THE SMOKE MAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 916, 8 March 1930, Page 29

THE SMOKE MAN

And How a Riddle Was Solved

His hands are the same as his teei, And his body the same as his head. His back and his front often meet, And he never lies down on a bed. He was born in the midst of a fire. And he ran up the back of a flame; He is big, he is small, he is short, he is tall And my riddle is—What is his name? Then without another word he vanished.

It was New Year's Day in Gnome- j land, and in a paddock belonging to Air. j Sipky, a farmer, the Gnomes’ summer j picnic was being held. It was written j in the Gnome story books that for j hundreds of years there had been a j picnic on New Year’s Day. Just before the games started all turned to look toward the entrance gates, and watch 12 little Gnome ponies pulling a sledge, on which was a barrel the biggest barrel in Gnometown. It was nearly as big as a Gnome's house it was put in ihe centre of tln p tdd< and with the help of a ladder three fiddler Gnomes climbed up on to the , top. They were the band, and the big barrel was the bandstand, and as the ; Gnomes played and danced and sang all round the paddock. the three fiddlers on the barrel played sweet music. And then, without any warning. a noise like the rumbling of thunder, was heard from the inside of the barrel, which shook and trembled like a ship on a stormy sea. The three fiddlers jumped to the ground, and ran swiftly ter L rate, so frightened were they. Then the top of the barrel opened as if it were a door, and from the inside there quickly climbed out a little man. The door that had opened now shut, and he stood on it. Who was he? What was he? He was too small to be a Gnome. Where had he come from? No one knew. But old Jit. who was a wise old Gnome, said: “Perhaps he is a magician from a far country,” and then the Gnomes began to say to one another: “He may be a magician, a wise man, from another country.” All the Gnomes were looking at the strange little man on the barrel, when he spoke to them, saying: “My name is Rubo, and 1 come from snywhere and everywhere. 1 have a riddle for you all, and you may have a whole year to guess it. In a year’s time 1 shall come to your picnic again, and shall give a wonderful reward to any Gnome who has the right answer. This is the riddle:

Time ran on, the summer was gone, and winter came in with -snow anci frost. Then, at last, winter was left behind, and the beauty of spring was all over the Gnome country. And wherever Gnomes met, they would say: “The riddle has not been guessed, and the picnic day will soon be here ” In the whole of the Gnome country no one had tried to guess the riddle as Curly Sanko had. Curly was a boy only ten years old. and Air. Sanko. his father, was dead. Curly had six brothers and sisters, and his mother found it such hard work to earn enough money to feed and clothe them all, that Curly said to himself one day: “Alother is getting thinner every day, for she is working herself to death for her seven children How can I help her, I wonder!” Curly did help his mother, oC course, but he was only ten years old. and went to school every day. He often lead the riddle, and tried to find the answer, but it always was a puzzle to him, as it was to so many other Gnomes. When Christmas came. Curly said: “There is nothing for Christmas dinner, and there is no money to buy anything with, and Mother is worn out. I am the only boy old enough to help her; perhaps 1 can shoot a rabbit for dinner.” He took his bow and arrows, and went walking along a winding track, where the fern covered the rolling hills. A rabbit frisked along the path, and as Curly shot arrows at it, it ran into the limestone rocks. He followed it, and found a path leading down into the earth. He walked along this and found himself at the entrance to a large cave. He looked in, but in the darkness he could see nothing. Then, slowly, he was able to see dimly. He saw the form of a man, a man whose head and body, whose arms and legs, were nothing but smoke. A man, but a man made of smoke. The wind blew along the passages and through the cave, and the smoke man was blown all around, from one side to the other. “Good morning,” said Curly.

“Good mor—oh!” said the smoke man, as the wind blew him in tatters all around the cave. Then he came together again. “Good morning,” he said; “excuse ne, but the wind blows me to pieces a thousand times a day. Oh, oh,” he groaned, as a fresh breeze caught him. His head was blown all around the cave, his front and his back were mixed up in a blanket of smoke, and his smoky legs were floating around the roof. Then the wind died down and the pieces of smoke man came slowly together again. “That was a bad twist,” he said, “I don’t get much enjoyment out of life. Oh!” and he gasped again, as a new

breeze hit him in the back. As • • wind caught him again and again i • was biown into twenty different Sometimes he w..e as tall as the cav and sometimes as short as Curly hir. self. Then Curly gave a start. ”Th is the answer to the riddle.** he ss The smoke man i>- the answer. li must be. because “His hands axe the same as his fe« And his body the same as his hea His back and his front often me An he never lie*s down on a be He was born in the midst of a fix And he ran up the back of a flam He is big. He is small, lie is shoi lie is tall. Ami the riddle is: \N hat is n « Curly waited until the wind r. died away, and the Smoke Man v all together again. “Air. Smoke Man.” lie said, “pleas tell me your name.” “Certainly,” was the answer, *'n name is Bob—oh, oh. oh.” and he cr with pain as a hundred w inds rushed and scattered him in misty clouds :i through the cave. “Bob.” said Curly. “Why that’s x *- much of a laetne fo.* such a wonderf iiian. Perhaps there is more to itold, so 1 will wait.” The winds were howling in sic gusts, and the Smoke Alan, blown ina thousand shreds, was everywhere yet nowhere In a few minutes th* winds had died down, and the Sm*> Man was coming together again. “If 1 could only throw a pot of stick paste all over him,” said Curly. **l * might behave him«>elf for a minu; and tell me what his name is.” The last stray clouds of smoki r < joined up to form the Smoke Mar. - (legs, when Curly said: “Now, please, what is your name , “Bobblemejandra.” said the SmoKMan, and, oefore the word was finisher: the roof of the cave split open with * crack that made Curly jump with fright. The Smoke Man was blowup through the roof and scattered it pieces among the clouds, and Curb

frightened as he had never been before ran outside and never stopped running until he was heme. “Bobblemejandra,” he said, “now know the answer to the riddle.” Curly did not tell anyone of firadventure in the cave with the Smov Alan, but he anxiously waited for the picnic day to come. At last it wa> New Year’s Day, ami from early ir the morning Gnomes could be seen «>: all the roads walking toward the ph nic ground. “Will Rubo come?" they were saviiv“What a pity no one has guessed th riddle. There will be a big prize, am* no one will be able to get it.” On the centre of the table was tl, picnic plum pudding, so big that the • ponies were needed to bring it to tin picnic on a sledge. Old Jit stood ui at the side of the table, and said: “We are all sorry that Rubo has n«»t come to our picnic and given us th' answer to the riddle that none of n> has been able to guess. Perhaps lie has forgotten us. Now. as everyone is looking at this wonderful plum pudding. and the little Gnomes are all looking hungrily at it, I shall cut it into two pieces, as a sign that the me •! has begun.” He touched the monster pudding with a knife, but before he could cut it a shower of a thousand sparks flew out of it. and there on the top stood Rubo He called out to the Gnomes: ‘I gave you my riddle. It still is the same. Which of you guessed it. What i« the name?” Then Curly stood up. and the Gnor>> - all looked in wonder at him. He spot in a clear voice, and said: “Born in a fire And climbing a flame, IBobblemejandra That is his name." “The prize is won." said Rubo. ‘Bob blemejandra is the answer to th* riddle.” Then the Gnomes Jumiped to th* .

feet and cheered Curly. and shoo: hands with him, and held him high up, so that all could see him. For he had found the answer to the riddle. “Now." said Rubo to the Gnome“what is the prize that Curly ha* won And how did he find th# answer t*' the riddle? He wished to help his Mother, and went out with hie bow end arrows that he might take heme » rabbit for the Christmas dinner. H* will tell you how he chased the rabbit and found Bobblemejandra. And th - is the reward f ann giving him A little farm by the riverside, wltfe red-brick cottage for hie mother arc all the children. Ten sleek cows w'. < will fill the bucket* with creamy mil and ten white fowl* to give e*g~ for breakfast. a shaggy haired to play with the little ones, end a gs den with flowers of every colour. A pony and 8 little cart to rake them church on Sundays, and a shelf full books for the winter evenings. Th ie Curly's reward—the happiest hot* in all the Gnome country.”