Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 9, 24 July 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

So saying he .frisked away out of sight, while the Magician shut his eyes and went to sleep, and snored one hundred and ninetynine loud snores, as lie always did when people made him tired.

"No, thank you, Mr. Magician, I don't want any more things from your store. I would rather be just an. ordinary Rabbit, and live quietly in my nice deep hole, as X did before. I have tried horns, and. I have tried claws, and I have tried teeth, and'l nave been uncomfortable in them all. Besides, I've got quite a bald, spot on my tail where you've pulled the hairs out, and my mother does not like it."

But this time Buggies cried:—

"Well, you are certain to find something to defend yourself with that you will really like, if you just take another look round my store. And the price, as you will surely remember, is only ten white hairs from your little white tail."

The Magician took them out in silence, by means, of a magic known only to himself. Then he said:—

; '-Matter?' 'squeaked Buggies as well as he could through the bigwhite teeth that *: crowded his mouth. He looked very thin and ill. "Matter? Why, these horrible teeth won't let me eat any grass or cabbage—or anything nice:. They are only good for biting people with-—and- I find I don't want to bite anybody after all. Besides, they make my mouth sore. Please^ take them out, Mr. Magician." • ~;.' .'' '

, :'^ What? You again ?'' said the Magician quite crossly. "What is tfre.matter this time?" ,

Buggies went away very proxid of Hinself and his new teeth; but in le^ss than, a week he was back oncC' more at the Magician's store.

[ ''Excellent!" said the Magician and he fastened the fox's big white teeth into Buggies' little mouth by means of a magic known only to himself. Then he tweaked out ten more white hairs from the rabbits-little white tail.

' 'Please, Mr. Magician,'' he said "I should like these fine teeth to defend myself with, and then I shall be as crafty and as fierce as old Reynard the Fox."

THE MAGICIAN WHO LIVED ROUND THE CORNER.

Buggies-the Rabbit sat just outside his hole and thought and thought. He wanted to scamper across the field and play with the .Snug-some Rabbit Family, who lived in the Wood on the other side of the field—but he was afraid to go such a long way by; himself. There were 'such.a lot of things Buggies was afraid of—Weasels and Stoats, and Cats and Dogs, and Foxes and Ferrets, arid Owls And Men-with-Guns and—oh well, heaps of things besides.

"It's a shame," said Buggies the Rabbit to himself, "that's what it is. A-~poor Rabbit like me has nothing to defend himself with. Something ought to be done about it. A cat has claws to scratch with; and a dog has teeth to bite with; and a cow has horns. Even a Hedge Hog has prickles-^ut I've got nothing at all. Anybody/- could come 'and gobble me up, and I couldn't do, one single thing to stop it. It's 41 shame." ./ He went on thinking about it so long- that lie got cold and shivery all oyer his soft little body.: Then suddenly he. had an idea,, aiifi lollopped off to visit the Magician who lives roun(^ the corner.. The Magician was busy making - spells wneh Buggies came to see him, but he stopped working and listened to what the Rabbit had to say. "What's that you want?" he asked when Buggies had finished talking. "Something to defend yourself with? Well, just take a look round —you're welcome to anything you can find. But remember, the price is ten white hairs from your little white tail," The little Rabbit lippety-lollop. Ed all round the Magician's store but he couldn't find anything he liked better than a pair of pointed black horns that had once belonged to a wild goaty --. "Please, Mr Magician—l should like these horns to, defend myself with, and. then L. slrall -~be as bold and as brave as B|lly/ ihe (jroat,'' he said. .; :/XvT ':• i '■[ "' %?'•■ ■ ■ • "Certainly," s&ftjltjie^;^tagifeian, and he fastened the horns oil'.to^ Buggies' head ,by means 'of & magic known only to himself.. And then he tweaked but ten Avhite hairs from the. Rabbit's little white tail. ■:'. : ■ Buggies went away as pleased as anything. But very, very early" the next morning he was back at the Store of the Magician who lived round the corner. He knock ed at the door, and waited until the Magician poked out his head. '' What ? Back again already ?" j <?ried the Magician, staring at him through his round spectacles, j "What's the matter now?" j "Why, these horrible horns got j stuck in something everywhere I went," complained Buggies. * * First they got caught in some brambles, and it took me ages to get out. Then they got hitched in'a fence—then I found I could not even get into my own hole> and had to stay out all night long. Besides, they make my head ache. Please take them off, Mr. Magician." "Oh, very well," said the Magician ,and*he made a magic only known to himself which took the horns from the little Rabbit%head "Anything ;else in my store you are welcome to, I'm sure," he said "But remember—the price is ten white hairs from your little white tail." Buggies lolloped all round the store again, and this time he found a set of very, sharp claws that had once belonged to a wild cat. "Please ,Mr. Magician, I should like to try these sharp.claws as a weapon to defend myself with— and then I shall be as brave and as fierce as Thomas the Cat," he said. *

"Charmed to help you," said the Magician, and he fastened the claws to Buggies' four feet by means of a magic known only to himself. Then he tweaked out ten more white hairs from the Rabbit's little white tail. ;

Buggies went away as happy as. happy, but in three" days he- was back again at the store Of the Magician who lived round |he corner.

4'Goodness me!" exclaimed the Magician when he saw the Rabbit sitting in frOnt of him. -'Has anything happened to your nice sharp claws?"

"Yes?,'" said Buggies crossly. 4' First of all I forgot all about them, and when I had to scratch my left ear on account of a little tickle, they tore a great hole in it. You can still see it. Then, when I had to dig a new door to my burrow, they got in the way like .anything—X .got hardly any work' done yesterday. Besides, they hurt my feet when I run. Please take them op,* at once, Mr. Magician; I want to scratch my ears, this very instant mi mite."

'; By all means,'' said the : Magician, and took them off by a:?magic known, only to himself. And Biuggles was able to scratch, both his ears to his heart's content. When he had quite finished; the 'Magician said:—

"Well, well, just look -round lay store in case you see something you like better than these claws. And of course you won't forget that the price is ten white hairs from,your little white tail?"

Buggies scampered about the store, and presently .he found the very thing to defend himself with. It was a get of teeth that had once belonged to a fox.