MIKE’S MAGIC COAT.

Otago Witness, Issue 4033, 30 June 1931, Page 69

MIKE’S MAGIC COAT.

Mike had been caught. in a mist on the moors, and since then he had been walking round and round in circles, always coming back to the same place. He felt damp and miserable. Then he saw the coat. It had not been there when he passed th? place before, but now it lay on the ground right in front of him. He picked it up and put it on, pleased to find how Warm it was. Then he started walking again, and to his surprise he had soon reached the edge of the moor and was near his home. • : : “ The coat 'must have done it! ’’ marvelled Mike, and he hung it up with great care. " ; ■ On the following day there was consternation in the country. The princess had vanished, and it was suspected that she had lost her . way on the moors or been kidnapped. The moors were scoured by messengers on horseback, but no one caught a glimpse of the princess. “Sure, an’ that’s aisy,” said Mike. “Me coat will find her all right, al! right.” And away he went, with somefood tied up in a handkerchief. and a stout stick in his hand.

He “ followed his nose,” and it led him along the highway and then through some lanes. On s and on he went, whistling blithely and swinging his stick, and when night fell he just wrapped himself up in the coat and slept. After travelling for another day he came to a lonely little hut. He tiptoed to the window and peeped in; and there was the princess, with a coarse apron tied round her waist, sweeping the hearth, whilst a shrewish old woman stood over her and scolded. Mike took command of the situation, and marched off with the princess and the old woman. The funny part was, though, that he had great* difficulty in finding his way to the palace, only getting farther and farther away from it With each step he took. Finally, in despair, he took off the coat and flung it over his arm. Then he asked the way of passers-by, and eventually reached the palace with his companions. When his friends came to congratulate him and to share in the reward they said: It was your wonderful coat, "wasn't it, Mike?” Mike rubbed his nose and looked at the coat dubiously. “ P’r’aps it was,” said he, “ but I am more inclined to think it was just me luck.”—Glasgow Weekly Herald.

TO ALL. Dear Little Folk, • ? he x Rowing story of an elephant interested me so much when I read it that I have copied it out for you:— There was an Eastern king who had a number of fine state elephants. His favourite amongst them, in spite of its uncertain temper, was one named Seit-Soh, who had grown very big and handsome and looked splendid in the rich hangings of cloth ot gold and the jewelled chains that be had to wear when the king went out for a ride. But he hated having to put them on, and was very troublesome then to his mahout, though at other times he was fond of the man and his family, who treated him and talked to him just as if he was one of themselves. One day the order came that the king wanted Seit-Soh at once, so the mahout had to hurry over dressing him up in his finery, and that put him into a bad temper. Then as he was coming up to the palace a dog darted out and barked at him furiously. Now, elephants are terrified of dogs, and Seit-Soh swerved violently and bolted back towards his stable.

-c/The mahout shouted .at him, arid struck him with the sharp-pointed elephant goad, upon which he swerved again and, unseated the driver, who fell to the ground. In-his confusion and temper and fright, the great animal, without meaning to, put his : loot on him, and the mahout was crushed to death;- At ■■ that moment'a woman came running frantically from the stables with a child in her arms. It was the dead man’s wife. “Oh, Seit-Soh, cruel, savage beast!” she cried in her despair. -You have killed my husband, who was so good to Now kill me and his son, for how shall we live without him! ” And sh" threw herself with the child across her husband e body. Those who stood by expected them also to be trampled to death, but Seit-Soh’s fit of rage was over, and he felt the deepest sorrow for what he had done which he showed by his drooping ears and downcast head. And as the poor woman cried and reproached him he stood looking sadly at her, while the child, who

was too young to understand what had happened, played with his trunk and crawled between his' legs, as he had often done before. Then the king himself came walking under a golden unbrella that was held by two servants in scarlet livery. He knew that the woman had no way now to earn a living for her and her child, and he said: "She shall be mahout.” To.her he said: “Bid the elephant kneel; and take thy dead husband‘d place.” Not daring to disobey her royal master, she commanded the creature to kneel. When she had seated herself, SeitSoh gently picked up the child with his trunk and handed him to then went quietly to his stable. —F rom that day she was his keeper. When most excited, most irritable, she had but to touch him witb her hand, and he remembered and was instantly calmed. She could take him everywhere without fear of danger to herself or anyone, and ae soon as her son was old enough he became mahout, and Seit-Soh never again gave way to hie bad temper.—Your loving ’ DOT.