MAGIC SHOES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 720, 20 July 1929, Page 31

MAGIC SHOES

Elsie, who “'as clever {or her age, heard the words "straying feet." and then she knew why she was sometimes not quite well behaved.

It was her feet that caused it all. Her feet Inade her go to the orchard when the fruit (which she ate) was still unripe. It was her feet that made her so slow to go to school and so quick to the creek when mother wanted her (or the washing-up.

“If there were only some way of unking them behave," and she slapped them, sitting on the veranda!) floor that Saturday afternoon. feeling but and sleepy. “There is a. way." Said u fairy lady, balancing herself among the \vistariu. "I’m Cinderella‘s grandmother. you know, and am interested in footwear. If you had the right shoes 011—1 alone stock them—they‘d take you to your duty and away from disobedience quite easily. They're magic shoes. and they bud out from trees like flowers.“ ‘

“I've often heard about boot trees. Aunt Agatha. from} the township. speaks at one she has. but I never knew shoes grew," and then Elsie gasped, for a. lovely tree appeared before her, drooping and glossy like a pepper plant, and among its delicate green leaves blossomed innumerable pairs of glittering little shoes.

_ Some ghe notic-ed were of red. with a. satin sheen, while others were an azure blue and gloriously _silkgn.

"W'ait," smiled the godmother. as she stretched out her hand to take a pair, ”you have only three minutes to do the business, for then the tree fades away forever. Now shoes of one colour will take you only to do what's right, but those of the other shade—- ! can't say which—are wicked shoes, and will make you Worse. Choose quickly, and then. if you have time. you can exchange." For a. long, long second or two Elsie waited, wondering. The blue was the prettiest. but then the rose-red looked so kindly, and seemed to beckon her. Anyway, she would try those on first. Quickly she tore them off from the branch and slipped them on. Immediately she seemed to hear a number of little goblins laugh, and she felt the shoes tear at her teen inviting her to go down the road that led to the dangerous swamp. She even moved to the verandah edge. Then she stopped, forced herself to pull off the shoes, and ran to the tree.

“Quick, quick!" the godmother cried. and indeed Elsie saw that the leaves were begining to fade, and the trunk to grow ghostly like a. pale birch on a {moonlight night. Using both hands. she tore two shoes from the branch nearest her. Then. dizzy but glad, she put them on her feetbefore they too. should fade.

Then, her eyes clearing. she looked down at them. , ,

Alas! in her haste she had pulled one of each sort instead of a pair. She had one blue and one red, one good shoe and one bad one. and though no one else would see them she must wear them always. ,

So now Elsie has often a queer little fight (do you also wear a red and a blue shoe?). Sometimes she Wants to go to the forbidden places. and sometimes the blue shoe pulls her into the path of right. She tries to help the blue shoe, however. all she can, and has noticed lately that the red one is beginning to fade away. Anyway, Elsie’s mother says she is much improved.