Children's Column.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 3, 1 April 1920, Page 12

Children's Column.

(BY "MATER.")

THE THRRE GOBLINS. This is a tale about three gohlins who lived in Fairyland. Now let me tell you what gohlins are like. They have funny iittlo squat noses, large mouths, and long i'ears which rnake them listen to other people's business when they ought to bo attending to their own. The King of Fairyland sent these three goblins, Punch, Brownie, and Mcth, on an errand. They were to go into the forest where a poor old woman lived, and gather firewood for her. Of course this had to be done at night. as that is when the fairies do all theii good deeds, because they like them to be a pleasant surprise for people in the morning. They were sitting on three toadstools talking about this task. "Isn't it a nice task which his Majesty has been pkased to set us?" said Puck, who was a good natured fairy. "I'd just like to Si,e the old womans'n's face in the morning when she flnds all her sticks gathered." But Moth and Brownie were rathe^ selfish. Besides, they wanted to jo.o in the baT that night when the fairies danced round the king and queen and all the goblins who had t-ime came to watch them. "I think it's a shame," said Bro.vle, picking little bits off the edge >f the toadstool and putting them in Puck's ears to try to annoy him. "I've a good mind not to pick up sticks at all, chimed in Moth. "Let's go and sce ihe fairies dance?" "If you two aren't going to help, I'rn going to gadier the sticks by myself," said Puck, and, juxnping off the toadstool, started off in the direction of the old woman's hut. The other two followed, but they were so cross that they broke the toadstiml when they jumped off. Puck carefully chose all the nice dry sticks he could find ; but the other two fcook any they came to, and these were very often green and wet. They soon had enough, and tied them in a bundle, and left them at the door of the hut. "Now," said Brownie, "we can b© off," and he and Moth set out at a run through the forest, where the owls were calling to them from dark tree-tops, but Puck did not go. After the other two had gone he sat on a dock leaf and thought how pleased the old woman would bx if she found tlie sticks nic.ely broken up in the morning. He no sooner thought this than he bsgan to break the sticks into nice little pieces. It took him a long time, and when he had finished he srw that morning was near and that he would he too late for the fairy dance. The next night our three goblins had to apear before the king. The words he sa;d first wero spoken to Puck: "And why," said his majesty, "were you not at the ball last night?" Puck began to feel frightened, "please, your majesty, I stayed to break up the sticks." "That was right," said the king, "I am pleased with you. Tonight you s'nall have a holiday Moth, Brownie, go you tonight and dig oufc all the thistles from the big field. Thus do I reward selfishness and idleness." So Mcth and Brownie hung their head for shaine and spent tho whoie night digging out the thistlas with their sharp little nails, while Puck played hide-ar.d-see itb the other goblins and watched the fairies dance. In the morning the old woman was delighted to see a nice bundle of sticks broken up ready to light the fire, and she soon had the kettle merrily boiling. She was puzzled to find aevexal green sticks which woaldn t bnrn, but we know who put them there, don't we.