A Little World for Little People

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 514, 17 November 1928, Page 27

A Little World for Little People

FRIENDSHIP IS A STEADY LIGHT SHINING IN DARK PLACES

STRANGE JOURNEYINGS

‘WHAT a wonderful morning',” said the Doorkeeper, emerging Tf into the sunshine and taking three deep breaths of the mild air. “It almost makes me forget those dreams that were haunting m.v sleep when I gaze out on this beautiful world.” “I’ve been up for at least an hour,” answered the Joyshop man, who was sitting cross-legged on the grass trimming his new summer hat with daisies, “and the Joyshop is all swept and dusted. What have you been dreaming about?” , “Oh, you might well ask. I dreamed that a witch had kidnapped the Little Thought and taken him away to another country. She arrived on a broomstick and seized him when he was playing a game of hide-and-seek with a butterfly. The Pixie Postmen sounded the alarm on their silver whistles and we all gathered in Tiptoe Street to see what was to be done. Then all the Happy Town people and all the Sunbeams set out in pursuit. The Pixie Postmen led the way, because they said they knew all about witches, and everyone else followed in single file. It was like a gigantic serpent winding its way across the outside world. After three nights and three days we came to the other country, but it had a high wall with “No Admittance” on the gate. Luckily, the Dawn Lady had brought the Happy Town key and, as it is a magic one, it fitted into the lock. Stretching away from the gate was a path covered with prickly cactus and no one could walk over it, so Summer Time, M.D., waved his hand and turned the thorns into flowers. After that we came to a wide river and there was no bridge over it, so the Dawn Lady thought of a far-away Sunbeam and there was a beautiful rainbow bridge spanning the water. Next we came to crossroads where you had to answer a riddle before the finger post would point the way. The riddle was ‘How many leaves are there on a tree in mid-summer.’ ” “And no one knew, of course?” breathed the Joyshop man, tensely. “Oh, yes,” laughed the Doorkeeper, modestly, “I did. The answer was ‘A great many more than you could find in midwinter.’ Wasn’t it simple? Well, we went on and on until a thick fog closed down on us and we could not see our way. You scattered some of your bottled sunshine, and the air cleared again. The witch lived in a cottage with a crooked chimney, and tall ferns growing in the garden. Her brooihsick was leaning against the door and the Pixie Postmen seized it and hurried off with it. The witch was in the kitchen feeding her black cats, and suddenly from the garden came a plaintive voice. There was the Little Thought securely tied to a frond of a fern. In two minutes he was perched on the Dawn Lady’s shoulder, and we were all returning to Happy Town. That witch is now powerless, because her broomstick is missing. ’ “What a good thing,” said the Joyshop man. “What a good thing,” echoed n the Woodpecker. . Qm r-L<xJjU “What a good thing,” breathed RZJ the Little Thought, who had heard ' the whole story. V ~