Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 2, 5 June 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

THE GLASS MARIONETTES.

Outside a little shop, in a crooked street stood an old Marionette Man. with,his tiny dolls' theatre perched on a" barrow. It was a

shabby lit

c curtains

were frayed

need?

Ed no\r* <Xl

iTeshly 'paii

the old

man got so ' few. p enii ij theatre had to stay si'

's.-that the.; kbbv.

Day after day lie gaftl^his little show, and day after dayw*#!*tLe frayed . curtains parte^ and the shabby dolls played their parts on the ends of their black strings, which the old man worked with his thin hands

"Why,'there's the old. Marionette Man.!'" said old Mr. Christmas, ..the glass-blower. "1 must have a look at him.'' So he stood on h]s counter and peeped through his dusty fan-light to watch the show. :

While he was watching, he wondered how it would be to.make a. little glass theatre with glass marionettes. .

And-when,-tj*e old Marionette Man came into his. shop, his shabby old hat held in his hand, begging a penny, he found old Mr Christmas dancing on his counter.

"What makes you so gayl" asked the poor old man. "Aha! that's a,secret," chuckled Mr. Chi^stmas; "but come back to my shop in a month from now, and .I'll give you something far better than a penny in your hat." "Do you mean that?" , asked the old man.

''I do,;" said Mr. Christmas. Arid that night lie set to work to blow all tlie glass: dolls for the beautiful' glass Marionette Show which lie was going to rilake for the old Marionette Man.

He blew a little blue glass prince with a crystal feather yv his hat, and stood him on the counter.. ■ /-

: So he w prkecl every day^until at laW tn^' s!^airtii^i| Mass^Maribn^ ette K^hQW: wa&:ii^shed, aildjthe old mail was" Me to dome. - v " •

Mr. Ghtistnia^s looked:?-at all the coloured and the cry^ stal glaiss chairs and tables > and the lovely curtains with their glass bead fringes, and 'he felt that he couldn't part wi^h his glass theatre. '' Oh, what shall Ido ?'' he cried. 7 The shop door opened, and the Marionette Man come in. When he, saw the beautiful glass theatre standing on the counter, he took off his hat and" held it tremblingly against his chest. "All my life I.have dreamed of a marionette show like that i' he cried; "and now my dream has come true."

Mr. Christmas shook his, head as he confessed;.

"I made it for you," he said sadly. "For me!" cried the old man. * * Oh, but how can I thank you I Mr. Christmas didn't know. All he JtneV was, that when the glass theatre went from his shop his heart would break;.

"Why, Mr. Christmas, what is the matter?" said the old man, who saw a tear like glass shining on the old glass-blower's nose. "I cannot bear to part with it,** whispered Mr. Christmas.

"Well, you shan't,"- cried the old Marionette Man; "we will all live here together."

So Mr. Christmas and the old Marionette Man live together and the glass marionettes dance and play their parts iri the little parlour behind the shop, and children go every day to see the Glass Marionette Show.

And if you se ea little old glassblower's shop with. "Mr. Christmas" written over the window, and a shabby old Marionette Theatre hung above the door, run in, as fast as you can, because it is there you will find the old Marionette Man with the Glass Marionettes.