HANDY MANDY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 April 1927, Page 22 (Supplement)

HANDY MANDY

It was nearly supper time. Margaret ran in the kitchen from outdoors. She had been digging in her flower garden and her hands were covered with soft brown earth. Peeping through the dining-room door, for she was very hungry, she saw that the table had not yet been set. “I wonder what’s the matter? It’s nearly six,” she said. Voices were coming from the living-room. Someone was calling on mother. Father would soon be home and have to wait for dinner. In a flash Margaret thought she would help matters along. Washing her hands in the kitchen and putting on her apron, she quietly began to set the table. She had not done this all alone before, and as she hurried she wished she could remember just the right places for knives, forks and spoons. “Wish Handy Mandy would help me,” thought she. A laugh came from the china cupboard, and to her joy there was Handy Mandy, the tiny housekeeping fairy, peeping out in glee. “You are the quickest one to appear I ever saw,” whispered Margaret. “Thought it was time you played this game. Are you going to spread the table with d’oyleys or a cloth? Your mother has such pretty things it’s a pleasure to set a table in her house!” the dear little fairy said. “Well,” said Margaret, “I think I’ll use the blue and white supper cloth with serviettes to match. Perhaps the caller will stay to dinner. After the cloth was neatly and evenly laid Handy Mandy sang these rules for the table-setting game: Spread the cover, count each face Lay a plate to mark each place. At right the knife and spoons we lay, On left the fork and napkin gay. At tip of knife place glass of water, And left a plate for bread and butter.

STRANGE A plump little robin flew down from a tree To hunt for a worm, which he happened to see : A frisky young chicken came scampering by. Anri gazed at the robin with wondering eye. Said the chick: “What a queer-look-ing chicken is that! Its wings are so long and its body so fat! While the robin remarked, loud enough to be heard: “ Dear me! an exceedingly strangelooking bird!” “ Can you sing f" robin asked, and the chicken said “Xo”; But asked in its turn if the robin could crow, So the bird sought a tree and the chicken a wall, And each thought the other knew nothing at all.

Where Mother sits the tea-things go. Cream, sugar, teapot, cups, you know. In front of Father’s place so neat, Lay knife and fork to serve the meat. The other dishes coming soon Need each a shining tablespoon. A plate for bread, the staff of life, And one for butter, butter-knife. Some salt and pepper, don’t forget, And now the supper table’s set. Margaret stood off to see how the table looked. “It looks as nice can be, except for one thing. There are no flowers!” she exclaimed with regret, for she was very fond of flowers. “That’s true,” agreed the fairy. “Flowers do make a table look more festive.” “How would these violets do?” asked Margaret holding up a glass finger bowl full of little purple faces, “The very thing, a touch of spring,” said Handy Mandy. So the flowers were put in the centre of the table. “Sh-h-h-h-! Someone’s coming,” whispered the fairy. “Good-bye, see you later,” and flew away. Margaret’s mother and her caller came toward the dining-room. Margaret disappeared into the kitchen. “Margaret must have set the table!” said her mother in relief and glad surprise. “And how pretty it looks too,” said the caller, “I should love to stay to dinner with your family, but my train leaves for town in ten minutes and I must hurry away. What a helpful, dear little daughter Margaret is!” Margaret’s mother looked as if she believed this might be true and I certainly know she believed very much in fairies just then, don’t you? In the kitchen Margaret was smiling a happy and mysterious little smile. She knew there were lots more happy surprises she and Handy Mandy had planned.

BEWARE X met a goblin dozen the lane; He said to me, “ Beware when yon lualk this way again; Bewaresaid he. Said 1 to the goblin in the lane , “ Why beware? If there iszi't a savage bull about, Why take care?” u There's something worse than a savage bull” He said to me “ An enemy's firing cannon balls From yonder tree.” The frightened goblin trembled so He scarcely spoke, And all because an acorn fell From the twisted oak!