BLUEBELLS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 684, 8 June 1929, Page 31

BLUEBELLS

The Story of a Plot That Failed

Once upon a time there lived right I in the heart of Fairyland a mannikin, called Med. He was a fairy mannikin, of course, and he ought to have been very happy, but he wasn’t a bit. He , had a dear little cottage of his own. 1 with a thatched roof and roses growing on the walls, and all he had to do , was to look after the garden which j surrounded it and cook his own meals. 1 and that wasn’t very hard work. Still, ' he had one thing to worry him. or j thought he had. Just at the back of : his cottage was a glade of bluebells. Only they weren't blue at all then — they were white, and fairies called them Snowbells, though that was rather a silly name, because in Fairyland they didn’t know what snow was like. If the Sun shone down on them they sent out a merry peal; if the Wind blew ho tossed their bells about, so that, of course, they couldn’t help ringing; and if the rain paid them a visit, he was so : nice and cool and refreshing that they J had to show him how grateful they i were by singing their sweetest song. ] And their chimes were so silvery and i dainty that one would have thought i anybody would be glad to hear them. 1 But Med wasn’t. Perhaps he heard them too often or perhaps he wasn’t fond of music. At any rate, one day he asked the largest Snowbeli if he would mind telling his brothers and sisters not to make quite so much noise. The largest Snowbeli looked first surprised and then rather offended. “I’m sure we don’t make a noise,” he protested. “Why don’t you object to the birds singing or the bees humming?” “I don’t hear them nearly as often as I hear you.” replied Med. ‘ You seem to ring all day long, and it’s getting on my nerves.’ ‘‘Oh, well. I’ll tell the others.” said the Snowbeli, “and we’ll try to be quieter.” Med was quite satisfied, but next day a south wind blew over the glade, and, of course, the Snowbells rang more gaily than ever. “I simply must stop that awful noise,” cried Med, ‘‘for I can stand it no longer.” And then he suddenly thought of Jack Frost, and his eyes began to sparkle. He’d get him to help him. Some vears before King Sun and Jack Frost had had a dreadful quarrel, and King Sun had vowed that if ever he caught Jack out of doors while he was working be would do his best to melt him right away. Of course, when Jack heard this threat he was rather careful not to get in King Sun’s way, but one day he was caught unawares,

and if he had not fortunately met Med, who hid him in a barrel of cold water, he would assuredly have vanished under King Sun's burning wrath. “I saved his life once.” said Med 1© himself, "so now he must help me.” Pulling on this thickest coat and carefully locking his cottage door behind him. Med hailed a passing Sun beam and was soon speeding away l© Jack Frost's home in Cloudeland. • Why. what brings you up here?' asked Jack Frost. “Not. of course, that I’m not charmed to meet you again, but you don’t look exactly happy. Have you lost your way?” “No.” said Med. “but I’ve come to ask you a favour. You remember I saved your life once.” “Well, how do I help?” demanded Jack, when he had heard the »tor> “1 want you to come down to Fairyland one night.” said Med eagerly. “and just fly over the Glade. Your breath is so cold it will freeze all the Snowbells and that will put a stop to their ringing for a bit.” “Thank you.” said Jack. “It’s a nice little plan. You've probably forgotten that if the Fairy King caught me 1 should be banished to Mortal land and never be allowed to come home again. 1 like the place all right, but not enough to live there for ever. And anyway, i J’m too busy.” “I saved your life once.” muttered Med doggedly. Jack jumped up in a passion, l suppose you only did it because you thought 1 might help you one day, you miserable little mannikin.” he stormed. “Well. I will help you this once, and after that you needn’t come bothering me again. Go home and mind you don't freeze 6n the way yourself. You certainly’ don’t look far front it,” and he laughed maliciously’ as he surveyed ! the shivering Med. : Med climbed on to his Sunbeam again, and shot away, lie didn’t mind Jack Frost’s temper a bit now he huci got his own way, but he did mind this uncomfortable journey. The clouds all closed in upon him, and they were so wet and cold and woolly, and little Frost Elves would keep flying after him and jumping on his hands anti face until he felt quite numb. But he got home at last, and when he was sitting thawing by a roaring fire, he thought of the Snowbells outside and chuckled to himself. Jack Frost didn’t come that night, but he came the next. Med saw him fiy'ing past the window' in a great hurry, and then the Snowbells, who had been gaily ringing a minute before, were suddenly’ silent. The next morning he went out to crow over his fallen enemies, but as he entered the Glade he gave a atari of surprise. Each little Snowbeli hung limp and silent on its slender stem and each little Snowbeli was blue. Med was rather frightened. Of course, he saw what had happened. When they felt Jack Frost s icy breath. ' on them the Snowbells had turned blue with the cold. But the question was. j would the Fairy King approve of the I change of colour and would he waul, to know how it had come about? Anyhow. Med consoled himself with the reI flection that they couldn't trace it to i him, and in the meantime the bells were quiet. All was peaceful. But his j pleasure didn’t last very long. For two days and nights the bells hung limp and silent, but on the third mornI ing their ringing woke Med up. Infur- ' iated, he rushed out to see what was the matter. Laughing and tossing his head the largest Bell told him. “Have you seen what a lovely colour we have turned?” he asked. “At first we were very’, very’ cold, and we felt we should never ring again, but we are quite warm now. A Fairy Messenger came flying by this morning, and he let us look in his Magic Mirror. W© look so much nicer blue than white that we are going to stay like it always. He says it would be silly for us to be called Snowbells now, so he ha> christened us Bluebells instead. Isn’t it a lovely name? Don’t you think we look pretty?” And ail the Bluebells echoed. “Don't vou think we look pretty ?" Med went inside and banged the. i door. And above the chiming of the ! Bluebells came Jack Frost's mocking . I laugh.