A Happy New Year

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 544, 22 December 1928, Page 27

A Happy New Year

THE GARDEN PIXIE SECOND PRIZE In a little brown cottage, surrounded by a beautiful garden on the sunny shores of New Zealand, there once lived a little girl called Betty. She was a very lonely child as she had no brothers and sisters, but, every morning, when the dew hung in glistening drops on the grass and the sun was rising in a halo of golden glory, she slipped out of the house and ran off to Fairyland. Betty was a great favourite with the fairies and she grew very fond of them, becoming particularly devoted to a little garden pixie called Greenleaf. Greenleaf was a hard-worked little fellow, for it was his duty to mind a seed in the garden and, when the time came, to coax it from its warm dry case, lead the root downward to the water and the shoot upward to the sunlight. Other pixies had the same work, but theirs was easier, for the seeds they looked after were obedient, while Greenleaf’s seed was a naughty, self-willed one. Long before the warm spring sunshine came, Greenleaf’s seed would cry to come out of its case and grow into a plant. Greenleaf coaxed and threatened in vain—the foolish seed would persist in starting to grow. At last it burst its case. “Come and show me how to send my root downward to the water and my shoot upward to the sunlight,” it cried. Greenleaf slowly rose, from the place where he had been sitting and, with a sigh, shook his head. “I shall lead you,” he said, “but, through your naughtiness, you will die. The cold south wind will bruise you and break your stem, the sharp white frost will bite you, and the heavy rains will drown you.” Alas, Greenleaf’s words came true. The cold frosts and the winds and the rain soon killed the frail little plant. Now the poor pixie had no work to do. He was worthless to Fairyland and the fairy queen was angry with him for letting his seed out of the safety of its warm, dry case. “Worthless wretch!” she cried. “Through your idleness you have killed one of my plants. Begone from the purity of Fairyland and dwell with the mortals where evil is common!” Slowly and sadly, Greenleaf left the land he loved so well and, the following morning, Betty found him sitting dejectedly on a leaf in her mother’s garden. “Never mind, little Greenleaf,” she said, when lie had unfolded liis troubles, “you shall live with me in mother’s garden and I shall plant a bean seed for you to watch.” So for many years Greenleaf lived in the pretty garden that surrounded the cottage, and sometimes lie lodged in Betty’s dolls’ house. One day, however, the fairy queen repented and asked him to go back to Fairyland. Greenleaf was glad to return to his homeland, but often he came to stay with Betty, lodging, as before, in her dolls* house. —Dulcie Rigden (aged 14).

A CATCH Here’s a, jolly little catch that you can try on your friends. Say to one of them: “Do you know I saw a man completely disappear down here yesterday?” “Disappear!” your friend will say, rather puzzled. “However did that happen?” “Oh, he disappeared round the comer,” you answer—and then prepare to run!

THE LONELY MERMAID THIRD PRIZE Pearl of the Sea was lonely. She lived with her grandmother. Crested Foam, Queen of the 'Water Folk, in the blue depths of the ocean. Crested Foam was very kind to her little granddaughter, but still Pearl of the Sea longed for a little playmate. Crested Foam gave her all the things she wanted, a beautiful necklace of pearls, lovely shells, and a big room in the palace for her very own. Bui still she saw her beloved little Pearl of the Sea, shedding silent tears in the garden. It made Crested Foam sad to sec her little granddaughter unhappy, anti she wondered what was the cause of it. One day she called Pearl of the Sea to her and said, “My darling little Pearl of the Sea. What makes you so unhappy? Beloved, do you want more pretty things?” “Oh, no thank you, granny,” she answered. There was a dreamy, far-away look in her eyes as she gazed round the beautiful palace garden, and Crested Foam saw* it. She drew: Pearl of the Sea to her and said, “Tell me, nty dear what is it?” Pearl of the Sea shook her head and said. “It is nothing, granny. I am very happy.” Now, Pearl of the Sea had once had a little sister, but she had been lost, and everybody thought she was dead. One day when Pearl of the Sea was swimming slowly through the water, she thought how lovely it would be if she had a sister. She did not know she had ever had one. As she passed some fishes, who were playing happily, she nodded and the fishes stopped their playing and touched their heads with their fins. Pearl of the Sea watched them enviously; how she wished she had some little playmates to play with- She swam slowly on. stopping every now and again to pick up a pretty shell. Pearl of the Sea. got tired at last and turned to go home, when a sweet, voice called to her. She stopped and looked round. Coming toward her was a pretty little mermaid with sad eyes, but a bright smile. “Could you tell me where my grandmother. Crested Foam, lives?” she asked. Pearl of the looked very amazed. “Why, she is ony grandmother, but come, I will take you to her.” She held out her hand and the little mermaid grasped it- They were soon at the palace, and she led the mermaid to Crested Foam. When Crested Foam saw the little person clinging to Pearl of the Sea. she uttered a cry of delight. ‘Mv darling little Pink Coral; here you are at last. Pearl of the Sea, ‘this is you little sister.” Pearl of the Sea looked bewildered for a moment; then her face was wreathed in smiles. She covered her new-found sister’s face with kisses and said happily, “I shall never be lonely any more now.” —Gay du Faur (aged 11.)