Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 42, 27 March 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

SHAGGY MAGGIE.

There was in the nursery. Marjory sat in the arm-chair and sobbed alou<i;- Joey, who being a boy was not in the-habit of crying, could hardly keep the tears from his eyes;, while baby Kate, though not quite knowing what was the matter, howled with the others.

And the reason was that Shaggy Maggie, one of the tiniest and quite the sweetest Shetland ponythat ever lived, was missing.

Not an hour ago the gardener had come in to say that the meadow gate was open and the pony gone, and though a search was made in the meadows, not a trace could be found. ,

There were stran-go footmarks in the meadow, and the gate was wide open, so naturally every one thought she had been stolen; Daddy went off to the nearest town, to inforrnthe police, and to offer a reward ,for her return. X>ay after-day the children cried for her, and became more and more certain that they would never see her again.

Everybody, however, was mistaken—Maggie had not been stolen.

Only a few-months before, sli« had been brought from the Shet» land Isles, and in her new home, shut in on every side, by mouii' tains, she missed the s^ea breezes. The spring happened to be a very warm one; and she still wore her winter coat, which made her look like a little shaggy bear.

She loved the children, and the apples and sugar they gave her, but those mountain slopes tempted her. Sometimes the breeze that swept down the valley smelt salt, and reminded her of her is^ land home.

Then, one moonlight night, when some salmon poachers tramped across the meadow and left the gate open, she was unable to resist the temptation, and trotting out she was off. First at a canter and then a gallop, she went faster and faster till she was^ out of breath; then she rested, and nibbled the sweet grass that grew, by-the roadside.

Only for a' little while she stayed; then she was off again, higher and higher, while the air grew keen and fresh, and she felt she

could gallop for miles. When daylight came she left the track and wandered through the heather and bracken, and by a little mountain stream she slept until a rustling in the herbage awoke her.

A beautfful little creature, red-dish-brown in colour, and spotted all over with white, was staring at her a few paces away. :']'

It, was a red deer baby, and presently a herd of mother and baby red deer seemed to spring up from nowhere, and stood in a ring round her, wondering what this strange creature was. Ponies were rare in.those lonely mountains, and perhaps they had never seen one before..

After gazing at her for a few minutes they seemed to decide that she was not dangerous, and one by one they turned and, grazed slowly up the slope. -

Maggie was glad to have their cpmpany, and all day she followed the herd."" Then, when night came, sHe law down in the shelter of a great grey boulder, and went to sleep feeling much, safer than she could have felt had she been quite alone.

All that spring she kept near the deer, learning where the sweet est grass grew, and where to find the shadiest place among the rocks, when the sun grew so hot as to be almost unbearable.

She saw the great eagles and falcons nesting high up on the rocky cliffs, and she learned not to start when^a "mountain hare sprang xip almost from under her nose. She learned to turn aside when an angry flutter in the heather told her she Had nearly trodden Ojl a brooding ptarmigan. ~\. Sometimes she saw ehe shadowy firm of foxes and wild eats stealing aniouiig the rocks m the hope of pouncing ori some unwary bird or rabbit. She never ci? w a mail or another pony or horse of any sort.

One day, towards trie end of June, when the light remained in the sky all night long,,she left the deer, and wandered away by herself. Here and there she went, till she found what she wanted—

a cosy nook between two great rocks, sheltered, from the.wind and scorching sun.

A light breeze sprang up in the early hours of the next day, scattering the mist, and the eagle gliding over the slopes heard a stamping hoof and an angry snort, that warned him to keep away from Maggie and the little brown foal

that lay in the trampled bracken beside her.

All that day the little mother stood watchful and alert, ready to fight with teeth or hoofs for her baby.

Towards evening sbe went to drink from a tiny spring among the moss and stones, but quickly returned to keep her watch tiii the morning, when the f cal was on its legs and almost able to follow her.

All that day and Fiidsummpr night tbey stayed by those boulders, the foal growing stronger every hour. Then, Maggie leading, they wandered over the'moun tain ridges and through the valleys to where, by some wonderful instinct, she knew she would find the herd. '

Then came a happy time for those two. ..Gradually Maggie felt that shD* could do : without the deer: her baby's company was all she needed. Day after day she grazed further, and further from the herd, till at last she lost sight of them altogether.

All through th.c summer they lived among the mountains, happy and care-free. They had no enemiejs, though in winter a starving eagle might have atacked the foal.

Winter, however, was not to see them there. When autumn came a curious feeling of home-sickness stole over -Maggie, and she felt that she wanted the company of human beings.

She. came of a race that for hundreds of years had lived wi|h men, and now she was missing them.

Day after day the feeling, increased, till one evening she led the way down the slopes till they struck the rough path that led towards home.

Long before this the children had given up all hope of ever seeing their j>et again. Daddy had bought a new pony, and though it never took Maggie's place, they were very fond of it.

Mother and Daddy sat" at the breakfast table. Suddenly they heard a piercing shriek from the, gardenia shriek^of joy followed by the trampling of little feet in the hall.

i Then the door was burst open with a crash, arid three little figures rused in, breathless with excitement, with shining eyes and eager little faces. _ '' Mother! Daddy!'' they scream ed, "Maggie has come home and brought a baby." They were out

again, almost as soon as they were in. . : & \ "Come on," said Daddy, and^ out he and Mother ran to the lane in front of the house. There stood Maggie, and beside her a foal as beautiful as herself.. She was a little wild at first, but a sieve full of oats tempted her, and presently she allowed herself to be led to the loose box, the new pony being tutfned out into the meadow. • After that there was a feast of apples and sugar, though it was, some days before the foal grew tame enough to eat out of the children's hands. Those children have three ponies' now, all well trained, and three more clever little jockey than they are it would be difficult to find.