PERIWINKLE AND THE STAR BABIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 276, 11 February 1928, Page 27

PERIWINKLE AND THE STAR BABIES

( Written /or THU SUA > Years ago there lived a little gir! called Periwinkle, who was bora on a long forgotten morning when the periwinkles in her mother’s garden were glistening with early dew. That ac- „ counts for her name, but even Periwinkle herself was never quite able to account for the Star Babies, to say nothing of the Cloud that Differed from All Others and the Palace of Pleasant Things. Even when she grew up they remained a cherished, but rather imperfect memory and she kept the story of them safely tucked away in the. C back of her mind, just as we do with everything we axe afraid other people may not thoroughly understand. A star-fish, lying in a rock pool waiting for the tide, told me the story and now that Periwinkle has grown out of her blue smocks and pinafores. I don't think she would really mind if it became more widely known. Well Periwinkle had no playfellows—only grown up people who were usually too dignified to talk about anything but recipes and patterns and how to train maids and make China tea. 'v There was her mother, of course, and she had her books and dolls, bur although she did not wish to appear ungrateful, she longed for someone very small and undignified who could feel the same things and think the same thoughts as she did. “Now stretch right out in bed and don’t curl up on the pillow,” said one of the Dignified People one evening as Periwinkle said “Good-night-” “If it doesn’t make you grow crooked, “you are sure to dream.” “I should very much like to dream." thought Periwinkle, purposely curling herself up on the pillow and clasping her hands about her little brown knees (rather a risky thing to do when one has been particularly warned against 1L) The clock was just striking eight and as the last note echoed through the air. Periwinkle found that she was not curled up on the pillow at aIL Oh. no, she was standing on the very edge of the Cloud that Differed from All Others, a stones throw frorr the Palace of Pleasant Things, and all about her crowded the bright-eyed, rotund and merry little Star Babies. “Oh,” they cried in chorus. “you clasped your hands round your knees at the very stroke of eight and, if you didn’t know before, that’s the way that mortal children visit the home of the Star Babies.” “But this is not like an oxdin&rv cloud,” said Periwinkle. ‘They are usually made of cotton-wool, but this is quite firm to stand on.” “This is the Cloud that Differs from All Others,” said the Star Babies,” but no clouds are really made of cottonwool If you looked at this one from the earth side it would seem exactly like all the others.” “But there are trees and flowers growing here,” exclaimed the perplexed Periwinkle. “No one on earth knows anything abo at this place.” “Of course we have trees and flowers,” chimed In a chorus of voices. ’ Star fruit grows in our orchards and you will never see such flowers in any mortal’s garden. The Clou4 that Differs from All Others is really just a nursery for Star Babies. Come and have supper with us in the Palace of Pleasand Things.”

And presently Periwinkle was sitting at a long table in a large room which was hung with filmy strips of different coloured sunset clouds and arched with used rainbows, but she was surprised to find that at every place there was nothing but an empty plate. “These are wishing plates.” whispered the Star Baby on her right. “You can have anything to eat that you like to wish for.”

Periwinkle wished for an orange ice, but strangely enough, although she ate it in quite large quantities, the little pyramid did not diminish, yet as she rose from the table the orange ice disappeared by magic and the plate was perfectly empty again. “I wish I could take some of you home with me,” said Periwinkle as the Star Babies trooped down the steps. “You see I have no one young to play with at all.”

The Stax Babies gazed, at her with wide, frightened eyes. "Oh, you can t possibly," they cried, all at once, their dimpled hands raised in horror. ‘‘That would be the end of everything. Y<

__ _ _ _ __ , . _ ou have found the way to visit us, but we can never, never visit you- Now. don't be ungrateful. You may come any night you wish but you must never attempt to take any of us back with you. It is time for you to go homo now.”

So the bright-eyed, rotund and merry little Star Babies led Periwinkle to th© very edge of the Cloud that Differed

“Close your eyes and take three steps,” they said. Periwinkle stepped out into space, but space was nothing more than her own white bed, and it was morning. That was the beginning of pleasant times for the lonely Periwinkle, and every night as the clock struck eight she alighted on the edge of the Cloud that Differed from All Others, merely by curling up on the pillow and clasping her hands about her knees. The Dignified People noticed a great change in her and never once did she dispute their judgment when it was time for her to go to bed. Then a sad thing happened. She was playing a ball game with the youngest Star Baby on the anniversary of her first visit, when the “ball,” which was a windfall from the star orange tree, rolled over the edge of the Cloud that Differed from All Others. The Star Baby’, in an effort to recover it, slipped over the rim of the only world he had ever known, with the terrified Periwinkle clutching at his little pink heel. There was a splash and Periwinkle found herself sitting in the shallow surf on the beach near her home. In her hand, glistening like silver, was nothing but a star-fish. With a cry of dismay she let it go in the very neat* wave and ran home. Many times after that Periwinkle tried to visit her little friends, but the spell was broken and never again did she see the Cloud that Differed from All Others, the Palace of Pleasant Things, or the bright-eyed, rotund, and merry little Star Babies. W. S. T. *****^**********i»

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