For the Children.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2185, 14 September 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

For the Children.

THE DUSTMAN’S STORIES. (Continued.! TUESDAY. As soon as Hialmar was in bed, tho Dustman touched with his little magic wand all the pieces of furniture in tho room ; whereupon they all began to talk; and they talked all about themselves, excepting the spittoon, who stood quite still, and was much vexed at.their being so vuin, all talking about thomsolves, without e- < r thinking of him who stood so niode u:ly in the cornor, and suffered lance f to bo spat upon. Over tho wardrobe thoro hung a largo picture in a gilt frame; it was a landscape: there you might see tail trees, flowers blossoming in the grass, and a river that wound itself round the wood, passing many a grand old castle on its way to the sea. Tho Dustman touched the picture with liis magic wand; and immediately the birds began to sing, the boughs of the trees waved to and fro, and the clouds actually flew; one could see their shadows move over tho landscape.

The Dustman then lifted little Hialmar up to tho frame, and Hialmar put his legs into the picture: there he stood amid tho tall grass . Ho ran to the water’s edge, and sat down in a little boat, painted red and white, with sails glittering like silver; six swans, with golden wreaths round tlioir necks, and bright blue stars upon tlieir head, drew the boat along near a green wood, where the trees were telling stories about robbers and witches, and the flowers were talking of. tho pretty fairies, and what tho butterflies had said to them. Most beautiful fishes, with scales like gold and silver, swam behind the boat, every now and then leaping up, so that the water was splashed over Hialmar’s head; birds red and blue groat and small, flew after him in two long rows; the gnats danced, and the cockchafers said “boom, boom.” They all wished to accompany Hialmar, and overy one of them had a story to tell.

A pleasant voyage was that! The woods were thick and gloomy, now like beautiful gardens beaming witli sunshine and flowers. Largo palaces built of glass and marble rose from among tho trees; young princesses stood in tho balconies—these wero all little girls whom Hialmar knew well, and with whom lie had often played. They stretched out their hands to him, each holding a pretty little image made of sugar, such as are often seen in confectioners’ shops. Hialmar seized tlio end of one these little images as he sailed by, and the princess kept hold of the other, so each got half, the princess the smaller, Hialmar the larger. At every castle, little princes were keeping guard; they shouldered their wooden scimitars, and showered down raisins and tin-soldiers—these were true princes! Hialmar sailed sometimes through woods, sometimes through large halls, or the middle of a town. Among others lie passed through the town where his nurse lived, she who had brought- him up from infancy, and who loved him so much. She nodded and beckoned to him as he passed by, and sang the pretty verses she had herself composed and sent to him.

“How many, how many hours I think on theo, My own dear Hialmar, still my pride and joy 1 How have I hung delighted over tliee, Kissing thy rosy cheeks, my darling boy! Thy first low accents it was mine to hear, To-day my farewell words to tliee shall fly. Oh 1 may the Lord thy shield be ever near, And fit tliee for a mansion in the sky!”

And all the birds sang with her, the flowers danced upon their stalks, and the old trees nodded their heads whilst the Dustman told storias to them also. WEDNESDAY. Oh, liow the ram was pouring down! Hialmar could hear it oven in his sleep, and when the Dustman opened the window the water came in upon the ledge; there was quite a lake in front of the house, and on it a splendid ship. “Will you sail with mo, little Rialmar?” said the Dustman. “If you will, you shall visit foreign lands tonight, and be here again by the morning.” And now Hialmar, dressed in his Sunday clothes, was in the ship, the weather immediately cleared up, and thy floated down the street, cruised round the church, and were soon sailing on tlie wide sea. They quickly lost sight of land, and coiild only see a number of stories who had come from Hialniar’s country, and were going to a warmer ono. The storks were flying ono after the other, and were already far from land ; when one of them was so weary, that his wings could scarcely bear him any longer; lie was last in the train, and was soon far behind tlie others; he sank lower and lower, with his wings outspread ; he still endeavoured to move them, but it was all in vain; his wings touched tho ship’s cordage, lie slid down tho sail, and—bounce I there he stood on deck.

So tho cabin-boy put him in tho place where the hens, ducks, and turkeys wero kept; tlie poor stork stood amongst them quite confounded.

“Only look what, a foolish fellow!” cried all the liens. And the tur-key-cock made himself as big as lie could, and asked him what' lie was; and the. ducks waddled backwards and pushed each other, “quack, quack!”

The stork then told them about warm Africa, about the pyramids, and about the ostrich, who races through the desert like a wild horse; but the ducks did not- understand him, and again pushed each other, saying, “Do we not all agree in thinking him very stupid?” “Yes, indeed be is stupid!” said the turkey-cock, and began to gobble. So the stork was silent, and thought of In's Africa. “You have really pretty slender legs!” said the turkeycock. “What did they cost you per yard?” “Quack, quack, quack,” all the. ducks began to titter; but the stork seemed not to have heard the question.

“You might just as well have laughed with them,” said the turkey-cock to him, “for it. was ail excellent joke! But perhaps it was not high enough for you? ah! ah! he has very, grand ideas; let us go oil amusing ourselves.” And then he gobbled., th?

hens cackled, and the ducks quac'ked; they made a with their amusements.

But Hialmar went to the hen-house, opened tho door and called to tho stork, who immediately jumped on deck; ho had now rested himself sufficiently ; and bowed his head to Hialmar, as if to thank him. Ho then spread his wings and flew away —whilst tho hens cackled, the ducks quacked, and the, turkey-cock turned rod as fire.

“To-morrow, wo will have you made into soup!” said Hialmar; whereu]K>n lie awoke, and found himself in his own little bed. A strange journey had the Dustman taken him that night! (To ho Continued.)