THE ENCHANTED STREAM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 643, 20 April 1929, Page 31

THE ENCHANTED STREAM

There was once a stream, and it was a very wonderful one, for if anyone jumped into the water' with dirty clothes on he would come out clean; but if anyone went in clean he would come out black. One day a lovely golden-haired maiden was passing by the stream, and a boy, following behind her. quietly and quickly pushed her in. Instead of coming out black, as the boy had expected, she did not come out at all. The maiden went down, down, down under the water, until she came to a wonderful garden full of flowers and fruit. She walked along the paths until she came to a house where at the door an old woman was standing. The girl went up to her shyly. “Who are you?” cried the old Woman. “I am a poor girl whom a bad boy pushed into the stream, and I suddenly dropped into your garden,” answered the maiden. "Ha, ha!” laughed the old woman. “That> was my son, and I told him to do it, because I wanted to get you into my clutches to do my work for me. You will never see the earth again unless the king’s youngest son comes to rescue you.” “Oh, oh!” cried the poor maiden, bursting into tears. “Please, please let me go!” “No, no!” laughed the old woman. “Now I have got you into my clutches I will never let you go again. Go and wash up my dishes for me. You have got to do it in five minutes, or else you will know what to expect.” The maiden went into the kitchen, and there found, piled up on high, heaps and heaps of dirty china. As she remembered the old woman’s threat, the maiden burst into tears. Then, suddenly, from the top plate, she saw watching her the sweetest little fairy, who said: “I will wash this china for you in less than five minutes.” “Oh, thank you!” cried the maiden, scarcely believing her eyes or ears. The fairy then touched the china with her fairy wand, and in three minutes it all became clean. The girl was delighted, and thanked the fairy, who then vanished. The maiden then went out to the old woman, who was sitting lazily in a chair in the garden. “I have finished,” she cried joyfully. The woman looked around in astonishment. “You have finished, have you? Well, I will set you another job—a harder one this time,” she said grimly. The old woman then gave the girl two huge bowls of peas and told her to go in and shell them and cook them in five minutes. The maiden went into the house, taking with her the bowls of peas. Then again the fairy appeared, and had the peas done in three minutes. In the remaining two minutes the fairy told the girl that she would whisper to the king’s son to come and rescue her, and would show him the way. The five minutes was up, the fairy had vanished, and at that moment the old woman came in and saw all the peas done; she was amazed! “Well, that will be enough work for you to-day,” she said sourly. Meanwhile, the fairy had gone and told the king’s son all about the girl, and asked him to rescue her. . The next day he set out to try and find the poor maiden. When he came to the stream, a voice said: “Jump in! Jump in!” So he jumped in, and he went down, down, and saw the old woman sitting in the garden. “I have come to take this girl away with me,” said the prince. The old woman began making excuses about this. But the prince drew his sword, and said that if she would not let this maiden go he would cut off her head. “Oh, take her!” moaned the old woman, really frightened. So the handsome prince took the maiden back to his palace and asked her if she would marry him. Of course, she did, and they lived happily ever after. THE SAD SHOES My shoes are lying on the floor. They are not very new. And I can't wear them any more Because the holes came through. They had a lovely time to-day Scrambling up a tree; To-morrow they’ll be ; thrown away And cannot play with me. They won’t bo here to lace or clean I wonder if they know. I think perhaps they do—they lean Upon each other so.