A Little World for Little People

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 430, 11 August 1928, Page 29

A Little World for Little People

FRIENDSHIP IS A STEADY LIGHT SHINING IN DARK PLACES - 4

CLOUD SHIPS AND CARAVANS

“nAWN LADY,” said the Doorkeeper, reflectively, leaning If against the Happiness Tree and drawing a golden daffodil gently across the palm of one hand, “the Little Thought is just bringing a little girl down Tiptoe Street. All the lovely things of life are dimmed for her, but Doctor Spring Sunshine is going to. touch her eyes so that she will be able to see again. Until this happens we must take great care of her and keep her as cheerful as we can.” “Then I am glad she is coming to Happy Town,” answered the Dawn Lady, “for there is much that we can do for her, though, do you know, Mister Doorkeeper, I often think the greatest happiness comes from within. Even on dull days we can carry the sunshiny days about with us. Somewhere at the back of our minds, I think we all have a secret pocket where we store the happy times. Don’t you think so?” “Oh, yes,” agreed the Doorkeeper, emphatically. “I often bring out a blue and gold day to live over again.” “The ones I like,” said the Dawn Lady, “are those when the sky is flecked with white cloud ships that go sailing along before an invisible wind. I like to imagine all sorts of wonderful cargoes in the hold of each. The sky is the sea. Sometimes the little cloud ships are engulfed, but others soon appear.” “I always picture the sky as a desert and the clouds as caravans passing across it, laden with merchandise,” said the Doorkeeper. “To me,” remarked the Joyshop man, peering round the trunk of the Happiness Tree, “the sky is a wide battlefield and the clouds are soldiers.” “You are all wrong,” said the genial voice of Doctor Spring Sunshine. “The sky is nothing more or less than a big sunshiny meadow, strewn with cloud flowers. If you lie on your back on a calm day with nothing to look at but the sky, you can watch the flowers blossoming one by one.” “If you please,” called the Woodpecker, “the sky is a hollow expanse and the clouds are wind-blown feathers. And although I like listening to this conversation it is my duty to remind the Dawn Lady that as yet she has not written a single message for the Hollow Tree.” “Oh, dear me,” laughed the Dawn Lady, reaching hurriedly for her paper and pencil, “you must all run away and carry on this important discussion somewhere else. If it hadn’t been for our wise old Woodpecker, I really don’t know what would have happened.” “Do you think by any chance that the clouds are n sheep?” asked the Joyshop . iQ i T <\A*J man, linking arms with the ~\SL/ KJ Doorkeeper as they sauntered " ►