MELISANDE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 318, 31 March 1928, Page 27

MELISANDE

Melisande was a swineherd, and all day long she wandered, slim as & reed quivering in the wind, and lovely the dawn, over the emerald hills and dales. From the lime the first snot* drop gave promise of an awakening world to the golden days of autumn she watched, with eyes none the tu.wn>’ than the changing cloak of the hillside, the grazing swine aroun 1 he Melisande. from sunrise to sunse. hod time to think the disturbing thoughts that, since her father's cruel misfortune a year before, came tumbling through her mind. Now, Melisande and her father h--fi worked for a rich yeoman farmer, and this yeoman had wanted Melisande to marry him. He was cruel to those who worked for him. and old and la and Melisande’s father hud refused io allow her to marry him. And since the yeoman was master, he turned Melisande's father away And since he was also rich and powerful in the land, people refused to employ a man whom the rich yeomn’i had sent away. So Melisande* tatiier wandered about from day t«» day fruitlessly seeking work. while Melisande was forced to watch the swine to keep her poor father from starving. Now, at this time, there was great sorrow and distress in the royal pa! ace, for the king’s and queen’s only child, the little Princess Aosabel. haJ disappeared for a whole day and night, and no one knew' where to seek her. The King had said he would give as a reward to anyone who might find the Princess Rosabel, the grant tng of their greatest wish. And Melisande, watching the swine on the hillside, wished so hard that she might find the little Princess. Late the next day, as the golden -an supped behind the blue hills. Melisande wandered along the hard, wlme road on the way home. Suddenly. * a bend in the road, she came upon a little girl crying as if her heart would break. Melisande wiped away th*» little girl’s tears, and asked what was the matter. “Oh!” sobbed the child. “I am mo hungry, and I can't find the way to mv palace.” “Palace?” said Melisande. 'Wh . you’re the Princess Rosabel?” “yes,” said Rosabel. “I was playing with the fairies in the wood when one of the fairies waved to me to follow her to fairland, and I have been through the great black forest looking for it, for mv nannv said Fairyland was in the middle* of it. But the black trees frightened me. and I can’t find it,” wailed Rosabel Melisande comforted her. and together they set out at once for the royal palace. Great was the rejoicing when Melisande and Rosabel arrived at the palace, and Melisande's greatest longing waa granted. The King gave to her father the cruel yeoman's farm and lands. Meli>ande now lives happil3' with her father, and goes to the palace to pla y with Rosabel, and thej- find a fairyland of their own in the games they play in the royal gardens.