THE DANCER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 777, 25 September 1929, Page 15

THE DANCER

Along the road of Everyday danced a liappy, care-fre'e boy. Mis clothes were in tatters, his feet were bare, but his large grey eyes reflected the light of some inner happiness, and his untidy fair curls were wind-blown. Me loved to feel the thin cool fingers of the wind in his hair; he loved to see the ever-beautiful blue of the sky, and the glow of sunsets and dawns. A little thing like a spray of white apple blossom made him catch his breath in delight; and to him the songs of birds were the loveliest music in the world. So he went dancing and dancing round the world with bare feet and tattered clothes. One day he saw a house that seemed to frown at him forbiddingly, and the grey-eyed boy knew there was no happiness in that house. But there was no hesitation in his step as he walked to the door and paused on the threshold. Within sat a man, with his head bent over a table, and he was making strange signs on paper. lie glanced up and frowned suddenly, just as his house had done. "Who are you’” asked the man. The grey-eyed boy laughed joyously. “Xo matter,” he said. "I am Jiappv. What are you doing?” “I am drawing plans," answered the man. “All my life I have done this work to bencht other people, and in the world outside I am known as a very great man. I have been given i j medals and much praise for my work, ' but I am not happy. And what are j you doing?” ' The boy’s face grew dreamy. *‘l j have seen moonlight on a river,” he said softly. “I have seen stars, and the opening buds tell their secrets to me. I have slept beneath fragrant haystacks, and heard the laughter of j brooklets. There are great clarions calling me along the grey road into the mists of the future, and I cannot stay. ■ But I have nothing to show for my life, save a happy heart and health. • Come” —he caught the man's arm and ; drew him away from the table—”l will show you happiness.” He indicated [ the outside world. “When you look ■ at all tins, you are essentially happy," said the grey-eyed waif of the road. [ The Great Man looked down at the emeral grass and saw the tender white l : curves of daisy buds against it. He ? i raised his face to where the sky was 1 swimming in the colourful sea of suni I set, and a great wonder flooded his i heart. He turned to the eager boy, j and pressed the gold medals of liis

success into the lad's hand. “Take j them,” he said, “for you have lived a greater life than I.” The grey-eyed boy still goes dancing, dancing, round the world, with tattered clothes and wind-kissed hair, as he has done since the beginning of time. He has made his home in many hearts, but he dwells in no particular place. His name, they say, is Joy. —Red Star (Jean Mclndoe). OLAF’S GREAT SHIP Hoys and girls of the North never tire of the exploits of their great old hero, Olaf Trygvasson, who reigned over Norway at the end of the tenth century. The English king then was Ethelred the Unready, whose weak rule made England an easy prey to the Vikings. Olaf, indeed, would have conquered England, but he became converted to Christianity at Ethelred's Court, and returned to his own country to cast out the ancient heathen gods. A huge ship, called Long Serpent, always carried Olaf on his adventures. It was so large that no tree could be j found in the land tall enough for its keel. But one day, when the woodsmen had almost given up their fruitless search, a dark, one-eyed stranger—a giant of a man—came and showed them just the mighty tree they were coking for, which he had towed down the river with his beat. The vast trunk was found to be of ample length, and the stranger helped to drag it ashore, but the curious thing was that ho would not accept any payment, but ; gave it to them as a present for the king. I When joyful runners brought 'the J news to Olaf, he suspected some trick on the part of the disgruntled god Odin, i whom ha had banished from the land. So he commanded the trunk to be sawn ; through at a certain place, and there ! was disclosed a great hole from which a venomous serpent darted. “The snake would have, killed us.” said Olaf. "and the holo would have wrecked the ship.” OLD MANUSCRIPTS Some of the ancient manuscripts and books in the famous Vatican library are cracking, owing to the intense dry- ; ness of the Italian atmosphere. : Electrical engineers have come to the assistance of the librarians, and a > device has been put in which keeps • the air just damp enough, not too > damp and not too dry. In this way , it is hoped that the valuable books = will be kept for centuries longer.