work/ Grouch could not hear plainly