The Dream Piper

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 696, 22 June 1929, Page 31

The Dream Piper

The Primrose Elf and The Fairy of Chimes

“It’s not the least bit of use arguing about it.” said the Primrose Elf crossly. “He’s asleep and nothing in Fairyland will wake him.” ‘‘That's all you know about it,” retorted the Fairy of Chimes, swinging on a bullrush till his bells filled the air with their musical song. ‘‘The King is getting quite alarmed and says if he doesn’t do some work soon he will havo the Dream Piper turned out of Fairyland.” The Primrose Elf snorted. “What good will that be?” he demanded. *‘lf he makes the Piper leave Fairyland there will b© no more dreams for the Earth People, and that will be nice, won’t it?” ‘‘Well, as you’re so clever,” remarked the Fairy of Chimes, admiring his reflection in a pool of water below him, ‘‘perhaps you can find some way out of the difficulty. -The Piper of Dreams either can’t or won’t play his Pipes at all and it’s just silly to say he’s asleep. He can’t be asleep all the time.”

‘‘Why not?” retorted the Primrose Elf. ‘‘lf he’s awake why doesn’t he take any notice of the trouble there

is on Earth now that there are no more dreams, and why doesn’t he '<■ mind the King being angry?” J “Why, why, why!” mocked the Fairy of Chimes. ‘‘You’ll turn into a ques- ] tion mark if you’re not careful. And ‘ anyhow, the Dream Piper is awake, or if he’s not, he’s walking in his sleep, for here he comes.” . The Primrose Elf turned round and watched the disconsolate figure of the , Dream Piper come slowly through the Bluebell Glade. When he reached the two fairies he threw himself down on the ground and heaved a deep sigh. ■ His dace was woe begone, his dress dusty and untidy, and he’d lost his hat. The Fairy of Chimes got down from his bulrush and came to stand immediately in front of him. The Dream Piper gazed mournfully over his head. The Fairy of Chimes coughed. Then, as the Dream Piper took no notice he finally burst out with. ‘‘lt’s not the least bit of use your pretending not to see me because, of course, you do. You’re afraid I’m going to ask you questions, that’s what it is.” The Dream Piper promptly burst into tears and rocked to and fro with grief. At last, when his sobs would let him speak, he wailed: “Everybody’s asking me questions. ‘What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I pipe anymore? Why have I grown lazy?’ ” “Well, why don’t you?” asked the Primrose Elf eagerly. “Why don’t you?” said the Fairy of Chimes simultaneously. The Dream Piper choked back his * sorrow. “Because I can’t,” he almost 1 screamed. “I’ve lost my Pipes. I can’t play without my Pipes,” and throwing himself face downward on the grass he began crying all over ’ again. The Elves were silent for a moment, [ and then the Fairy of Chimes said: 5 “Lost your Pipes. Where?” “If I knew where, do you suppose they’d be lost?” the Dream Piper \ roused himself sufficiently to say. “Well, I mean where were you when l they were lost?” amended the Fairy s of Chimes. The Dream Piper gazed, into space 5 abstractedly for a minute. “At the b edge of Fairyland, I think,” he said vaguely. “I was looking down on the - Earth, and I’m almost sure I had my s Pipes hanging round my neck then. 1 I remember that quite distinctly. At - least, I think I do. Anyhow, when I looked for them they were gone.”

“I should think it is quite probable that one of the Very Bad Fairy’s imps took them,” said the Primrose Elf thoughtfully. ‘You know, her castle’s quite near the edge of Fairyland, and it was silly of you to put them down there.”

“If you did* put them down, that is,” added the Fairy of Chimes. “I must have put them down somewhere,” pointed out the Dream Piper

reasonably. *‘li' it wasn't there, it wa somewhere else.” The Primrose Elf jumped up. “Oh you’re hopeless!” he exclaimed. “I suppose the only thing for us to d - is to try and find them for you. Things can’t go on this, and you don'i seem to be looking for them much. "Not looking for them!” screamed the Piper in a sudden passion. '’That' all you know about it. I’d like to see anyone else look more than I have, that’s all.” “Well, you’ll see us if you lik© to come along,” retorted the Primros*Elf, turning away, and the two elves trudged off up the hill, leaving the Dream Piper curled up in a disconsolate heap among the bluebells. At first the Fairy Folk didn’t seem inclined to do anything. “Let the Piper look for his own Pipes.” grumbled Blithe Brownie. “Why should we bothei ourselves?” This seemed to be the opinion of all the rest, for a resentful murmur rose from th€> crowd. The Primrose Elf stamped impatiently and scowled at them all. “You don’t seem to have any brains at all.” he declared. “What’s th© use of talking like that? You know very well the Piper’s too dreamy to find anything, and he doesn’t seem at all sure where he lost them. Someone will have to help him, and if th© King finds out that you’ve all refused to do anything, he’s quite likely to punish the lot of us, so I think you might have at least one search.”

“It won’t take long if you all help,” added the Fairy of the Chimes. “Oh, well, come on then,” said the Chief of the Goblins, and then the hunt began.

Never before had there been such a commotion in Fairyland. Fairies. Elves and Goblins were everywhere. You could hardly turn round without trampling on one. They dived down the rabbit holes, nearly scaring the bunnies into fits; they climbed the trees and poked about in the nests and holes till the birds and squirrels drove them indignantly away. They trampled

all over the Flower Glades till the chief of the Flower Fairies threatened to

complain to the King if they Injured their charges any more. They entered all the houses and insisted on search-

ing every nook and cranny and pulling the furniture about until at last, the Hobgoblins got angry and drove them out with broomsticks. They even peered down the chimneys till Bix the Brownie said the Pipes could hardly be there unless the Dream Piper had developed a sudden passion for sitting on the roof tops, and that was !iardlv likely. At last they got as far as the Castle of the Very Bad Fairy, but when they wanted to go in. she threatened to turn them all into beetles. She was in a very bad temper that afternoon as she was knitting a jumper and it had all gone wrong and she wouldn't listen to their tale of the Dream Piper’s loss, or at least, she said that if he had lost his pipes, it served him right, and she hoped that he’d never find them again as now there would be a little peace in Fairyland. So as they couldn’t think of anywhere else to look, they all trooped back to the dell where they had left the Primrose Elf. They wer*; hot. tired and dusty and very cross, and they told him they were sure that the Pipes were not in Fairyland, or if they were, they didn’t intend to look any more for them however angry the King might be. After that there didn’t seem anything for it but to go back with the bad news to the Dream Piper. “I hope he won’t be very upset,” said the Primrose Elf rather apprehensively as they left the Fairy crowd behind. “After all, we almost promised we’d find his Pipes, you know.” “Yes,” agreed the Fairy of Chimes. “But it can’t be helped. We did our best and—hark. What’s that?” He

clutched the Primrose Elf’s arm as he spoke, and they both stood still listening. “What’s what?” began the Primrose Elf. “I can’t hear anything except —” here he broke off. for on the breeze came faint music.

“The Pipes!” they both exclaimed, and then set off, helter skelter over fern and brake, till at last, hot and breathless, they arrived at the Bluebell Glade. The first thing that met their eyes was the Dream Piper, sitting under - th© shade of a dandelion, dreamily playing on—the Pipes. As usual, he took not the slightest notice of them till the Primrose Elf burst out with: “Where did you ever find your Pipes?” “And how in Fairyland did you manage it?” added the Fairy of Chimes, “or did someone find them for you?”

The Dream Piper stopped playing and thought a minute, deeply. Then he said vaguely, “I found them.” “But where?” urged both fairies.

The Piper thought some more. Then he shook his head and went on playing. After a minute, however, he got up and moved slowly away. As he reached the entrance to the glade he turned round and said, apparently to the trees around him.

“They were underneath my cloak all the time. They slipped round to th© back somehow. I can’t think how I came to overlook them,” and shaking his head slowly he passed out of sight.