THE MAGIC SUNSHADE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 956, 26 April 1930, Page 33

THE MAGIC SUNSHADE

SECOND PRIZE STORY “Hazel!” called Mrs. Gray. “Won’t you pleas© take Bobby out for a walk till tea-time?” But Hazel, quite a nice- ; looking little girl, only tossed her i golden curls and pouted, saying. “Oh, mummy! Can’t Bobby stay at home? ! I’m too hot to do anything but lie uni der this lovely sunshade!” “But. Hazel.” gently remonstrated j her mother. “Bobby hasn’t been out at all today and you’ve been lying on the J grass all the afternoon.” “Well, it’s not fair!” pouted Hazel. “I don’t see why I shouldn’t lie down. I It isn’t as if my sunshade would fly ! away with me!” Just as she said these words she I suddenly felt something gripping her ! hand. It was the sunshade and. tug- : ging gently at her hand, it slowly but j surely pulled her up into the air bei fore the astonished eyes of her mother ! and little brother. How she tugged | and struggled to get away from this j iron grip, but in vain. • Soon she was high above the trees | and then the sunshade began to speak. I “I am taking you to the Land for Dis- | contented Little Girls.” I “And where may that be?” asked Hazel, her curiosity overcoming her fears. “Oh,” said the sunshade, “it is high up in the air. I’ve taken many little girls there. We’re nearly there now. There it is. on that black cloud!” They glided down very gently and landed. Hazel looked around her and saw little girls sitting about and. oh, what sulky looks they wore and what pouts and frowns! Some girls sat upon soft cushions, complaining of the weather, although the sun shone brightly, or of the work they had to do (here Hazel blushed) and others complained about the colour or fashioning of their frocks, or about the food they ate. In one short hour Hazel had had enough of this land. “I don’t want to be here. I want to go home,” she cried to the sunshade, which said. “But you can’t go until you promise never to be discontented again.”

“I promise,” said Hazel. “Indeed I promise.” Then she felt herself falling, falling, falling, still clasping the handle of the sunshade, down, down toward her home, past the church-spire, past the tall oak tree, past the old apple tree, and down to the green sward before the house!

There sat her mother weeping, and Bobby whimpering, his lists in his eyes. . She crept up to him and said softly. “Shall Hazel take Bobby for a walk?”

Looking up with a glad cry, Bobbj' flung himself into her arms, while her mother wept tears of joy at her child's return. And the sunshade, lying forgotten on the grass, seemed to give its benediction to the happy little reunion. —Xaera Mackie, aged 14.