TOO MANY TUESDAYS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 962, 3 May 1930, Page 33

TOO MANY TUESDAYS

A Tale of a Mischievous Elf

The Assistant Weather Clerk was going along with a big bag full of days that he was taking to the Weather Clerk. As he walked, he swung the bag so carelessly that several Tues- ; days fell out. But the careless Assistant Weather Clerk didn't notice them. He was thinking about his tea. The Tuesdays lay in the road until presently an elf came along and carried them off. “Ha. ha, now I’ll have some fun,” he chuckled, and that mischievous elf put all those extra Tuesdays right the ca’ for the next week between the proper Tuesday and Wednesday. Presently it was the middle of next week, and everybody didn't kne w what to do because some of them thought it was Wednesday, but others knew i was still Tuesday, though they didn’t I know why. Some of the children went , to school, but some stayed away. Some of the shops shut, but some kept open. Worst of all, the King had given a great banquet on \lie Tuesday, and when it was Tuesday again the next day, he had to give another banquet. The nobles were delighted because they got two feasts, but the King was ever so cross about it. “This is absurd!” lie cried. "Who ever heard of two Tuesdays in one week?” “Ridiculous,” agreed the Queen. “What’s happened to Wednesday?” Everyone went about saying ‘What’s happened to Wednesday?” Then the next day was a Tuesday, too, and the King had to give another banquet. “Hurray!” cried the nobles, thinking of all the lovely things to cat. They hoped it would keep on being Tuesday. But the King didn't say hurray at all. “Two Tuesdays are bad enough in one week,” he declared, “but three are monstrous.” “I never heard such nonsense,” said the Queen. “Where can Thursday be?” And everyone went about saying; “Where can Thursday be?”

Then the next day came. and bothered if that wasn't still another

Tuesday, so that meant still another banquet. But the nobles were getting sc» full of good things they could hardly look an ice cream in the face by this time. Some of them stopped in bed and said they didn’t feel well enough to go to the banquet and a lot of them stopped in bed and said they wouldn’t get up for the best bar.nv*-: that ev*Si was laid. “Great Crown JewcU!” cried Tne King, stamping about and waving his hands. “Four Tuesdays in one week, indeed. I won’t have it. Impossible, ridiculous, silly! Are we using up next month’s- Tuesdays or what?” “Rubbish, that’s what it is,” said the Queen. “Whenever shall we get to Friday?” And everyone dashed about shouting: “What’s happened to Wednesday? Where can Thursday be?” and “Whenever shall we get to Friday?” They shouted udly thsi the Weather Clerk heard them, and guesing wtiat had happened, he sent for his careless assistant. “Why can’t you be more careful with the days?” he said. “We shall be having a month of Sundays if you drop them about like that. Go dyvay and b© somebody else’s assistant; I’ll look after the weather myself.” Then the Weather Clerk went to the King and said lie was sorry about the Tuesdays and would put it right. He waved his hands. At once there was a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning, a gust of wind, a shower of rain, a dash of hail, and a fall of snow. He waved them again, and there was a ray of sunshine and a snap of frost. Then suddenly it was Wednesday morning, and everything was all right again. “Thank you.” said the King, ’ but pleas© don’t let it happen again.” The Weather Clerk said it shouldn’t happen again, and now he always looks after the weather himself. Because there’s such a lot to do. the weather sometimes, isn’t very good i though it Isn’t fair to blame him, beI cause he does his best. But there’s never more than one i Tuesday in the week now. That’s ' something to be thankful for. isn’t it?