CHRONICLES OF WAITAHOOLISH Chapter I.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 234, 25 July 1872, Page 8

CHRONICLES OF WAITAHOOLISH Chapter I.

And in :hose days it came to pass that the celestial seraph Chang, of great report, and of pigtail pedigree, and named Jimmy the Flash, otherwise Sam Slick, came on a mission of love and good will to the Christians living in the city of the gully and in the regions rouud about. And behold when Chang had lifted up his eyes and looked around on the poor Christians, his bowels were moved with compassion, but more especially for the vendors of gold dust, rice bags, and gum boots. And he was vexed in spirit ?and communed with himself how he might make their golden sun to arise and shine on them and make their hearts glad and cause them to rejoice exceedingly. And lo ! Ke communed with himseif again and thus spoke: "Of gold or silver have I none, but 1 will arise and get me unto my celestial brethren of the pigtail, who are digging gold and treasures from the ground in all the regions round about, and will- buy of them gold ynd treasure without money and without price, and I shall show it to this good people and they shall rejoice exceedingly and shall open their hearts and receive me." Then the great Chang arose and girt his loins and went by the way of the great river of Waitahoolish, and spake unto his brethren of the pigtail, and thus said: " Give me of your gold and of your treasures, oh, ray brethren, and it shall come to pass that your dwellings shall overflow with mutton chops, rice bags, and pork sausages such as celestial appetites 'love to feed upon, for this is a goodly land, and the people, thereof are Christians." And they forthwith gave him of their gold and of their treasures and he went on his way rejoicing. And it came to pass as the good Chang journeyed on his way he became foot-sore and weary, and meeting one Sulvanius by the way, he hailed him, and thus spake, "Behold I am laden with money bags and with treasure, and am foot-sore and faint : give me, I pray thee, thine ass or thine mule in exchange for a little gold." Tlie good Sulvanius said " thou shalt have it with its saddle and its bridle for six shekels of thy gold," and it was done. Then came the celestial Chang riding on an ass laden with the money bags, and traded with Duffonius saying, " Take unto my celestial brethren rice bags, blankets, and gum boots • and all these gold bags, and many more bags shall be there." And the heart of Duffonius was glad, and he went and did accordingly, Then came the celestial Cbang to Clristianug of i

the sign of the Golden "Age, and thus spake unto him: "Give me I pray thee, corn for mine ass and food for my celestial appetite, and gold from my money bags will flow into your till." And Cbristianus looked exceeding glad, twinkled his small eyes and thus spake, " Dow tshall get corn for dine ass, foo? for dine celestial body, but don't forget de money bags." And for a space of four weeks the good Chang and his | ass tarried every night at the sign of the Golden Age. Then came the good Chang to Sutherlandius the Shrewd while tending his flocks on Mount Table, and said, " I know oh ! Sutherlandius that thou art an austere man, and one that only givest his goods for money, but I pray thee to lift thine eyes and look on my celestial countenance, on my pigtail and on m£ money bags, and say I will give thee of my flocks and of my herds to feed thee and thy brethren, and gold and treasure wiil flow into your purse, oh ! Sutheilandius." And the good Sutherlandius was overcome, and he lifted up his eyes and beheld, and said " As thou wilt, oh Chang." And again the great Chang communed with himself in this wise, "Oh ! bow powerful are my morey bags become when they can move the heart of Sutherlandius of the river ; and, oh ! how good are the people of Waitahoolish ; but, alas ! alas ! my bags aro nearly empty, and my brethren have little wherewith to fill them. I shall get me up, and shall buy me of the metal which is called lead — a quantity and half a quantity — and it shall weigh in my money bags likeun^o gold, and the good people shall be pleased at the sight thereof"; and the good Chang went and did accordingly. Then came to pass the words of his prophesy ; and the good people of Waitahoolish were glad at the sight thereof, and strove with a great strife who should be first with their rice bags, their sugar bags, their gum boots, their beef and mutton, their timber and their firewood. And the mules and the asses were sorely oppressed carrying goods to the great Chang's brethren of the pigtail. And yet again the celestial Changcommuned with himself, and thus spake to himself," " Oh ! how powerful have my money bags become ; behold how my brethren are waxing fat and kicking, and I, even I s have but looked upon a blue-eyed angel, and have desired to take her unto me as my beloved, and she has consented. I will therefore «et me unto my brethren and gather the gold and the treasure which they have dug from the earth, and come down again to the good Christians of Waitahoolish, and they shall give me mom y and fine n i nent ; then shall I j-o and look for a dwelling place for my blue-eyed angel. Susabella, and shall dwell with ! c • for eermi elestial bliss." Then tlie great Chang arose and saddled his ass, and girt his loins afrdsh, and went unto his brethren aud gathered their gold in his money bags. And he came again unto the good people of Waitahoolish, and entered into the store of Susanna the good, wife to Josephus, the warrior of old; and thus spake with his celestial voice, "Oh ! Susanna ! Susauna ! I know thee that thou art a good woman, that thou doest that which is ri^ht in the sight of thy lord, and that thou lovest to deal with my celestial bretrhen. I know thy good heait, and that thou has!; already given me five shekels of gold, and fine raiment for my body, and gum boots for my fee-X Look now, oh! Susanna, on my gold bags, and see how they are. fill?d to overflowing. Give me, I piaythee, 25 shekels more, and a little more fine laiment, and when my beloved shall see it she shall be glad exceedingly." And the good Susanna was overcome yet again, and went and gave him as he desired. Then came the great Chang to his beloved, showed her a great pile of celestial shekels and gold, the fill of his money ba^s, and the blue-eyed Susabella wept for joy. Then went the good Chang to seek and to find her a fitting dwelling place, and found it, and made haste to the arms of his belovec 1 . But behold while the good Chang came journeying on his ass by way of the hiii which is called Eound, a band of robbers by the wayside fell upon him and despoiled him of -his money and jewels — leaving him only a few silver pence and his ass. Then came Chang and saw his beloved ; and when he was refreshed at the si^n of the Golden Age, he went forth to send the Captain of the Guard to pursue the robbers and bring back bis money and his jewels ; and he thus spake to the Captain of the Guard, " Oh ! Captain ! hear now the words of the celestial Chang, and give ear unto them. While I was returning from the great city ou the hills, whither I had gone to worship, a band of robbers fell on me by the wayside, and despoiled me of lay money and jewels which I had brought with me to divideamongstthegood Christians

of Waitahoolish. I pray thee make haste and overtake them." But the Captain answered and said, " Oh ! Thou celestial Chang ! Thou hast seen a vision ; and tby money and thy jewels will be hid in thy raiment." And the Captain of the Guard searched in the good Chang's raiment, and behold there came from amongst the good Chang's garments innumerable silver pennies. Then ciiel Christianus of ' the sign of the Golden Age, " Dem are my pennies, oh ! Sam Slick. Detn pennies were in my money box, oh ! Sam Slick. Take him away Captain of the Guard, and cast his celestial body into prison " ; and the- great Chang was forthwith

cast into prison. , And when it was noised abroad tbat the good Chang was cast into prison, . there arose a great lamentation amongst the people ; and all the vendors of rice bags, and buyers of gold, and sellers of pork were to be seen hurrying to and fro on the backs of mules and asses and divers beasts of burden. These,' oh.! King! are a few of the mighty deeds and wise sayings and doiDgs of the celestial seraph Chang in the great city of Waitahoolish.