THE FLY HIGH TREE.

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

THE FLY HIGH TREE.

One day, as the Diddledy Gnome was sitting by the fire warming his toes, the Puck-Shee Gnome earner in.- ,

* * Good morning, neighbour!'' said he; "would you like to see what I have in my pocket V'

"Yes, please," said the Diddledy Gnome.

So the Puck-Shee Gnome tookfrom the pocket of his jacket a small rouij|d pebble—or perhaps it was a berry, or perhaps it was a seed. ''Dear me!'' said the Diddledy Gnome, '' what is . this ? I have never seen anything quite like it. It must be a magic seed!" The Puck-Shee Gnome said, ''I don't know, but the Pedlar Man gave it me in exchange for some peanuts. Let us go and hide it in the ground." ■ • , So the two little gnomes went out and looked about the DingDong Common, and they made a little hole and set the magic seed in it and covered it up. That very moment there sprang up a little tree; and it kept growing and growing, higher and higher, till the little gnomes had 1 to crick their necks to look up at it. For the boughs of the tree were very far up indeed, and down below only the trunk could be seen, and that was as smooth, as smooth. j At last the top of the tree' was j so far up that the little gnomes • could not see it at all. ■ 'Dear me! This is very sad," said the Puck-Shee Gnome, "I do wish it was a little bit lower." ' Now, "no sooner had he said this than the trunk of the little tree trembled and seemed to run a tiny bit into the ground. But still the top of the tree could not be seen. ' '-I wish it were just high enough for us to be able to see it," said the Diddledy Gnome. At once the little tree trembled again, and in a moment it had shortened so that both little gnomes could see the top of it, which was all green and feathery with leaves. - "Oh, how lovely it is I" sighed the Puck-Shee Gnome. The Diddledy Gnome, too, said, ' •OO r how lovely it is!" Indeed, the little tree was rather nice,, with its long smooth trunk and its feathery top. Just at that moment the FlyFas t' Gnome went rushing past in a very great hurry. As he disappeared he cried: — . ''Look out! So-Sly the Orge is coming, and he is as cross as cross!" . ■'■•■•.. J "Let us run and hide," said the Diddledy Gnome, shivering like a leaf. Alas!.at. that very moment they heard the dull tramp, tramp, of the Orgre 's feet from the very direction they wanted to take. Then the Puck-Shee Gnome had a grand idea, and he cried to the little tree "I wish you were so low that we could climb into your branches.

That very moment the little tree came running down like a flash, till the little gnomes could easily climb in. °

Then the Puck-Shee Gnome whispered to the little tree: — ■■

"I wish you were so high that So-Sly the Orgre could not see your laughs."

At once the little tree., rail up —whir-r-r!—-till the two tittle gnomes felt as if they were sitting among the elouda. •

: They could just hear So-Sly the Orgre pass by, tramp, tramp, tramp ; but they knew he could not see them, so they did not care a bit. ' '

When the Ogre wafi gone, the Puck-Shee Gnome said, "You can wish for the tree to be small again, Diddledy Gnome. "

So the Diddledy Gnome "said to the tree; "I wish you were short enough for us to fly down to tße Common."

That very moment the little tree became just the height, by wished and away home they hurried.

After that the little gnpmes often hid themselves in the tree, and

nobody ever guessed where they were. They called the little tree the Ply-High tree, and they felt that it was the most Valuable tree in the whole world. .