LAUGHTER’S BLUE ROBES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 852, 21 December 1929, Page 39

LAUGHTER’S BLUE ROBES

(First Prize Story) Long long ago, before the sky in its soft blueness canopied the world, when in space the sun always shone suspended by silver cords held in position by two invisible giants, and when night and rain were unknown to this sunshiny world, the earth was populated densely with happy, dancing fairies, the brightest and most beautiful of whom was the gay fairy Laughter, called so by her playmates because of the happiness and mirth that seemed to spread everywhere she went.

Among the flowers and the tender green foliage the fairies played, dancing and laughing merrily, making the fresh green world ring with their joy. Happiness reigned supreme in this gay •world. Even the invisible giants -would crack jokes with one another, making the world quiver with their hearty laughter. One day as these giants were indulging in jokes, something particularly funny set one of them laughing so loudly and so long that he could not stop himself. The earth was shaken violently by his mirth, and for the first time in their carefree lives the fairies became frightened, hiding themselves in the flowers and under the leaves. But still the giant laughed on, until his shaking hand let go the silver cord by which the sun was suspended. Laughter saw all this and she gave a cry of horror as. she realised that the other giant could not hold the sun up by himself. Soon the sun would fall to earth, and this new green world with its beautiful little inhabitants would be burnt to a-shes. Swiftly Laughter flew toward the sun, spreading out her soft blue silken robes and muttering magic charms to make them fireproof and cause them to expand. As she neared the sun she discovered that her robes had changed into a vast blue canopy, and it was not long before the sun was enmeshed therein. By this time the giant had recovered himself and repentantly he took one end of the canopy while his brother held the other end. For some time the sun was hidden in the blue mesh, but it was not long before he made a hole through which he smiles upon the world to this very day

—Dulcie Kigden, aged 15.