IN THE DEEP WOODS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 654, 4 May 1929, Page 29

IN THE DEEP WOODS

It was autumn in the deep -woods, but the Lady Autumn sat weeping. “Why do you weep?” asked a leaf that was floating by. “Why do you weep when the deep woods are gay with colour? Why do you weep when leaves are dancing over your head?” “The birds are leaving,” said Lady Autumn. “The birds are going away for the winter.” “That must not make you weep,” said the little leaf. “That makes me laugh. If the birds are leaving, we must give them a party.” “A party?” said Lady Autumn. “Yes! Yes! We must give them a party.” “Then I shall give a party in the deep woods,” said Lady Autumn. “I shall ask all the birds and all the leaves to come to my party.” On the day of the party, the deep woods were gay with beautiful colours. Lady Autumn stood smiling. Lady Autumn was very happy. First came the leaves, dancing, dancing over the ground. Then came the birds, flying, flying through the air. The leaves were of many colours. The birds were of many colours. “Welcome,” said Lady Autumn. “I am glad that you have come to my party.” Then the birds sang in the trees. And the leaves danced to the music. How they skipped! How they scampered! How they whirled around Lady Autumn! They danced and danced until they were too tired to dance any longer. They danced and danced until they dropped down and fell asleep. Tired, happy leaves sleeping thero in tho deep woods! “Hush!” said Lady Autumn. “They are asleep. We must not wake them.” The bird* changed their’ dancing song into a lullaby. It grew softer and softer until it was just a twitter in the tree tops. Lady Autumn listened. The birds were talking to her. “Good-bye,” they were saying. “Good-bye, Lady Autumn. We shall come back to the deep woods in the springtime. Thank you, thank you for the beautiful party.” Lady Autumn waved good-bye to them until they had all flown out of the deep woods. Then she lay down with the happy leaves and .went to sleep for her long winter nap.

ELVES AND GNOMES This is played like “nuts-in-May.” Two players choose equal numbers for their sides. Then when they are ready someone at the piano plays music. When the music is softly played, the elves dance, and when the music is loud the gnomes dance. Anyone who dances out of turn falls out of the game, which is won by the side which has the most players in it, say, after ten or fifteen minutes.