A GARDEN STORY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 442, 25 August 1928, Page 29

A GARDEN STORY

“It isn’t fair,” cried Bob to Gip, bis I dog, who was with him. “Sissie’s seeds have come up, and mine haven’t. | And I’ve watered them just as much. | I don’t care! I’ll dig them all up.” j And, taking his little fork, he was just j going to push it into the ground when “Stop!” a voice cried, and Bob saw two sweet little elves. “What were you going to do?” “Big up my seeds,” said Bob crossly. “I planted them the same time as Sissie and Sissie’s are* all up and mine aren’t.” “And do you know why? Because you haven’t had the right fairy to help you! I know who you had! That bad little elf Impatience, and he made you poke about in the ground to see if the seeds had started growing. ISTow, didn’t he?” It was true Bob had poked about, just as the fairy had said, but he didn’t know the little elf had made him. "Now, your sister had us,” one of the elves went on, “and our name is Faith. She knew that her seeds would come up if she watered them regularly and waited to see the little green shoots appear.” “Oh dear, I wish you’d both help me!” cried Bob. “I do want my garden to grow.” “Very well,” said the elves. “But if we do help you, you musn’t have anything to do with that elf Impatience. You must promise that.” Well, Bob promised, and then the elves went away, and Sissie came running into the garden. “Have any of your seeds come up yet, Bob?” she asked. “■No, not yet, but they’re going to. You see!” And, sure enough, the very next day the first little seedling appeared FAIRY GOLD The little elves of the forest were hiding their fairy gold. They dug deep in secluded spots and placed their heavy bags there. When they had finished, they ran away to get more in their mines under the earth. A poor boy was playing in the forest one day. He was digging for worms to catch fish with, when he came upon one of the bags of fairy gold. He was very surprised. He was an honest boy and didn’t like to steal other people’s gold, so he put it back in the eaij:h. He knew it was fairy gold and* only evil followed those who stole this precious ore. Everything prospered with the poor boy after that. He became a rich man and did much good among the poor. The fairy people were always his friends and his beautiful wife and children never knew the curse of poverty. RIDDLES Exactly how long should a man’s legs be? —Long enough to reach from his body to the ground. Who was the smallest man in history?—The Roman soldier who went to sleep on his watch. Why is raspberry jam like bad money?—Because it is not currant (current).