Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 47, 1 May 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

TUMBLE TOES.

Tumble-Toes was one of the quaintest little elves in all Fairyland. He was round and fat just like a pumpkin," and his legs were small-and his head was small. He also had a funny little turned-up nose; he got this from his habit of tumbling 0n it^so-miieh.

No matter where \he went or -what he did he was almost sure to catch his toes against something and tumble over. Sometimes it wiis a branible twig, or a pebble, or the root-, of a tree. With liis . round fat body and small head and legs, it was impossible for-Tumble-Toes to see any little obstacle close to the ground or near his toes; aiid then again he had a habit of trying to follow his nose, which, of course, turned upwards at the end, and so he was always gazing up atthe cluds in-stead-of in front oX him.

, But.:,witli all his tumbles (and some were pretty hard at times) Tuinble-ZToes was always-, merry and bright and-picked-himself up with a laugh- (Not like some little boys and girls I know)". One day as Tumble-Toes was walking through the woods, with his. hands in his pdekets, and his head in the air, whistling the. latest Fox-trot, from Fairyland, ne suddenly caught his toes in a-twig and fell heavily on to a lovely, ftesh bed of primroses:.

Now it so happened that some little fairy maidens had taken a great deal of pains with this special bed" of primroses, and, of course Tumble-Toes made ratltier, a mess of hteni. It vvas one' of-his great faults that*when he tumbled he could not help rpllirig over and .over several times, and that did not improve the primroses:

Next morning, when the, primrose fairies' came to^looK at their pet flower-bed there was a* 1 great deal of crying" and sobbing. ..

'(Oh, dear! sotted one little fairy, dabbing her eyes with a r dainty handkerchiefs of thistledown, •''^pmeohe has been rolling on our darling primroses.''

'' Yes,'' cried another, '' and the Queen was so pleased with them yesterday that she has invited us all to the Fairy Ball to-morrow, night, and now we shall not be able to go. It is really too bad.'';

"Hullo ! Hullo ! Hullo !" cried a merry voice. "Whatever is the matter?"

Looking round they saw Tumble Toes crawling- through the hedge. Just as he had managed to scramble out, he caught his toes in a bramble twig- ■and,,turning several somersaults, landed with a chuckle at the fairies'feet. He picked himself up, jammed his hat on the back of his headand looked around him at the tear ful faces of the little fairy maidens. ''Why are^ you all crying and looking so miserable this morning?" he asked. <

"Qh! Tumble-Toes, dear," cried one of the fame's, "just look at the trouble some naughty person has brought on us. They have broken down our lovely primroses and the Queen will be so annoyed with us that she will not let us go to the Fairy Ball to-niorrow night." .. - ■.-■.-

''And instead," chuckled Tum-ble-Toes, ."you will be spanked anj-i put to bed. But cheer, up, and we will see what can be, done before the : ; Queen 'comes along;* You know, it's: no good crying over spilt'Hiilk. You should laugh and grow fat like me/"

But with all his jokes and antics, Tumble-Toes could not pacify them,... so'he', set to work as best hecould to- got the primrose bed shipshape before -the Queen/ came along.

He 'fetched dew from, the mea- [ dow in his .hat, and bathed the primroses' faces; but it was all in vain, and it. was nearly time for the' Fairy Queen to pay her morning visit. o . ' . . »V Tumble-Toes was just coming back .from the meadow with a hat. fall of dew, when-he noticed, the Queeli 1 and; her fairies were all carefully looking at the bed of primroses; - .' .

As 'the Elf came lip to them the Queen .turned and looked at him •with a stern face.

wHo! Ho! Tumble-Toes/ said the Queen crossly, ■'' this- looks very much like some of yoiir work." • ' -V"i

Poor Tumble-Toes bent- his head, and, still holding his hat full of dew, he humbly tdld- the Queen how he had tumbled over a twig rolled on to the primrose bed. ' -

v -''That was Very careless .of you," said the Queen. "If you h*ad,only I6oked where you were going, instead of gazing at-the clouds, you would not have caught your toes" in-the twig."

Poor Tumble-Toes felt ver,y. muclvashamed of liimself, and pro-

misV;d to be more careful in fu-

ture. 1' I fear I must tea^h you a lesson, young man," said the Queen, ''and you will be banished from Fairyland until you have learnt to do some good in the world."

She waved her wand, and Tum-ble-Toes walked sadly away, feeling very sorry for himself.. What good could a funny little elf like him do hi such a big world! 'When he had left Fairyland far behind he found himself in a strange world of big-people, he felt very neryous^rand wandered how he would be able to keep his toes from catching in the many little things which the untidy big people left lying about. ■•,"•■.

First he tumbled over a rake handle and rolled across a garden path. Then he caught his feet in a rose-bush and tumbled amongst, lh c thorns. He caught his toes on the hard shell of a snail, who put out his horns and frightened Tumble-Toes so much that he rolled down the hill right.to the bottom- ' ~'■'■. ■ : t i

One day, after he had tumbled over a great many. times, lie fel 4i o tired that he sat down under a Vsce and went to sleep. \Vhen lie i'.;id- had about forty winks he was aroused by hearing voices close at hand, and peeping out he saw a nurse, pushing a fiiiniy kind of carriage, called an invalid chair, over the'lawn near the tree.

The nurse was telling a fairy story to a little sick boy who lay on his back in the-chair.

, " Qh! Nurse^ dm£^, said the little boy, - when the^ ptory ; was eiided. "$0 you Really think there are fairies arid elves?"

:tt Why^, of ; course there are," she answered, "and if you are good the. fairies will ;make you" well again. But now you must go to, sleep whilst I .sit* .on'the'seat under the tree."- : ,/; •

Tumble-Toes... was very "cfirious to' know more of this littl^ sick who wondered if there Were^ such things^as' fairies and elves. < So when he saw^that Nursey was deeply interested in a book she was reading, he crept softly over to the chair, climbed tip the side, and peeped'over the top. -He saw a dear little curlyheaded boy with a thin 'white face. He was gazing up at the blue skies above" and presently' gave a sigh.

"I wonder/ lie whispered to himself.

' 'What do 'you wonder"?'' asked Tnmble-Toes, creeping along the

side until he was-quite-close to the little white face.

The boy turned his head and looked at the quaint little elf.

"Who are you?" he asked

"I am Tumble-Toes, and I come from Fairyland," answered the eH.

"I was just wondering if there were such things as fairies and elvjes, like Nursey was reading about, because I do so want o get better, and I think a fairy could help me so much."

"I am from Fairyland and have come to help you get better, "replied Tumble-Toes.

"How will you do that, you f uriny little man ?' '•' asked the boy /with a tiny smile. •

"Umph!" grunted TumbleToes, "I wonder-"

He started to walk up and down the coverlet on the chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.. He did not notice a strap which stretched'across- \lne chair from side to side, and without more ado he caught his toes in it and tumbled over and over till he came to a stop almost up to the little boy's face. : ; ; .'

" That's very clever of you,' ' said the boy laughing. . ■'.' Do you usually tumble about likVthat?"

"Oh! dear yes; I'm always doing it,", said Tumble-Toes, "you see that is how I get my name." He was laughing as usual, and when he -looked at the little boy he saw that h6 aiso was laugMng, and his eyes brightened. "Why, I; do believe you are ithe who is:going to make me better, "/he saijd, .... ; ;■

As he said this Tumble,-Toe began to turn all sorts of somersaults and wheels up and down the coverlet until the little boy was laughing, and clapping in *kigh glee.

y-is langliter; liowever,- rewsed up his .nurse, who quickly caate to see what was the matter.

Tumble-Toe disappeared over the_ side and scrambled into a currant bush, . "Ohl Nursey dear,'' cried the little' boy,. .■•'.* l have just seen ' a funny little m4n, and he tms&led Utbout all over, the coverlet .and »* played such funny tricks that I \e had to laugh, and I believe lam ? going to get well again." "Why, of course you are!" an- ' swered Nursey.

For several days after, TumbleToes would visit his little sick friend, and jump and skip and tumble up and down the coverlet to his heart's content ;■ untily one day the little boy was so well and strong that Nursey brought him out. walking instead of pushing him in the invalid chair.

Of course, Tumble-Toes could not play with him now, and as he sat lonely on a toad-stool, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He looked round and saw the sweet smiling lace of one-of the little primrose-fairies. .

"I- have come to, fetc Nh you back to Fairyland, ".she said, "arid you are to come with me to the Queen's Palace."

When they arrived at the Pal ace the Queen summoned TuittfoleToes to her. . -.■""'

'■Well xlone, my friend!" she said _sweetly. "You have done your good work in the world. You have helped a sick child back to healh, and we have great pleasure in welcoming you back after your banishment, and intend you to become the Court jester, so that we can laugh at .your antics and tunbles instead of scolding you for them."

- Tumble-Toes humbly thanked the Queen/ and as he bowed his way out of the; room he caught his heels on a^tool and tumbled over and over/-setting the whole Court into roars of laughter. Ask any fairy you see what she thinks of Tumble-Toes and she will tell you that he is one of the quaintest and happiest little Elves iiv all Fairyland.