Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 50, 22 May 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

THE SLEEPY DUSTMAN.

The Sleepy-Dustman was very nmch upset. Somebody had. hidden his bag of Sleepy-Dust. It was, long past .^heeliildr en's bedtimir; but of course they were all wide awake, because no SleepyDust had been sprinkled in their eyes. ' • .. • "Oh dear, oh dear V ' sighed all the Mummies and Nannies, "will the Sleepy-Dustman never come to-night!" ". '. The poor little fellow was hunting everywhere, in his Odd Little House for the Sleepy-Dust. His dog, Dreams, lay oii the rug. and blinked: .

''iSoi^e and help me find my. Slee^-Dtast,^ .said, the Sleepy-, Dustfiian. vl;- s-• :,iyzi ''No, no," said Dreams, "I shall lie'here till the children are asleep. 11l be busy enough then.' ''But they can't g~o to sleep till I find my Sleepy-Dust," cried the Sleepy-Dustman. t Dreams, said nothing, but still lay on the rug blinking, and the Sleepy-Dustman--went, on with the search-• Presently Night-iLight, the Owl, fluttered intq the.Odd Little House.

"I've lost my Sleep-Dust," cried the Sieepy-Dustman ;" will you please lit'lp me to find iti "No, no," said Night-Light, the Owl, "I'll be busy enough when all the children are. asleep .and-the lamps turned out." '' But they can't go to sleep till j find my Sleepy-Dust," said the Sleep-Dustman. Night-Light, the Owl,, sat himself on the top of a cupboard and Hmked, but he diet not say anything, and the Sleepy-Dustman went on with ike search.

Pivseriily a Bright Little Star jtvcpcci in at i^Ue window of the Odd Little House.

••\V:(it arc you looking for, + Sk-py-Dustn:an?" he : asked. ■••] h.v.e ]6st my bag of SleepyDus-., >J r'i-'i '.le Sleepy-Dustman, '' and all the children in the world Are wide awake and it is long- past bedtime."

"I will help you to find it," said the Bright Little Star, and he shone into all the nooks and corners of the Odd .Little House, arid he shone on Night-light, the Owl, but he shone longest of all on Dreams, who lay on the rug and blinked-

''I've found your Sleep-Dust said the Bright Little Star. "Oh, thank you," said the Sleep-Dustman, "where is it!" "Ask Dreams," said the Bright Little Star, and he shut up his i one eye ever so tight. :: "Oh Dreams," cried/the SleepyDustman, Tl did you know all the time where my bag of Sleep-Dust was?" '-. ~. " ...

Then Dreams stopped blinking and pulled up the corner of the rug hq was lying on, and there lay the bag of Sleepy-Dust. '' How could you be so naughty said the Sleepy-Dustman. '-'Think of all the little children wide awake long past bedtime!" Then Dreams <was sorry, and he trotted very quietly after the Sleepy-Dustman as he went from nursery to nursery sprinkling his Sleepy-Dust. Dreams wagged nis tail at each little white cot, and the children smiled in their sleep. NO-SUCH FARM. One day Night-light the Owl said to the dog Dreams, "Have you seen the cat at No-Such Farm?" Dreams pricked- up his ears. Like other clogs, he love chasing cats. : '' Where is -No-Such Farm % '' he asked. "Oh, just down the road and round to your left, then bear to your right till you come to the mill. Take the footpath through the field, and when you come to the haystack I should ask again," said Night-Ljght, the Owl. /'C aii I get there and back before tea?" asked Dreams. . ■■■ ■ "Oh yes, easily," said NightLight the Owl, and he shut up one of his big eyes very tightly indeed.

"Well, good-bye, "said Dreams, and he trotted out of the Odd Little House and down the road..

When he came to where two ways met. he .stood still ancf thought hard. ""Did Night-Liight the Owl say first on the left or first on the Tight! v Perhaps I Kad-beft-er ask somebody' ;' ; ;■ . Ail old man was % conidng down, the road with a buiidij^ of faggots j on;, his back. ' -"Please sir," said Dreams, "can you tell me the way .to No-Such YarmV! ■ . . . ■ ii Oh yes, funny dog,''. said the old 1 man with a chuckle. "It is down the ro.ad and round to the left. Then bear.to the right till you come to the mill. Take the footpath through the field: : When you come to the-haystack 1 shoiild ask again." - : \ "Thank you," said Dreams, and he trotted off down the road. When he came to where two ways 'met he stood still and thought hard. ■ ■ ■^*-- ■;,^?^^^; : -: ; .--.. "Did the old man with the faggots on his back say first on the left or .first oil the rigKt? Perhaps I'd better ask somebody." - Sitting on the grass by the side of the road was a small giii, making a daisy chain. *' Please, . small girl," said Dreams, "can you tell me the way to No-Such.Farm?" . "Oh yes, funny dog," said the small girl with a smile. "It's down this road and frouiid to the left, then -bear to the right . till you come to the mill. Take * the footpath through the field. When you come to the haystack I should ask again.' '' Thank you," said Dreams, and he trotted off down the roadWhen he came to where two ways met he stood still and thought hard.

"Did the small girl who was making a daisy chain say first on the left or first on the right? Perhaps I had better.ask somebody." So he said to a boy who was passing with a big basket *on his arm: " Please boy, can you tejl me the way to No-Such Farm ?" '. ■

'■? Oh yes, funny dog,'' said the boy, with a grin. "It's down the road and round t© your left T Then bear to your right till you come to the mill. Take the footpath through the field. When you come to the haystack I should ask again.' .

"Thank you," said Dreams, and off he trotted once more. When he came to where two ways met he stood still again and thought hard.

''Did the" boy with the basket on his arm say first on the left or first on the right? I'd better ask somebody.". He looked round, but there did not seem.to be any one about. So he sat down- under

a cherry-tree. Presently he heard a faint rustling among the leaves, aiicJL looking up saw Ni-ght-Light the v Owl. ~ '

".."Please, Night-Light," said Dreams, "will yon show me the Way v W "No-Such -Farm. For though I've walked a long way I dpir't seem to be any nearer to it than when I started. ",

'"Come along then," said NightLight the Owl- He fluttered off, and Dreams,, very tired by now, trotted behind him.

They went.down the roa«d and round to the left, then to the right till they came to the mill, then they took the footpath through the field, and when they came to the haystack there was the Odd Ijittle House straight in, front of them. , ■■":'■

"Here, we are home; again,", said Night-Light the Owl, - ''But where is No-Such Earm ?"' asked~Dreams.

"There is no such farm," said Night-Light the Owl* ;