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diff --git a/old/69782-0.txt b/old/69782-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1747b94..0000000 --- a/old/69782-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2691 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of A southern cross fairy tale, by Kate -McCosh Clark - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: A southern cross fairy tale - -Author: Kate McCosh Clark - -Illustrators: R. Atkinson - Kate McCosh Clark - -Annotators: A. Reischek - A. P. W. Thomas - -Release Date: January 14, 2023 [eBook #69782] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Jason Isbell, Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - made using scans of public domain works in the - International Children's Digital Library.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SOUTHERN CROSS FAIRY -TALE *** - - - - - - -A Southern Cross Fairy Tale - - - - - A - SOUTHERN CROSS - FAIRY TALE - - BY - KATE McCOSH CLARK - - _WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY R. ATKINSON AND THE AUTHOR_ - - LONDON - SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEALE & RIVINGTON - _Limited_ - St. Dunstan’s House - FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.C. - 1891 - [_All rights reserved_] - - LONDON: - PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LIMITED, - ST. JOHN’S HOUSE, CLERKENWELL ROAD. - - - - - TO - MY GODCHILD KITTY - AND TO MY - LITTLE NEPHEWS AND NIECES. - -[Illustration] - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The scenes of Christmas tales read by English-speaking children have -been for the most part naturally laid amid winter, snow, and leafless -landscape. The Yule-log and the holly-berry have been time-honoured -“properties.” But there are, growing up under the Southern Cross, -generations of children, with English speech and English hearts, to whom -the Yule-log at Christmas is unmeaning and the snow unknown. - -The little story which follows is written for such children as these, -and also for those in the older land who have any desire to know what -Christmas is like among their kin on the other side of the world. - -While seeking to amuse, it is intended to convey pleasant information. -New Zealand is a land full of natural wonders and natural beauty; its -vegetation and its fauna are every way remarkable. In the following -pages the allusions to these wonders and beauties, however playfully -introduced, are intended to be truthful. The colours and habits of plants -and animals are in sober reality just what they are made to appear in -fairy-land. The illustrations are from nature, and will, it is hoped, -bear out the text. For the loan of certain birds and clear descriptive -notes upon them, I am deeply indebted to Mr. A. Reischek, F.L.S., the -well-known naturalist. The kind interest of Professor Thomas, M.A., -F.L.S., F.G.S., and the valuable notes given by him upon the Terraces, -Geysers, &c., also lay me under much obligation. - - K. C. - -AUCKLAND, _July, 1889_. - - - - -“THE CHILDREN’S HOUR.” - - - The cawing rooks fly to their nests; - Again the song-birds hush their lay; - O’er all the world a stillness rests, - And twilight shadows dance and play. - The book is closed, hands folded o’er, - The work, that rests the while, undone; - See! glad young faces at the door, - And hark! the peals of mirth and fun. - Yes, ’tis the children’s hour, - To waiting arms they run. - - The little faces vie to press - Warm kisses on our willing lips, - While loving prayers, unspoken, bless - The sunny heads, and finger tips - Pass gently o’er the cheek’s soft bloom— - That seems as stolen from the rose; - Then merry voices fill the room, - As round the fire-lit hearth we close, - For ’tis the children’s hour, - Which nought but brightness knows. - - “Play with us, play!” Ah, yes, young hearts, - Well that your voices coax, and make - Us for awhile forget the smarts - Of striving day for your brief sake. - “Sing with us, sing!” and youthful notes - Rise shrill in some time-hallowed strain. - Discord—sweet discord round us floats, - And ageing hearts grow young again— - It is the children’s hour, - That knows nor care nor pain. - - “Now tell us stories, mother, dear!” - How sweet the old and matchless word! - Sweeter than aught that else we hear - From children’s lips. What memories stirr’d - By that loved name rush o’er the soul! - For sheltering arms we once more yearn - Now folded ’neath the grassy knoll. - Would that the children’s hour - For her, too, could return. - - “Come, children, nestle close to me - And question with your lips and eyes, - For, as ye listen, I would see - The starting flush and sweet surprise - At tales of brownie and of fay - That hide within your favourite glen, - And ’neath the moonlight’s flickering ray - Bring fairy gifts to slumbering men.” - Sweet lore of children’s hour, - Why need we further ken? - - Ah! little ones, ye hold us fast - And thoughts of you like joy-bells chime - Around our lives, and link the past - And present in one long sweet rhyme. - And slumbering echoes wake anew, - For purity glows in your eyes, - And truth from out them shines so true - That from our hearts all falseness flies. - It is the children’s hour - When purest thoughts arise. - - The years roll by and leave their taint - Of sin upon us, and the weight - Of self-wrought grief, until we faint - Beneath the burden grown so great. - Fretted by sight of others’ pain, - The voiceless suffering of the weak; - “Wherefore?” we cry, but all in vain, - No answering oracle doth speak. - And in the children’s hour - We fain for peace would seek. - - Far off like some grand snowy height - That gleams anon through driving mist, - Some great End flashes on our sight; - And on that peak the sun hath kissed, - Could we but stand, thence gazing back - Perchance Heaven’s echoes we might hear, - Perchance Heaven’s light upon our track - Might show the good of every tear, - And in the children’s hour - Life’s riddles read more clear. - - Speak to our hearts, each bright young heart, - Perfect in love and faith, and bid - Us know that e’en as petals part - To breathe the fragrance ’neath them hid, - So do ye breathe around life’s hours - The sweetness nought can steal away, - The sweetness of our cherished flowers. - Then ope bright blooms upon our way, - And make the children’s hour - With beauty crown each day. - - Play on, ye little ones, play on, - And cheer us with your guileless mirth; - Too soon your careless days are gone - And later years see sorrow’s birth. - We love your bright eyes’ merry glance, - We love your voices’ gleesome ring; - To trip with you th’ unrhythm’d dance - Again doth childlike rapture bring. - It is the children’s hour, - Sing on, ye children, sing. - - Ye cradle our lost dreams anew, - Ye make love’s echoes ceaseless sound, - And, if for some the stretching yew - O’erguards a tiny daisied mound, - They have but laid their treasures where - God’s angels tread with sacred feet; - They have but Heavenward sent a prayer - That, lisped before the mercy-seat, - In God’s own children’s hour - Shall win an answer sweet. - - K. C. - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - PAGE - - Bell-Bird 1 - - “It is Christmas Eve! and the long soft shadows of a summer - night are quickly falling on the garden, fields, and - meadows” _To face_ 3 - - “Take that,” said Santa Claus; “it will give you light in - the darkest places” _To face_ 6 - - “We’re sorry we’re so big,” said Hal 13 - - Kiwi 14 - - Parson-Bird or Tui 15 - - Pied Fantail 15 - - Brown Owl or More-pork 16 - - Crow 17 - - Tuataras 19 - - Vegetable Caterpillar 20 - - Robins 22 - - Maori Hen 23 - - White Heron 25 - - “They are only Maories; and see, they are more frightened - of us than you are of them” _To face_ 26 - - On the top of the geyser were shot out a troop of laughing gnomes 29 - - “Run to the hill!” cried Red Cap _To face_ 38 - - Kea 47 - - “You must have been dreaming, Hal!” _To face_ 51 - - - - -A SOUTHERN CROSS FAIRY TALE. - - -[Illustration: Bell-Bird.] - -It is Christmas Eve! and the long soft shadows of a summer night are -quickly falling on the garden, fields, and meadows of a New Zealand home. -The feathery edge of the forest-clad hills behind the house stands out -dark against the yellow light still lingering in the west; undulating -grassy slopes creep down to where the graceful tree-ferns form a billowy -mass of light and shade near the deep, dark creek, that divides the -fields. The murmuring of the stream, in hidden depths below, rises like -a lullaby, while countless shrill crickets sing their merry carols amid -the trees. No sound of joyous bells is borne upon the air, as on the -English Christmas Eves of pleasant memory, only the Bell-bird’s[1] chimes -from the bush, and the distant cow-bell’s tinkle mid the shadowy Manuka -clumps, where sentinel cabbage-palms[2] up-raise their helmeted heads -erect and stern. Fair is that house built up by English hands in the -New World; fair, not with the slowly gathered beauty of centuries gone -by, the clinging ivy and the gaily painted lichens on the stones, but -with the quick rich growth of the southern lands. The quaint low wooden -gables are wreathed with creepers of many a shade and hue, and over the -broad verandah and open casement doors, the scarlet passion-flowers gleam -like burning stars amid their masses of glossy leaves, and the green -egg-shaped fruit of its more modest cousin hang in rich profusion on -the trellised arbour near by, the scene of many a childish frolic and -out-door tea-party. Sweet scents arise from the nooks of the garden which -is left half wild, where many an English flower carefully tended, tells -of hearts in which still cling fond memories of a childhood’s home afar. -Through the sombre pines that edge the spreading lawn, are seen the last -long silvery streaks, quivering on the distant sea; overhead the busy -starlings flit to and fro, or, perching on some tapering branch, give -forth their short-lived song, while, now and again, the harsh call of -the brown owl pierces the deepening shades. But suddenly is heard the -sound of merry voices, and two little children run down the winding path -leading to the house, then stop near to a rose-bed rich in bloom. - -“It’s Christmas Eve, you know, little Cis,” said Hal, a merry -strong-limbed, dark-eyed boy between nine and ten years old, to his -little sister who stood near. - -She was a quaint little maid of seven in whose wavy golden hair one -might well think the summer sunbeams lingered; her large blue eyes, -dark lashed, in her solemn moments looked like clear deep wells, but -could dance with light and laughter at a tale of fun. Hers was a sweet -child-nature “so easily moved to smiles or tears,” so full of sympathy -was her loving little heart. - -“It is Christmas Eve, you know, little Cis, and we must get some nice -flowers to give mother to-morrow morning, mustn’t we?” - -“Yes, Hal, and I want to find a lot of dear little red rose-buds,—oh! -here’s one, and here’s another, I’m so glad!” - -“Why _red_ ones, Cis?” - -“’Cos mother likes red ones, I know; she told me about the prickly tree -with red berries on it, which she used to gather bunches of at Christmas -time when she was a little girl like me,—I expect she gave some to her -mother, and I wonder if she pricked her fingers as I do mine—never mind, -I am not going to cry, Hal, because it’s for mother. Do the thorns hurt -you, Hal?” - -“Yes, Cis, but I am a boy you know, and boys don’t cry; I am getting -white rose-buds, because in mother’s tales about Christmas, there is -always a lot of white snow. I wonder why God does not send us any snow -here!” - -“Perhaps He will one day if we are naughty, for it kills all the pretty -flowers,” replied Cis. - -“No, it doesn’t kill them all, Cis, it only covers them up; besides, it’s -rare fun to make snow-balls, they say.” - -“Children, children!” calls a voice from the open door, “it is nearly -bed-time.” - -“Yes, coming, mother dear,” and the two bunches of flowers were quickly -hidden beneath the little coat and pinafore, while the children ran round -to a side door and gave them into the nurse’s charge to put in water, and -in a safe hiding place until the morning. - -“Put them under our beds, Nursie, no one will see them there,” shouted -Hal, as he rushed off with his sister to their mother for the good-night -chat. - -[Illustration: “It is Christmas Eve! and the long soft shadows of a -summer night are quickly falling on the garden, fields and meadows.” - -Page 3.] - -In the well-known cosy room sat a slender figure in black, in a low -wicker chair, and little Cis was already on her lap, her shining head -nestled close in, her sweet face pressed to her mother’s, which if older -and sadder, was not less sweet. Hal, taking his favourite stool, sat down -close to her knee, and giving her hand a hasty boyish kiss, said: “Don’t -send us to bed just yet, mother dear, ’tis Christmas Eve, you know.” - -“Ah, yes! Christmas Eve,” she echoed, and her trembling voice told of -the mingled memories that thronged her heart,—memories of past joys and -sudden sorrow. Her thoughts flew to that time, “only a year ago,” when -there came the hurried summons for her husband to a sick relative in a -distant land—the hasty departure on the voyage,—and then the blank of a -terrible silence,—and later, the tidings that she should see him no more -till “the sea gives up her dead,”—and, laying her hand on Hal’s dark -head, she pressed her fatherless little ones closer to her. - -“Tell us a story, mother dear,” broke in Hal’s voice. - -“Suppose you tell me one for a change, dear,” she replied. - -“I don’t think I can, mother, but I’ll try,” said Hal’s determined tones, -“it will be very hard, but you’ll help me, little Cis, when I stick, -won’t you? Shall it be a real story or a made up one?” - -“Oh! a real one, Hal, it won’t be so hard,” said little Cis. - -“All right,” replied Hal, “just wait a moment whilst I think,” and the -boy’s face took an earnest, thoughtful expression not often seen on it, -for he was a light-hearted laddie full of the joy of a happy, careless -childhood. - -“We had three baby guinea-pigs this morning,” began he musingly, “but, I -suppose I couldn’t make a tale out of that,—and the little white bantam -was drowned in the duck-pond, and Cis and I put it in a box with flowers -and buried it under the apple-tree, but, I suppose that wouldn’t do -either;—and the parrot bit my fingers dreadfully, and I—no, I didn’t cry, -I only howled. Oh! mother, you tell a tale, I can’t.” - -Then a minute’s silence followed, broken only by the purring of Hal’s -favourite, the black cat “Smut,” who was rubbing against his master’s -leg, where the kneeless stocking told of the day’s exploits. - -Darker grew the shadows in the long low room; the clock ticked on its -monotonous “Gone by! gone by!” the faint whisper of the evening breeze -through the pines came in at the window; the last rays died in the -west, and once again the evening star looked out from the darkening -sky upon the mother, and the child within her arms—a picture that in -all its varied phases is as beauteous in our great to-day, as at that -Christmas-time at Bethlehem in ages past. And little Cis, watching the -shining star, raised her head from her mother’s shoulder, and said in a -hushed voice: - -“Do you think the angels will come to-night, mother dear?” - -“Angels! why, little one?” she replied. - -“Because there’s the star, mother, and I think it must be the one you -told me about, that came when the angels sang, because it’s, oh! so -beautiful! I should like them to come to-night; perhaps dear father will -send them. Do you think if we sat ever so still they _would_ fly down -near us? You know, when I sit down under the big trees up the hills for -a long time, the little birds fly down and close up their wings and come -and look at me, and angels have wings, haven’t they, mother dear? and so -perhaps they will come.” - -“Oh!” cried Hal, “if they can fly about like that, Cis, I shouldn’t like -it to-night, for there are a lot of Christmas-plums ripe on the tree -in the orchard, and if they come near I expect they would want them,—I -should. But I didn’t take any to-day, mother; we are saving them for -to-morrow as you told us to do; I only sat down under the tree and picked -up any that fell down. You know you told us not to run about when it was -very hot, so I thought if I was good and sat still, God would make some -plums drop down. But, I say, mother, what sort of hat does God wear?” - -“Hat, my boy! what do you mean?” - -“Why, mother, you said I must keep my hat on these hot days or I’d get -sunstroke, and I’m sure it must be dreadfully hot for God up in the sky; -there are no trees there to sit under.” - -What merry laughter from little Cis followed Hal’s remark, but his mother -said quietly, “Hush, my boy, we must not speak lightly of Him whose ways -are not as ours.” Hal’s merry face became thoughtful, and the children -were silent for a few moments; then the favourite tales were won from -mother by many a caress,—tales, of which the words fell on the children’s -ears like the pleasant dropping of summer rain, bringing forth sweet -flowers of thought, may be in later years to bear a precious fruit. Then -came the patter of little feet up the stairs, and merry chatter, as the -stockings were hung up ready for Santa Claus; and then, when mother -came, there were murmurs of sleepy voices, as the two little white-robed -figures knelt with folded hands on their curtained beds, and lay down -with the last words of their childish prayer on their rosy lips— - - “In the Kingdom of Thy Grace, - Give a little child a place.” - -“A place!” Aye, would that many an older child of earth could claim such -a place as His little ones have! Then, with mother’s last “tuck up” and -good-night kiss, and one last look to make sure that the stockings were -all right, silence fell on the little restless tongues, and closed the -sleepy eyes. - - * * * * * - -It was midnight, but no Christmas waits disturbed the stillness round the -quiet house. The southern cross gleamed clear and bright in the dark blue -heavens, and the moon sailed high, silvering the feathery clouds that -here and there floated across the star-lit depths, as though some angels -passing by had left stray pinions there. The distant ocean had waked -from its evening dreams with a thousand twinkling smiles; the tree-ferns -trembled beneath the moonbeams’ soft caress; but, brighter than all -others were the rays that, creeping through the window to the white -curtained beds, kissed so lovingly the sweet faces lying there, lingering -round the tumbled curls of little Cis, and on the dimpled arm thrown over -her head, and crowning Hal’s dark hair with a soft halo. - -[Illustration: “Take that,” said Santa Claus: “it will give you light in -the darkest places.” - -Page 6.] - -Then a clear voice broke the stillness of that summer night, making the -children stir in their slumbers ... then, once again the silvery voice -rang forth, “Wake up, little ones!” - -And, starting up, Cis and Hal rubbed their eyes, and wonderingly gazed -around. - -And there, where the moonbeams fell upon the floor, stood a lad with a -smiling face, and on his head was a crown of twinkling stars, and beneath -the stars these words shone, “I bring good gifts to all.” A robe of -deepest blue hung down in soft shimmering folds near to his feet; and in -his hand was a wand, on the tip of which shone the evening star. - -Then Hal, without fear, though in a dreamy voice, asked, “Please are you -a fairy, little man?” - -And Cis in a low voice added, “It’s the Angel of the Stars!” - -“No, little ones,” said he, “I am neither a fairy nor an angel; I am only -Santa Claus.” - -“Why, I thought Santa Claus was an old man,” said Hal. - -“So I am, in the Old World,” replied he, “but here, in the New World, I -am young like it.” - -“But,” exclaimed Hal, “where are your reindeer, and where’s the sleigh -with all the good things in it I always thought you brought? Because it -won’t be fair if you don’t give us anything. It’s Christmas Eve, you -know, and we have put our stockings ready for you.” - -“I have left my reindeer and the snow and frost in the Old World,” said -Santa Claus; “but never fear, I have not forgotten you and little Cis; -my wand, with the star of Love on it, is better than my sleigh full of -presents. But come along, little ones; dress quickly, for I am going to -take you where many wonderful things are waiting to be seen by bright -young eyes.” - -“All right; I am ready,” cheerily replied Hal. - -But little Cis said, “I don’t know, Hal; what will mother say! Mayn’t I -go and tell her, Mr. Santa Claus?” - -“No need, little Cis; she knew I was coming to you to-night.” - -“Yes, it’s all right,” said Hal eagerly, “come, dress quickly, Cis, we -shall see lots of wonderful things, and bring some back to mother too.” - -So the children dressed, and, led by their guide, went hand in hand with -light steps down the stairs and out into the moonlit world. - -How beautiful it looked! The drooping grasses shone with drops of dew; -the tall white lilies gleamed fair as the driven snow; a white-tailed -rabbit skipped across their path and then peered with bright eyes at -them from high bracken; a solitary night-bird chirped out its sleepy -notes; but as the children, led by Santa Claus, came near to the creek, -the voice of the stream sang out cheerily. A mossy trunk lay across the -waters, and Santa Claus stepped lightly along it, followed by Hal, who -held the hand of little Cis tightly in his, and, guiding her, went across -the slippery bridge. - -“It _is_ dark down here,” murmured Cis, as they stepped on the bank where -high fern-trees and thick bushes shaded the gully. - -Turning round, Santa Claus placed in Hal’s hand the wand whereon so -brightly shone the star of Love. “Take that,” he said, “it will give -you light in the darkest places;” and, as the light from the star fell -around, the black waters danced and gleamed, and the dark mosses shone. - -“Please do stop a little while, here, Mr. Santa Claus,” begged Hal, “I -want so much to have a look at that big carp I saw the other day in the -pool,” and, as he spoke, the fish, his gold and silver scales glittering -in the light, came near, and amid the rippling of the waters the children -heard a little voice singing:— - -[Illustration: THE SONG of the CARP. - - “Here in the cool waters - Who will catch me now? - Come, ye children, twine ye - Green weeds round your brow. - - “Play ye while the shallows - Sunny are and bright, - Sing ye while the still depths - Dance with sparkling light. - - “Little streams flow onward, - On by moor and lea. - Singing ever brightly, - Gay their life and free.] - -[Illustration: - - “When they join the river - Silenced is their song, - Slow and dark the current, - Rough the way and long. - - “In the mighty ocean - All are lost at last, - All the play-time over! - All the singing past! - - “So play ye while the shallows - Sunny are and bright, - And sing ye while the still depths - Dance with sparkling light.”] - -“Can’t we catch him, Mr. Santa Claus?” shouted Hal, “I should like that -fellow, for he talks like a book!” - -But the fish only waved his tail and glided down the stream. - -Then their guide beckoned them forwards, and Cis, wondering, asked, “Did -you make the fish speak, Mr. Santa Claus?” - -“Yes, little Cis,” answered he, “and the gift I bring you and Hal this -night, is the gift that makes you know and understand Nature’s many -voices.” - -“Does any one else know them?” asked Hal. - -“Yes, children, to some pure and simple souls the gift is given through -life to interpret them to man; and sometimes to the aged and the weak -it is granted to find strength anew, in flowery woods and birds’ and -insects’ song;—to you, ye little ones, Nature shall to-night speak out in -clearest voices, to echo in your hearts perchance in years to come.” - -“I hope he isn’t going to preach,” whispered Hal to his sister, “I shan’t -like him half so much if he does.” Then he added aloud, “I don’t quite -understand you, Mr. Santa Claus, but never mind, I don’t understand the -sermons our old clergyman preaches; mother says it is good to try and -listen, but I think they forget about the little children in church!” - -“Perhaps the preacher does not know we are there, Hal, we are so little, -you know,” added Cis in an apologetic tone, “and there is a long way -between us and the pulpit.” - -“Perhaps so,” said Hal absently, for he was wondering if he could put his -Star of Love over the pulpit on Christmas Day; it would make a bright -light, and perhaps the preacher would remember them then,—and he added -aloud, “But if he did remember us, Cis, I expect he’d be cross if we -didn’t sit _quite_ still, as I heard him say one day we ought.” - -“I suppose it is such a long time since he was a little child, that he -forgets how hard it is,” said little Cis. - -But by this time they had got out of the thickest part of the bush, and -were walking along a little winding path near a precipice. On the upper -side was a bank from which dainty ferns hung their graceful fronds, and -beneath them, on the moss, the tiny lamps of myriad glow-worms shone -like specks of fire. As the children stopped to gaze, they heard the -glow-worms singing:— - - “Children of the earth are we, - Small and brown and ill to see; - But we can make our lamps at night - In dreary places show their light. - Travellers oft might miss the way, - Warned we not their footsteps back, - When upon the narrow track - Near the precipice they stray. - Children of the earth are we, - Small and brown and ill to see; - Still our tiny lamps we trim; - Children, let not yours grow dim!” - -“We have got no lamps, you stupid little glow-worms,” said Hal, “unless -you call this Star of Love that we carry a lamp. But couldn’t you sing -something more lively to us?” he added. Then the glow-worms brightened up -and sang to a merry tune:— - - “Oh! stay, ye children, stay, - And listen to our song, - For childhood’s hour is short, - And manhood’s day is long. - Come, see our fairy haunts, - And we will light the way; - Come, join the merry dance, - And dance till break of day.” - -“Please may we go to the dance, Mr. Santa Claus?” begged Hal; their guide -nodded assent, and they watched the glow-worms form into a long line, two -and two, and creep between two high moss-grown rocks. - -“It’s all very well to say ‘come,’” remarked Hal, “but how are we to get -through that place, I should like to know?” - -“Hold Love’s wand high overhead,” answered Santa Claus, “and much that is -difficult will be made easy.” - -“Oh, dear! he has begun preaching again,” cried Hal, but he held the -star over his own and his sister’s head, and, pushing some overhanging -brambles aside, they found that they could easily go where the glow-worms -led. - -On, on went the long procession of shining lights, and the little voices -were heard, now faint, now clear:— - - “Come, see the fairy haunts. - And we will light the way; - Come, join the merry dance, - And dance till break of day.” - -[Illustration: “We’re sorry we’re so big,” said Hal.] - -And soon what a sight met the eyes of the children! In an open space -surrounded by high trees, on a bright ring of green grass, a number of -little fairies were dancing, their tiny twinkling feet scarcely seeming -to touch the lightly bending blades. And what merry music! a band of -locusts with their shining wings beat tunes upon the brown tree-trunks; -big night-moths hummed their low songs, and drowsy beetles droned -fitfully, while from the trees o’erhead the bell-birds rang their clear -high notes. It was a gala night, and birds and insects had come to join -in the dance. - -On a branch near by sat a small brown owl, round-eyed and solemn, beating -with a raupo stem the time, which no one tried to keep. “Too fast, stop -them!” cried he, in his harsh, cold voice; but no one took any notice -except the Tui in a bush, who repeated his words;—and the music played, -and the dancers danced as madly as before. - -[Illustration: Kiwi.] - -Then, out from the dark wood there came a motley throng; bright -golden-eyed green lizards, their long tails waving like shining -river-weeds; sleek-coated rats, and solemn Maori hens; fat caterpillars -waddling through the grass, and snorting kiwis[3] following close behind; -while sombre-coloured crows and starlings tripped on in pairs. - -Now, by the laws of fairy-land, no bird could feed upon insects so long -as the night revels were kept up; nevertheless the caterpillars did not -feel quite comfortable, for many a sly poke they got to “hurry up” from -the kiwis’ long bills, with which these birds gave disappointed snaps, as -they saw such tempting morsels near by. - -Then came whole families of green parrakeets, proudly holding up their -red-crested heads, and chattering all the scandal of the forest; -black-feathered Tuis[4] with their white neckties cleanly washed; tiny -Fantails,[5] their fans spread out, for the night was warm: and Robins -too, were there, some in dark grey garb, and some in black with yellow -and white breast-fronts newly smoothed;—and as the fresh comers appeared, -the music struck up with renewed vigour, and the glow-worms, nodding, -made their lamps burn brighter still. - -[Illustration: Parson-bird or Tui.] - -All were soon joining in the dance,—fairies, birds and insects, and Hal -and Cis, seeing Santa Claus sit down under a tree-fern, joined too. - -“We’re sorry we are so big,” said Hal, “but Cis and I will try and not -knock any of you over. Would you mind tucking your tail up under your -arm?” he said to a young lady lizard near whom he was dancing in a waltz. -“Allow me to help you;” and help he did, for the tail came off in his -hand! “I beg your pardon,” said Hall. - -[Illustration: Pied Fantail.] - -“Don’t mention it, tails always grow quickly, you know,” replied the -lizard with a laugh, as she skipped gaily on. - -“Please, Mr. Kiwi, would you oblige me by dancing on two legs instead of -three,” asked little Cis, for the Kiwi was her partner, and was using his -bill as a support, and often pricked her toes. - -“You don’t know what you are talking about,” said he in a huff, “it’s my -bill! but perhaps you don’t know what a bill is!” - -[Illustration: Brown Owl or More-pork.] - -“I’ve only heard mother say that no one likes long bills,” said little -Cis. - -At this the Kiwi snorted contemptuously, and left her, and the brown -owl,[6] seeing something was wrong, thought it must be the music, and -shouted out, “Too fast! stop them!” but no one took any heed, for he was -only an old croaker, and could not be expected to keep pace with the -young people. So he dropped his raupo-stem, and sulked on the bough. -Soon afterwards the band stopped, and some strange flute-like notes were -heard in the distance. - -The Tui called out excitedly, “Make haste! take your places if you want -to see the Gavotte, here comes the great dancer of the evening!” and all -the birds and fairies hurried to get good places on the branches near by, -while caterpillars and lizards stood up on their tails. Then out from the -thick underwood came two crows,[7] proudly strutting side by side; the -male bird took his place upon a straight leafless branch, well in sight -of all the expectant throng, while the female bird sat down on a fallen -mossy bough, where she could see her mate. - -[Illustration: Crow.] - -Then he began the Gavotte, and what a lively performance it was! up and -down, up and down the branch, springing, pirouetting, tail and wings -out-spread, with many a fanciful step and flourish, danced the crow right -merrily to his own sweet gurgling music. Truly he was a mate worthy -of the little wife he had won by his dancing at pairing time; she was -sitting near, watching, and when the dance was ended he looked down at -her proudly, while the on-lookers applauded. - -“Capital! capital!” shouted little Cis and Hal, clapping, and the Tui -overhead echoed their words. - -“How nice to have a husband who can dance and sing so well!” said one of -the parrakeets. - -“Yes,” said the lady crow, “it is nice, of course, but there are other -things to be considered in choosing a husband; still he is a good one on -the whole, though sometimes I should like to join in the whistling and -dancing, too. Let us have a dance all together now!” she added, and the -owl, having got over his fit of the sulks, asked for his raupo stem to be -handed to him again, and started the music afresh. - -The crow, offended by his wife’s remarks, chose another partner for a -while, but Cis, watching, saw that he soon went back to her, and a little -later on the pair slipped away into the wood together, so she supposed -they had made up their tiff. - -Then the dancers took a rest, for they were all rather tired. - -“Oh, look!” said the grey robin, who was still sitting on the bush near -Cis, “there are the Tuataras; what a wonder it is for them to come and -see us. How do you do?” called out the bird, at the same time nodding his -head condescendingly to two large stone-coloured lizards with a row of -white spines down their backs, who glided into the open space, and, lying -down on some stones, watched the scene with solemn bright eyes. - -“They did not answer you!” said Cis, “do they never speak?” - -“Not often to us,” replied the bird, “they are too proud of their old -family to talk to ordinary dwellers in the forest; those two must have -come a long way to visit us to-night, for, some years ago, the Tuataras -said they did not like the fast ways of the inhabitants of this part -of the country, and they all retired to an island off the coast, where -their only companions are the mutton-birds who live in holes in the -ground;—and, I think, it is so mean of the lizards, they share the -mutton-birds’ holes, and then often feed upon their young ones.” - -“Do not the Tuataras[8] get any food themselves?” asked Cis. - -“Yes, at night,” replied the robin, “they only go out then; _I_ think -there must be something wrong when people always do things in the dark, -do not you?” - -“I do not know,” said Cis, “perhaps they have reasons we do not -understand.” - -“My mother was told by a learned man that the Tuataras have _three_ -eyes,” continued the bird. - -“If so, they can see more than other people, and that is why they look so -wise,” said little Cis. - -“Perhaps so,” replied the bird, “but none of us have ever seen the third -eye, and it is funny where it can be.” - -“If you looked carefully you would find it on the top of our heads,” -said the mellow voice of a Tuatara who had evidently been listening; -“our ancestors were great star-gazers, but we have given up that sort of -nonsense, we find it quite enough to attend to things on the earth, so -we all agreed to shut one eye; it is best to do so sometimes,” added the -lizard musingly. - -[Illustration: Tuataras.] - -“Indeed!” said the robin, and he put his head on one side and looked very -unbelieving. - -Just then two cockroaches, more curious than the rest, ran up the stones -near where the lizards sat, who, suddenly turning their heads, seized and -swallowed them. - -How indignant all the birds and insects were at this transgression of -the laws of fairy-land, and loud cries arose from all sides of “Shame! -shame!” - -“Peck out their eyes!” cried the Kiwi, who had, however, been thinking he -should like a meal himself. - -“Off with their tails!” croaked a bright green frog. - -“Off with their tails!” repeated the Tui in a shrill voice. - -But the Tuataras, hearing the noise, glided down from the stones into the -fern; Hal and the birds went after them, but the lizards were soon lost -to sight in a hole. - -“We shall have to give it up,” said Hal, “we could not get them out of -that hole except by digging; let us go back to the others:” so they -returned, and Hal, sitting down by Santa Claus, said, “This is all great -fun,—I wonder when they will begin dancing again, I never enjoyed a dance -so much before.” - -A stout caterpillar,[9] who sat near, and was troubled with asthma, -overhearing this, put in his word. “It is only because you are young that -it all seems so good; wait till you are old and stout like me, and you -won’t be so mad at dancing!” - -“But you will be a lovely butterfly by-and-by,” added little Cis. - -[Illustration: Vegetable Caterpillar.] - -“Not I!” said the caterpillar, “I would not be anything so flighty.” - -“What are you going to do, then?” - -“I mean to retire to some quiet spot on the earth,” said the caterpillar, -“and be of some use in the world. I have heard that some of my brothers -who have buried themselves grew after a while into plants which are much -sought for and valued, and I intend to try it too, I admire variety, for -what is the good of being one of the common herd, I should like to know?” -and the caterpillar stopped, panting, for it was a long speech for him -with his short breath. - -“I should do what other caterpillars do, if I were you,” said little Cis -thoughtfully, “for I’ve heard that the hearts of those caterpillars you -speak of, get harder and harder, till, when the plant grows from them, -they turn into wood, too, and die.” - -“May be! may be! but I don’t care what people say,” replied he in -impatient husky tones, as he turned away and began to dig in the earth -under a big rata-tree as quickly as he could. - -“Too fast, stop him!” shouted the brown owl. - -“Hold your tongue!” cried the caterpillar, “what do you know about it? -Who asked you to preach?” - -“Oh! don’t quarrel!” said the gentle voice of little Cis; “let me give -you a little more light, Mr. Caterpillar, if you _will_ bury yourself,” -and she ran and picked up Hal’s wand, and threw the light of Love’s Star -on the old grubber. The owl above only blinked, and said in surly tones -that he knew he was right, and he wished people wouldn’t try to throw -light on his eyes. - -Little Cis, being left by her partner, sat down on a mossy bank, and was -watching the rest, when she heard some twittering notes near, and looking -down saw two little birds close to her feet, one all grey, one grey with -a yellow breast, their bright eyes twinkling, their little tails wagging. - -“We thought you looked lonely,” said the grey bird, “so we have come to -talk to you.” - -“What are your names, little birds?” said Cis. - -“We are robins,”[10] said they. - -“Robins, are you?” replied little Cis, “why, mother used to tell me that -robins had red breasts.” - -“Oh! so I’ve heard it said they have on the other side of the world,” -replied the grey bird, who seemed to be the greater talker of the two, -“but we don’t care for so much red, as everything else here is so bright, -our family only go in for quiet colours; it’s more ladylike. What do you -think of our ball?” he added, and then continued, “I don’t care much for -dancing myself; I like afternoon-teas better. I am very fond of company, -and one hears all the news of the country-side at a tea-party; it is much -more sociable too.” - -“Perhaps so,” said little Cis in a doubtful voice, for she had only been -to dolls’ tea-parties, and no one talked there. - -“Yes,” went on the grey robin, “there are three charming parrakeets, who -live in a wood near by, and they sometimes give afternoon teas, and, -really, it is as good as reading a newspaper to hear all the tales told -of the neighbours.” - -“Kind tales?” asked Cis. - -“Well, I don’t exactly know,” said the grey robin, “but that doesn’t -matter; the parrakeets[11] say the great thing is to have something to -talk about.” - -[Illustration: Robins.] - -“Don’t say that,” put in the yellow-breasted robin, “the old owl tells us -never to repeat an unkind thing; it is only the busy-bodies of the Tui -family who do that, and they often whistle the tales they hear so badly, -that you’d scarcely know them to be the same.” - -“Perhaps they can’t help it, you know,” remarked little Cis; “it is not -every one who has a good ear; and, besides, Tuis talk so much, that they -can’t have much time to think about what they say. I don’t expect they -mean to alter things. Mother told me never to tell any but good tales of -Hal, but it is difficult sometimes when he teases me,” and little Cis -sighed. - -“I think this is a very nice ball with you to talk to,” said the grey -robin; “do you mind if we stay near you?” - -“Oh, no, I shall like it,” replied Cis; so the robins perched on a bush -close by, and with their heads on one side eyed the dancers (who had -started afresh), and they now and again added their sweet low notes to -the music. - -“We don’t sing much,” said they, “but we like to do our best to make -things lively.” - -[Illustration: Maori hen.] - -Just then, such a scuffling was heard in the long grass, that Cis -jumped up to see what was the matter, and there were two Maori hens[12] -fighting over some bright buttons, tied together with string, which Hal -had thrown down. They were jumping round and round each other in the -maddest excitement, heads and short tails bobbing, and wings flapping. -The brown owl cried, “Too fast, stop them!” but the music and the noise -drowned his voice. At last the fatter of the two hens stopped a minute to -get breath, and the other, seizing its opportunity, gave an extra tug, -and carried off the buttons under the bushes. The fat hen ran after as -fast as possible, calling out, “Stop thief! stop thief!” then they both -disappeared in the bushes. - -Little Cis thought she heard a parrot on a tree overhead call out -something about “The pot calling the kettle black,” but as she did not -see any signs of cooking near, she thought she must be mistaken. - -Meanwhile, Hal had been gossiping with the birds and insects, and -hearing many tales of fun and frolic in the greenwood, and many too of -hair-breadth escapes from hard-hearted hunters and cruel boys. - -“Do you know I am uncommonly hungry,” said Hal, coming up to where Santa -Claus was watching. Hal had a little fairy with lovely gauze wings -perched on each of his shoulders, and he added, “And these little friends -of mine are thirsty too, and all the flowers are shut up, so they can’t -get any dew; it really is too bad for them to close so early.” - -At a nod from Santa Claus the birds flew off, and quickly returned with -numberless fruits and berries; huge mushroom-tables sprang up rapidly, -and soon were bending with the weight of the good things. Blue-bells held -out their cups of sparkling dew to all, and the Tui and the Bell-bird -revelled in honey, pure and golden, which the small wild-bees brought. - -The fairies lightly perched on toadstools and the blades of grass, and -were gallantly waited upon by long-legged spiders, whilst the birds vied -with each other in paying attentions to little Cis. - -Long and merry was the feast, only the Kiwi sat grumpily by, and, eyeing -some curled-up earthworms, sniffed and said that there was nothing -for him to eat. But alas! old Time stays not his flight, even in the -brightest hours, and Santa Claus, pointing to the moon sinking low in the -sky, the happy revel ceased, and good-byes were said. The fairies winged -their flight to hide in the flowers’ sweet hearts; the insects sought -their secret haunts in rugged bark and crannied soil; the birds flew off -to their leafy homes, except the Kiwi, and he could not, having no wings, -poor fellow! so he scuttled quickly about, hunting around for food, but -alas! the earthworms and grubs had already hidden in the mossy soil, or -beneath the dead leaves. - -“Gone! gone!” snorted the disappointed bird, hungry and cross, “and hard -work I shall have to dig them out.” - -“Too fast, stop them!” excitedly shrieked the brown owl, who was -watching some caterpillars waddling off as quickly as they could. - -[Illustration: White Heron.] - -“What is the good of saying that?” asked the Tui, “I shan’t imitate -you anymore. It is not likely the caterpillars, if they heard you, -would stop to be eaten to please you. I’m off to the bush, near the -stream,” continued the Tui, “where the white heron[13] is bringing up -her aristocratic family in her nest in the tree-fern, I shall get some -conversation worth listening to with her, for she’s a lady of education, -and does not mix with every one!” and the Tui flew off. - -“I say, old fellow,” called out Hal to the owl, “that was rather hard on -you. I’d change my tune if I were you, I think.” - -The owl put his brown head on one side, looked very wise for a moment, -then shouted out at the top of his shrill voice, “More pork! more pork!” - -“I’m afraid I can’t oblige you,” laughed Hal, “but if you’ll go farther -into the bush you might tackle a few wild pigs if you like.” - -“I expect he means ‘more mice,’” said little Cis; “perhaps he’s getting -old, poor thing!” - -But the owl shouted out “More pork! more pork!” and does so to this day. - -“Come, children,” said Santa Claus, “I have more wonderful things to -show you before the sun rises;” and he led them out of the forest and -up a hill, from the brow of which they looked on a plain broken by deep -gullies and bounded afar by dark mountain ranges. Scattered trees loomed -vast and unreal in the misty light, and the children walked on silently, -almost wishing they were at home again, but yet curious to know what else -Santa Claus had to show them. Suddenly a miserable little cur ran out of -the bushes, barking, and amidst the manuka and cabbage-trees they saw -a raupo whare. Grotesque heads carved upon the gable and on the corner -posts of the low roof grinned hideously at Hal and Cis, and they were -very startled when some dark figures, wrapped in loose mats, ran out -hastily, looking big and weird in the dim and uncertain light. - -“They are not giants, are they?” whispered little Cis in a timid tone. - -“No, no,” replied Hal, “they are only Maories; and see, they are more -frightened of us than you are of them.” - -The Maories, indeed, on seeing Santa Claus, his starry crown shining like -a halo round his head, and Hal, whose face was lighted up by the Star of -Love which he carried, were terrified, and uttering loud cries of “Aue! -Aue!” they rushed back into their hut. - -[Illustration: “They are only Maories; and see, they are more frightened -of us than you are of them.” - -Page 26.] - -“Why do they run away from us?” asked Cis. - -“They, no doubt, thought we were spirits,” answered Santa Claus; “Maories -are very much afraid of their dead grandfathers and grandmothers,” added -he, laughing. - -“I wonder why that is,” said Hal, “I should have thought they would be -glad to see the people again who are kind and good, as grandfathers and -grandmothers always are.” - -By this time they had gone some little distance past the whare, and at -the bottom of the hill they came to a narrow valley,[14] the sides of -which were clad with a luxuriant growth of feathery manuka, so white with -its numberless small blossoms, that in the faint light that comes before -the summer dawn, the valley looked as though a snowstorm had passed over -it. From hidden places amongst the shrubs, thick curling steam arose, now -hiding the trees and bushes, and even veiling the faint stars above for a -few seconds, then melting into thin air, leaving a warm dripping moisture -on everything around. Mysterious hissing noises filled the air, and ever -and anon the earth shook as though with fear. - -The wondering, half-frightened children, tightly clasping each other’s -hands, followed Santa Claus along the steep, zig-zag path that led down -to the bottom of the valley; then, feeling the ground warm beneath her -feet, little Cis said, “I am so frightened, Mr. Santa Claus, please may -we go back?” - -“Yes, I think we _ought_ to go back,” added Hal, “for it must be getting -near breakfast-time now.” - -“Do not be afraid, children, I will take care of you,” replied Santa -Claus, “and I have such wonderful things to show you.” - -Reassured by his kind voice, the children followed, keeping close -together; Hal, with one arm round Cis, and with the other holding the -Star of Love high above their heads, as they followed the path to the -bottom of the valley. There they saw a stream rippling along; clear as -crystal were its waters, and its banks covered with drooping ferns and -tender mosses. Little Cis, stooping to gather some of the ferns, dipped -her hand into a pool of water near by, and cried out, “Why, Hal, it’s -quite hot!” - -Yes, hot it was, and the steam itself still hotter, while amid the -bushes, countless merry little springs bubbled up, boiling, from basins -of yellow and pink stone. - -“Why, it smells exactly like lucifer matches,—do they make them here, -Mr. Santa Claus?” asked Hal, looking at the bright yellow sulphur on the -ground. - -“No,” laughed Santa Claus, “but I think they might.” - -“I shall bring our cook here,” went on Hal, “she needn’t have a fire at -all to cook our meals or to wash our clothes.” And he looked down into -the clear steaming pool close by, edged with crumbling, many-coloured -soil, and around, and even within which, delicate ferns were growing. - -But Santa Claus’ starry crown was already shining faint on the pathway -ahead, and the children tripped on lightly after him. - -What lovely fairy glens they saw at each turn of the little path, -carpeted with soft, bright green, and overhung with tender foliage, -and Cis wished it were midnight that she might see the fairies dance. -What fairy ball-rooms, too, with floors of pale pink marble, and pretty -streamlets of warm water trickling near, for tired feet to paddle in! - -But Santa Claus had stopped, and the children hurried up to his side, -and there, in the midst of the thick bushes, they saw a small lake of -clearest blue, and to its edge sloped down a gleaming floor of white, and -the trees that drooped near to the water’s edge shone white, as though a -hoar-frost had silvered each trunk and tiny twig. - -“Oh! how lovely!” cried little Cis. “Is this like the snow in England, -Mr. Santa Claus?” - -“Not quite,” he answered, “though it is as beautiful. But listen, little -ones!” - -And as he spoke a chorus of voices was heard, faint, as though from the -bowels of the earth, and then a low rumbling noise was followed by a -mighty burst of steam from a hole a little way off, and on the top of it -were shot out a troop of laughing gnomes. - -[Illustration: On the top of the geyser were shot out a troop of laughing -gnomes.] - -What funny little fellows they looked, with their long yellow legs, short -bodies, and merry round faces beneath their yellow hats of all shapes -and sizes. With many wild antics and strange capers they danced round the -blue lake, singing:— - - “Ha, ha! ha, ha! how jolly is life, - We know no care, we know no strife; - We dance, we sing, and merrily play - The long night through; and then by day - We work, we delve in the ground below, - And make Earth’s fountains merrily flow. - We feed the fires, till the cold streams boil; - We spare no trouble, we spare no toil, - We make the dark pools bubble and hiss, - Till the waters leap up the trees to kiss, - With a roar, and a whirr, and a rush so high, - That the bright drops sparkle and dance in the sky, - Then fall with a soft tra la la! tra la la! - And we laugh as they fall, ha, ha! ha, ha!” - -Then all the little gnomes, headed by Red Cap, their leader, jumped with -merry shouts and laughter into the clear warm pool near by. - -The children watched them for awhile, then Cis wandered off, picking up -bits of petrified ferns and sticks out of a hot bubbling pool, and choice -pieces of yellow sulphur, which, when broken off the steaming ground, -showed myriads of sparkling crystals, and kind Santa Claus packed all her -treasures in soft moss in a bag which he carried on his back. - -Meanwhile, Hal envied the merry bathers, and as they called out to him to -“come, too,” he quickly threw off his clothes and jumped into the little -lake. - -How glorious it was! The hot bubbling waters, the clear crystal depths, -and the sides and floor of the bath yielding to the touch, as though -padded with velvet! Was ever such a bath enjoyed before? Shouting and -singing, the little gnomes seized Hal and popped him over the edge of the -basin, and plump he fell into a stream of cold water on the other side. -What a big breath he pulled at first, and then, how delicious the glow -and the dive into the clear depths! What a good swim Hal had up the cold -stream, racing the little gnomes who spluttered and splashed after him! -Then back they all went into the blue lake, revelling in the tingling -warmth. Again, out of that into another bath close by, where countless -crystal bubbles rose from the soft sandy floor, playing round the -bathers like the dancing bubbles of sparkling wine. - -But Hal heard Santa Claus calling to him to make haste, and he -reluctantly jumped out, and flinging on his clothes, shouted to the -gnomes, “I’ll come here for my Saturday-night tub, if you don’t mind; -it’s awfully jolly.” - -“All right,” answered the gnomes, running after Hal, who by this time had -joined Cis and Santa Claus. - -“Won’t you all come and have breakfast with us?” asked Red Cap. - -“Well, I am rather hungry, and I expect Cis is, too. But what have you -got for breakfast, Mr. Red Cap?” - -“Porridge, to be sure. Didn’t you know we were hard-working Scotch boys? -Who else would work as hard, or get as much out of the earth as we do?” -answered a gnome in a huffed tone. - -“I don’t know, I’m sure; but please don’t be offended,” replied Hal, -“we’ll eat some porridge with pleasure.—or _try_ to,” he added in a low -voice, for he did not care for porridge at home. - -Red Cap led the way to where in the earth was the porridge-pot—a large -hole full of boiling cream-coloured porridge, that hissed, and bubbled, -and looked tempting enough. Cis and Hal, following the example of their -guide, dipped sticks into it, and tasted the smooth paste, and what -grimaces they both made, which they tried not to let Red Cap see! For the -porridge was anything but pleasant, being like a mixture of rotten eggs -and alum. - -“Isn’t it good?” asked Red Cap, smacking his lips over it. - -“Well,” said Cis, who wished to be polite, “it certainly is well boiled, -and it is not at all lumpy, but—isn’t it ra—ther—earthy?” - -Then, seeing the gnome’s disappointed face, she added, “But never mind, -we’re trying to enjoy it; but I expect you have to be brought up to it, -Mr. Red Cap, really to like it.” - -“We’ll come for our next picnic here, and bring some tea for you,” said -Hal, trying to make friends with Red Cap, “and perhaps you’ll boil the -kettle for us—no, I mean, give us the water already boiled. I’m afraid -it will smell and taste of rotten eggs, but that can’t be helped,” added -Hal, in a low voice, to little Cis, sniffing the sulphurous fumes rising -from the boiling cauldrons on all sides. - -Santa Claus and the children now walked on, and Cis and Hal, getting -accustomed to the strange scenes around, began to feel quite brave. - -“There are not many birds here, Mr. Santa Claus,” said Cis, for they -had only seen a few blight-birds flitting about; only the two little -robins had come part of the way with her into the valley, then they had -twittered their good-bye, and Cis missed her little feathered friends. - -“See,” replied Santa Claus, and there amid the feathery manuka was an -open space covered with layers of creamy-coloured stone, and in the -centre was what looked like a huge bird’s nest,[15] formed of large -white stems and branches crossed and recrossed, and pieces of petrified -moss between. Each little twig was heavily laden with drops, apparently -frozen, some thick as milk, some clear as crystal, while round and -overhead the bushes too were white as snow. - -“How beautiful!” cried Hal. - -“But where is the bird, Mr. Santa Claus?” asked little Cis, “and what a -big one it must be to make that nest!” - -“Wait a little, and if you do not see the bird you shall hear him sing,” -laughed Santa Claus. - -The children stood silently waiting. Soon a low rumbling was heard below -their feet, followed by hissing and bubbling noises that grew nearer and -nearer, then died away, to begin again, louder, nearer than before, and -making Cis creep up close to her brother and Santa Claus. Awe-struck, the -children watched, and soon from the middle of the nest they saw bubbling -waters that came and went in fitful gushes, as though battling against -some unseen power below,—then roaring, fighting, boiling, a mighty column -shot up high into the air above their heads, and clouds of steam rolled -around, hiding for a little while the trees, and even the children, in -a misty veil.[16] How beautiful the clear drops of the mighty fountain -looked, as the water’s rose and fell, shining like dancing diamonds in -the dawning light! Then out from their holes came the gnomes, singing -again their merry song. - -[Illustration: The Merry Song of the Gnomes. - - We feed the fires till the cold streams boil, - We spare no trouble we spare no toil: - We make the dark pools bubble and hiss - Till the waters leap up the trees to kiss, - With a roar, and a whirr and a rush so high - That the bright drops sparkle and dance in the sky - Then fall with a soft tra la la la! tra la la la! - And we laugh as they fall. Ha ha! ha ha!] - -Then they danced around the roaring geyser, till the waters fell lower -and lower, and amid sobs and sighs died away in the deep dark hole, and -all was still and silent as before in the mysterious bird’s nest. - -Without waiting to hear the children’s wondering remarks, Santa Claus -took them by the hand, and they seemed to pass quickly over a large -tract of country, until they came to a creek, which they soon saw from -its steaming sides was hot, and which ran into a lake lying quiet and -peaceful;—only the pukekos[17] rose now and again, screeching from the -reedy shallows. Pushing their way through thick scrub, and walking with -great care between bubbling cauldrons and deep holes from which steam -belched forth with a mighty roar and thud, Hal found it difficult to -carry the Star of Love safely, and asked Santa Claus what he should do -with it. - -“Hold it high overhead, and then stop for a minute and watch,” replied -Santa Claus, and, doing as he was bid, Hal was astonished to see the Star -float away into the pale grey sky, becoming fainter and fainter, till it -disappeared in the misty dawn. - -“You have carried it so long with care,” said Santa Claus, “that by day, -though unseen, it will ever shine to guide you, and at night, though -passing clouds may sometimes hide it, if you look for it, you will soon -find it again.” - -“I shall look for it, Mr. Santa Claus,” said little Cis; “I often see the -stars shining in at my window when I am in bed, and I shall ask God not -to let the angels forget to light that beautiful one for me to see.” - -As little Cis finished speaking, their old friend Red Cap appeared on the -path before them. - -“Where did you come from?” cried Hal, “we left you at the bird’s nest.” - -“Yes,” answered Red Cap, “but we gnomes do not follow the paths you -mortals tread, but have many and hidden passages under the earth, and -many underground streams by which we pass quickly from south to north. -So, here I am, you see, and now I am going to show you the realm of the -King and Queen of the Gnomes.” - -“That _will_ be jolly!” cried Hal. - -“Will it take very long, Mr. Red Cap?” asked Cis. “I have been thinking -of mother, and she will want me back soon, I am sure.” And the child’s -face grew thoughtful, and her large eyes looked sad and wistful. - -“You shall be back for breakfast on Christmas morning, I promise you, -little Cis,” said Santa Claus; “Mother will not expect you before then. -I am going to leave you a little while with Red Cap now, for I have some -other children expecting me before the sun is up; but I will meet you -after you have seen where the King and Queen of the Gnomes live.” - -“You will not forget us, Mr. Santa Claus, will you?” asked Cis, “because -we could never get home without you.” - -“No fear of that, little one, I never fail the children who believe in -me,” and so saying he disappeared from their sight. Hal called out,— - -“Good-bye, old fellow, I hope you’ll make haste back,” and then, taking -Cis’s hand, for he thought she was a little timid, he followed Red Cap -until they came to the end of the thick bushes. “Look,” said Red Cap, -“this is the dwelling place of our King and Queen.” Beautiful indeed -was the sight that met their gaze; from the edge of the lake, tier upon -tier of milky white terraces[18] sloped upwards to a great height, and -over them fell a glistening veil of water which filled the air with its -rippling song as it sought the placid lake below. - -“Oh! let us paddle,” said Hal to Cis, and no sooner was it said than -done, and how delightful was the soft, warm water trickling over their -feet! - -The children then followed as Red Cap led the way from tier to tier, -looking into the numberless marble baths of all shapes and sizes that -they passed, filled with coloured waters, clear and inviting, pale blue -and green—the sides of the baths edged with fantastic wreaths and carved -alabaster fringe, from the countless points of which overflowing drops -fell with a soft musical sound. - -How dazzling was the milky white floor as they stepped upwards and looked -down on the stretching terraces gemmed with their glistening pools! -Truly it was wonderland! A fit dwelling-place for the King and Queen; a -fit scene for the midnight revels of Gnomes and Fays! Hal and Cis found -many a little petrified treasure as they lingered here and there,—twigs -and bits of moss and fern, and even insects white and glistening as the -terrace itself. - -“Oh! see, Mr. Red Cap,” called out little Cis, picking up what looked -like a perfect white dragonfly, “what has happened to the poor -dragonfly!” and she held it in her hand tenderly. - -“That is the way the gnomes punish any insect that comes near where our -King and Queen live,” answered Red Cap; “the singing waters lure them in, -and then turn them to stone itself.” - -“Poor things,” said little Cis, “how hard-hearted the pretty waters must -be, and they look so soft and nice.” - -“That is often the way with things,” remarked Red Cap; “at least so I’ve -heard it said.” - -As they came near the topmost tier of baths, the water became hotter and -hotter, and there, in a gorge of the hill side, with the feathery manuka -to its very edge, was a huge cauldron of opal-coloured steaming water. - -Side by side, with timid steps, the children went close to the edge, and, -looking down, saw what Red Cap told them was the entrance to the King’s -palace. - -Clusters of white pillars rose in stately grandeur, surrounded with -carved wreaths of leaves and flowers, looking as if formed of frozen snow -in the blue waters; forests of ferns hung their delicate stone fronds in -the shadowy depths; quaint shaped mushrooms and coral-like bushes grew -here and there ’mid heavily fringed leaves of many a strange shape. - -“Oh! may we go down there?” asked Hal. - -“No,” replied Red Cap, “it would be death to mortals to go there; even -fairies cannot enter; but they are allowed to bathe in the pools, or to -dance with the gnomes on moonlight nights, when our King and Queen hold -their court. Only the gnomes can enter the palace halls below the pool, -and many strange sights and sounds are there, and it is hard work there -for the gnomes, I can tell you. See,” went on Red Cap, “the King and -Queen are away just now, and the gnomes are busy cleaning out the palace, -and soon they will make the big fountain play, and fill the terrace baths -afresh.” - -“Where have the King and Queen gone?” asked Hal, “and shan’t we see them?” - -“I think not to-night,” said Red Cap, “for they have gone to their summer -palace over there,” and he pointed to the other side of the lake, where -the children saw another terraced realm even more beautiful than the one -they were on, being of a pale pink colour, like the tender flush of a -warm sunset upon beds of snow, and over all the falling waters danced and -gleamed. - -“Are there as beautiful bathing places over there too?” asked Hal. - -“Yes,” said Red Cap, “and there is a large bath with soft downy sides and -floor in which mortals sometimes bathe. But they are seldom allowed to -see into the depths of the huge cauldron at the top of this pink terrace, -for, by the order of the King, soft clouds of steam cover it, which are -rarely lifted. Some favoured ones who have looked into the boiling depths -say the forests and beauteous flowery forms there are even more wonderful -than those you see here at the entrance of the Winter Palace.” - -“Oh! look!” cried Hal excitedly to Cis just as Red Cap ceased speaking; -then, out of numberless small caves in the blue cauldron at their feet -jumped hundreds of little black gnomes, having thick coats made out of -sulphur cakes, and on their heads milky white helmets. Up from the blue -waters they sprang, capering with wild delight round the edges of the -cauldron and the numberless basins of the white terraces below, shouting, -laughing, and then bursting ever and anon into wild chorus. - - “’Tis done! ’tis done! our labour is o’er, - We’ve cleaned each hall, and polished each floor. - We’ve made the matches, and lighted the fires - The engines to start as our King desires; - List to the hammers that thump and bang, - To the piston’s thud and the anvil’s clang. - Hurrah! hurrah! for the rumble and rush, - The boiling pools that bubble and gush, - Then upwards burst, and the steam clouds rise - To join their brethren that float in the skies. - Now the fountains play o’er the palace halls, - And the rainbow-arch o’er the portal falls, - Hark to the din! and hark to the roar! - ’Tis done, ’tis done; our labour is o’er.” - -And the children and Red Cap saw the water in the big cauldron begin to -bubble at the bottom, and then rise rapidly higher and higher. - -“Run to the hill!” cried Red Cap. - -Hal and Cis needed no second bidding, but ran down the terrace and then -climbed up the hill-side as quickly as they could with their bare feet, -and from the midst of the bushes watched the big geyser shoot up into the -sky with a terrific roar. - -Soon the cauldron overflowed in tossing wavelets that swept downwards -from terrace to terrace, filling to overflowing the countless baths on -the way, and forming one beautiful sparkling cascade—in many parts blue -as the sky overhead—from the top to the lake below, which was itself blue -as a summer sky. - -The gnomes, perching on the bushes and flax clumps round, nodded their -heads approvingly, and sang:— - - “The cascade falls o’er each marble lip, - Where at night the fairies merrily trip, - As the rippling waters rise and fall, - We join their dance on a gleaming wall, - Or climbing high on the moon’s bright rays, - We sing till the sun on the terrace plays, - Then hide again in our holes and caves, - Where our tired feet the water laves, - And we watch poor mortals come and go, - They see not the fun we have below. - Oh! what tricks we play! They know not why - The geysers gush, and the steam-clouds fly: - As they hear us chuckle and laugh, ha! ha! - They say, ’tis the water’s song, tra la la! - Hurrah! for the fun in our hidden homes, - Hurrah! for the life of the merry gnomes!” - -[Illustration: “Run to the hill!” cried Red Cap.] - -And down the funny little fellows jumped and rushed laughing into the -delicately fringed caves beneath the marble baths. - -“What jolly little boys they are,” said Hal, “and what a good time they -seem to be having!” - -“Yes,” replied Red Cap, “they all _seem_ happy; but I am sorry to say -there are a lot of discontented ones below, and I should not wonder if -they strike one day; and if so, the passages will get clogged, and there -will be a grand blow up, and I don’t know what will happen to our King -and Queen and their beautiful fairy realms,”[19] and Red Cap heaved a -deep sigh. “But we must go now,” added he. - -The children ran down to where they had left their shoes and stockings, -and putting them on, followed their guide to the creek. - -There in the reeds, close to the bank, they found a canoe; it had pointed -ends, and was hollowed out of a large tree trunk, and the bottom was -covered with the small leafy twigs of the manuka. - -“Get in, children,” said Red Cap. - -“There are no seats,” said little Cis. - -“Never mind,” answered Red Cap; “sit quite still on the bottom, and hold -tightly to the sides.” - -So Hal helped Cis in carefully, for it seemed as if very little would -upset the canoe, and Red Cap, taking up a paddle, pushed out into the -stream. - -Then, how quickly they floated along on the rapidly running water; how -delightful was the swift motion without any effort, making the children -feel giddy as some swift eddy hurried them round the turns of the stream. -On, on past the reedy banks, over deep pools and weedy shallows, faster -and faster, Red Cap steering here and there with a touch of the paddle. - -At last they came to the end of the rapids, and Red Cap steered the canoe -to a little curve in the banks, and Cis and Hal jumped out. - -“It was splendid,” cried Hal, “to come all that way so quickly, without -any trouble, wasn’t it, Cis?” - -“Yes,” replied Cis, hesitating a little; “but it rather took my breath -away, and I was afraid we might be upset.” - -“Oh! it was safe enough,” said Hal with an air of superior wisdom, “as -long as you sat still; but I suppose it is difficult for girls to do -that. Where now, Mr. Red Cap?” he added. - -“I must leave you now, children; but here is Santa Claus waiting for you.” - -And there indeed they saw their old friend sitting on a bank. - -The children rushed to him, for they were delighted to see him again; -then, turning, they bid Red Cap good-bye, and thanked him heartily for -all his kindness to them, Hal adding, “I shall tell other children of the -wonderful things you have shown us, Mr. Red Cap, that I shall, for I had -often read of fairy-land, but I had never been to it before, and I think -it is a jolly place.” - -And with another good-bye, Red Cap vanished from their sight. - -“So you have enjoyed yourselves, children? I am glad of that,” said Santa -Claus. “And now, is there anything more you would like to see before you -go home?” - -“Yes,” cried Hal, “I _should_ like to see some real snow, the snow mother -tells us of. Can we, please?” - -Cis added her entreaty to Hal’s, and Santa Claus said he would take them -where they could see some. - -The morning had come, but the sun only now and again shone through the -gray clouds that floated low. - -“Come,” said Santa Claus; and taking a hand of each, he led them up -to where a large, soft cloud rested on the hill-side, and he bade the -children sit down with him on it. - -Up, up floated the billowy mass into the sky, and glided away to the -south. How smoothly they went along, wafted by the morning breezes! and -Cis and Hal, seated on their soft cushions, gazed dreamily down on the -country that sped away so quickly beneath them. - -“How small the big mountains look!” cried Hal; “and the towns and -villages look like toy ones.” - -And then they passed over big streams, and a wide strait, that looked -like a silver streak in the far depths. Away, away they floated; the sky -was now clearer, and off the hills, and out of the valleys the mists were -rolling, their silvery edges gleaming in the fitful sunlight. - -“Look! we are going over some big ponds now,” said little Cis. - -“Ponds!” exclaimed Santa Claus, “those are large lakes, see how they -spread out like sheets of silver water!” - -The cloud was by this time passing over one of the largest lakes, and -very beautiful looked the soft shining waters surrounded by mountains, -on the tops of which the clouds still rested. Then the cloud floated to -the far end of the lake, and glided down a narrow valley in which the -milky blue waters of a glacier-stream rushed and roared, though no sound -reached the children, who could only see its fighting wavelets. - -On they went, watching the clouds roll from the tree-clad depths and -rocky heights, till at last they uttered cries of joy and wonder. - -There, in front of them, the mighty snow-crowned hills pierced the grey -clouds, catching the rosy rays of the now rapidly-rising sun. Vast -ice-fields stretched far and wide, their rifts blue as the breaks in the -sky above, their jagged peaks gleaming with a thousand diamond lights; -and how soft and inviting looked the beds of snow in the hollows! - -“The snow! The snow at last!” cried Hal and Cis, as they saw the hills -and their gleaming sides and peaks; “oh! do let us get down, Mr. Santa -Claus.” - -“Wait,” he replied; and the cloud glided close to a gorge in one of the -mountains, where a mighty foaming torrent[20] rushed down the rocky -steeps to the valley beneath, the silver streaks thousands of feet -overhead showing where the waters ran out from the glacier fields. - -When the cloud stopped, the children jumped off and rushed to the edge of -the waterfall, and, holding on to the trees at the side, were about to -stoop down for a drink, when Santa Claus cried out, “Do not try to drink -there, children, you will be swept away by the rushing waters. Come with -me, and I will show you where you can get a draught of clear still water.” - -[Illustration] - -Hal and Cis turned reluctantly, and Santa Claus took them where, in a -dry water-course, amid big boulders, they saw clusters of the pure white -flowers of the mountain-lily,[21] and their guide, pointing to these, -said, “See there, if you are thirsty.” - -“The flowers are very beautiful, Mr. Santa Claus,” said Cis, “but it is -_water_ we want, and I am _so_ thirsty.” - -“Look again,” replied Santa Claus. - -There, below the flowers, were large cup-shaped leaves full of clear -cold water; Cis and Hal darted forward to gather them and drink, when -the leaves seemed to be shaken as if with the wind, but there was not -wind enough for that, and, stooping down, they saw two little fat dwarfs -holding the stems and shaking with laughter. - -What ugly little fellows they were! Hal thought at first they were green -frogs, for they were dressed in tight-fitting green coats, their big -mouths reached from ear to ear, and their hands and feet were webbed. - -“Hulloa!” cried Hal, “who are you?” - -Instead of answering, they only laughed and choked, and choked and -laughed. - -“You seem to have got bad colds,” said little Cis. - -“Perhaps, when you have done, you will tell us what you are laughing at?” -continued Hal, in aggrieved tones. - -Still they laughed and choked. - -“I wish I were at home; my mother would give you some ipecacuanha wine, -for I think you have got the croup,” said little Cis, in a troubled voice. - -At this the dwarfs opened their mouths wider than before, and, at last, -in low croaking voices began a duet:— - - “My name it is Gup!” - “My name it is Joke!” - “We’ve got such bad colds (together) - We can only croak. - - “We are both so fat, (together) - And we can’t tell why, - Unless it’s because - We live near the sky.” - - “So close to the clouds - There’s no need to climb,” - Said Joke, “so all day - I sit here and rhyme. - - “I feed upon flies, - And grumble and grunt, - Or for nice fat snails - Al night-time I hunt.” - - “Be quiet,” cried Gup. - “That I won’t,” said Joke; - “Your voice is just like - A pig’s in a poke!” - - “And little care I - If it is,” said Gup; - “I’m tired to death - Of holding this cup.” - - “I like to be fat, - I hate to drink dew, - It’s a weak cold draught - That nourishes few. - - “Great poets, they say, - Must live near the skies!” - “That’s me!” cried out Joke; - “I’m ever so wise! - - “I know no grammar, - I read no books, - I have but studied - Dame Nature’s looks. - - “A poet to gain - The top of the tree, - Has to use long words, - And drone like a bee.” - - So we both make rhymes, - And chuckle and grin - At the people who listen, - And cry, “What a sin - - “‘These two clever boys - Should not be extolled!’” - “Stop! stop!” cried out Joke, - “Where has the grub rolled?” - -“What are you looking for?” asked the children. - -“We are looking for our dinner,” replied the dwarfs, who, during the -latter part of their singing, had been hunting under the leaves and down -the slippery slope for a big fat grub which they had carefully stowed -away for a meal, but which had disappeared. - - “I’d rolled him all up - just under this cup!” - With a grunt cried out Gup. - “Yes! grunt and croak, - You pig in a poke; - You’re to blame,” cried Joke. - “I’ve told you full oft - Not to gaze up aloft— - That grub was _so_ soft! - He was such a prize! - A sight for sore eyes - When made into pies!” - And Joke heaved big sighs. - -“Oh, dear! oh, dear!” said little Cis, “pray don’t quarrel over a grub.” - -“Quarrel, indeed!” cried a voice out of the bushes; “they’re always -quarrelling!” - -It was a plump Maori hen who thus spoke, and she added, “If they’d leave -off making rhymes, and attend to the business of every-day life, it -would be far better. While they sat looking up at the skies, the grub -rolled down, and I caught him and ate him, for it was a pity he should be -wasted. In fact,” added the hen, with a satisfied nod, “as a rule, they -find the grubs, and I eat them!” - -At this, the dwarfs got so puffed out with anger, that the children were -afraid they would burst, they rolled their eyes round and round, in -search of something to throw at the Maori hen, but she ran away into the -bushes beyond their reach. - -“I should be glad if you’d give us a drink out of those green cups of -yours,” said Hal; “and couldn’t you make some better poetry? if so, we’d -like to hear it very much.” - -The dwarfs then handed the children each a mountain-lily leaf full of -cool dew, saying:— - - “To you we hold the fairy cup, - And bid you drink of sparkling dew, - The stars have gone, the sun is up, - Soon must we hide from mortal view. - But ere we say good-bye, we bid - Ye upward, ever upward go; - Look to the Star that shines above, - Though oft you cull the flowers below. - ’Tis Christmas morn, the Bell-bird’s chimes - Rise from the distant woods; o’er hills - Where rabbits skip, there softly rings - The music of a thousand rills. - A merry Christmas! then we sing; - A merry time for one and all! - Let not the poor pass by your gates, - Let from your hands the good gifts fall. - We merry dwarfs have but one gift, - To thirsty souls we hold it up, - And bid them drink refreshing dew - From out our cool green fairy cup. - But ere we say good-bye we bid - Ye upwards, ever upwards go; - Look to the Star that shines above, - E’en though you cull the flowers below.” - -“I wonder if they mean our Star of Love,” said little Cis. - -“Perhaps so,” said Hal, “though I don’t see it anywhere just now.” - -Hal stooped down to where the little dwarfs were hiding themselves under -the leaves, but somehow they and the big stalks seemed to get all mixed -up, and he then could see nothing but the stalks, and began to think he -must have dreamt all the rest. - -Just then a Maori hen, with an inquisitive air, came out of the fern, and -Hal, seeing it, cried out,— - -“By-the-bye, old thief, where are those buttons of mine you stole?” - -“I don’t know,” replied the hen. Indignant mutterings were uttered by -some other hens gathering round:— - -“_We_ never stole any buttons, it must have been some country cousin -of ours; we never think of stealing anything,” protested the crowd -indignantly. - -“Well, you see,” replied Hal, “all your family have got a bad name; but -there may be some honest ones amongst you.” - -But the offended hens did not wait to hear more, and scuttled off into -the bushes. - -The children, seeing that Santa Claus was beckoning to them to go on, -tried to get up the slope quickly; but how slippery the stretches of -snow-grass were! they often stumbled, and had to hold on tightly to the -silvery tufts to keep from falling backwards into the awful depths. Many -a time did Hal help little Cis, for he still had the wand in his hand, -and used it as a stick to lean upon. - -“We shall soon get to the snow now,” said Santa Claus, waiting for the -children, and pointing above them, where the eternal peaks were shining. - -“What is that?” cried Hal, as he heard a loud thundering, as of a huge -mass falling from some great height, waking the echoes far and near. - -“You will know soon,” answered Santa Claus; and helping the children up -the last steep ledges, they came in sight of the vast fields of snow and -ice. - -Proceeding in single file along the narrow path under his guidance, -he at length placed them on a spot whence they could safely watch the -avalanches thundering from the heights, down the rugged mountain side to -the valley below, and how wonderful it was to see the huge masses of ice -falling, sliding, dashing from ledge to ledge! Then from the clear sky -above them they heard a voice calling, “Ke-a, ke-a. Come up, come up.” - -[Illustration: Kea.] - -“What is that?” asked little Cis, who had not spoken, but, sitting close -to Hal, had been watching the wonderful scene. - -“I do not know,” said Hal, “but it looks like a big mountain parrot that -I’ve seen pictures of in our new book on New Zealand birds.” - -“Is that what it is, Mr. Santa Claus?” - -“Yes, Hal, and it is a cruel bird,[22] for it will fasten its claws into -the back of any sheep that has wandered away from its companions or is -floundering in the snow, and then, digging its sharp beak through the -flesh, it feeds upon the fat part it likes best. The poor sheep, driven -frantic by the pain, rushes on and on, till it sinks down exhausted to -die; and then the Kea, having got the dainty bit it wanted, leaves its -prey, and goes off to seek a fresh victim.” - -“How cruel!” said little Cis, her eyes filling with tears. - -“But come, children,” said Santa Claus, “I must take you near the snow,” -and he led them to where the snow lay white and pure. - -The children rushed to fill their hands with it, and shouted for joy. - -“How cold it is!” cried Hal. - -“How beautifully white and soft!” said little Cis. - -And the children began to pelt each other, their merry laughter ringing -on the clear air. - -“Let’s have a shy at Santa Claus,” whispered Hal to his sister; and, -making a big snow-ball, their eyes sparkling with fun, they threw it -suddenly at their guide, who was sitting on a rock near by. - -But how astonished they were, when the snow-ball hit him, to see it -gradually spread out and cover him. - -“Good-bye, children! Good-bye! good-bye!” said Santa Claus in a low -muffled voice; and then, all that was left of their kind guide was a heap -of snow. - -“Oh! what have we done!” cried Cis, as she looked round and round for -Santa Claus. - -She thought the heap of snow was something like him in shape, but then it -was _only_ a heap of snow, and poor Cis sat down and cried. - -Hal tried to look brave, but felt inclined to cry too, when he remembered -how far they were from home. - -“How shall we get down the mountain? How shall we get back to mother?” -moaned Cis, and the tears ran down her cheeks afresh. - -Then from out the snow-heap sprang hundreds of little long-legged -sprites, with high pointed ice-caps on their heads, and wearing coats of -sparkling snow, the icicle-fringe of which jingled merrily. - -What round, rosy faces they had! What twinkling blue eyes! In their hands -they carried frost lances or little crystal spades, which they flourished -in the air as they sprang up from the snow, making flashes of light in -the sun. - -“Who are you?” cried Hal. - -“Are you the children of Santa Claus?” asked little Cis, “and if so, can -you tell us where he has gone, please?” - -“We are his servants,” shouted they, “and he has sent us to help you; for -he has started on his journey to the Old World, where the children will -soon be looking for him.” - -“Oh! is that where he has gone!” said little Cis with a relieved air, -glad to find they had not killed him; “and will you help us to go -home? because I think it must be Christmas morning, and mother will be -expecting us;” and little Cis thought she could hear the Bell-bird’s -chimes, as she had heard it many a time in the early morning. - -“Yes, we will help you,” answered the sprites. - -Just then they heard the bird circling over their heads, again crying, -“Ke-a! Ke-a! Come up! come up!” and Hal, helping little Cis, and planting -his stick firmly, step by step, in the snow, followed the sprites, who -tripped lightly on, looking like points of dancing light. - -At last, after hard climbing, they reached the ice-clad side of the -highest peak. How beautiful the prospect in the bright sunlight! The -clouds all gone; nothing but the clear blue sky above and around. All -was still, save when the avalanches thundered down from the heights. The -children stood and watched the huge masses of ice as they slid down, now -here, now there from the shining peaks, to fall like powdered snow into -the foaming glacier stream in the dim depths below. - -Meanwhile the little sprites were hard at work digging, cutting, shaping -a huge block of ice. - -“What are you making?” asked Hal. “Can we help?” - -“Yes, if you like,” said the sprites, and they gave him and Cis two -little spades. The children were soon quite hot, working as the sprites -bade them, loosening and shaping the huge block of ice; while every now -and then they would all stop, and pelt each other with the powdered ice, -and the sprites sang:— - - “Pelt us, pelt us, we don’t care, - We love the snow so crisp and fair; - We will shape and we will dig, - Till a chariot white and big - We have cut, for those who’d fain - Hasten to their home again. - Slide and slip, and slip and slide, - Thunderous roll, and mighty crash! - In the chariot come and ride, - Down into the depths to dash. - Mystic trip for those who roam; - One wild rush: Hurrah for home!” - -Tempting indeed looked the chariot; bright and sparkling were its wheels -of ice, and some of the sprites had decked it with starry edelweiss -gathered on the slopes below, and with handfuls of the red snow-lichen. - -“Let’s get in, Cis!” cried Hal. - -“Is it quite safe?” asked Cis of the sprites. - -“Quite, quite,” answered they; “Santa Claus told us to make it for you.” - -Taking hold of little Cis, the foremost sprite helped her to get in, and -Hal jumped quickly in by her side. - -Throwing down their spades, the laughing sprites rushed to the chariot -wheels, ready to push them round, whilst others pelted the children with -snow-lichen, shouting at the top of their shrill voices:— - - “Slide and slip, and slip and slide, - Thunderous roll and mighty crash! - In the chariot those who ride, - Down into the depths shall dash. - Mystic trip for those who roam; - One wild rush: Hurrah for home!” - -Then the wheels began to turn, and Hal threw his arm round Cis, who was -holding on to him, and looking with a little white face into the depths -below. - -[Illustration: “You must have been dreaming, Hal!”] - -But the wheels turned faster and faster, as the chariot dashed down -the glassy slope. Hal looked at the sky above, where the Kea was still -crying, “Come up! come up!” and he thought he saw the Star of Love -shining faint and far; and then—— Hal remembered no more; and, with the -words of the sprites ringing in his ears,— - - “Slide and slip, and slip and slide,” - -he—awoke,—to find he had tumbled out of bed, and that it was Christmas -morn indeed. And there was little Cis, sitting up in her bed, and there -were the stockings with their bulging sides; and Hal rubbed his eyes and -wondered if he were awake or dreaming. But he and Cis hastened to dive -into their stockings, to see what Santa Claus had put into them, and, -what treasures they found! - -For Cis there was a big doll, dressed like an angel, and fairy-like small -ones, and beautiful furniture for her doll’s house, and a book with -pictures of all kinds of birds and insects. - -And in Hal’s, what treasures for his collection! Rare birds’ eggs in -little glass-covered boxes, precious bits of many-coloured ores; and from -the Terraces, about which his mother had often told him, were specimens -of white encrusted sticks and delicate ferns. How he longed to put them -in his cabinet with his other treasures! - -But when Hal talked to Cis about Santa Claus and their night’s travels, -she laughed and said,— - -“You must have been dreaming, Hal, or perhaps the treasures in the -stockings whispered it all in your ear,” which Hal indignantly denied. - -“For I know it was real,” he said. - -But the Bell-birds were singing their Christmas chime in the bush, and -the morning sun was gilding the tree-ferns and the waves, and their -mother’s voice was calling, “A happy Christmas, children! a happy -Christmas!” - -And whose was that other voice that called out the words too? - -“Father! father!” cried the little ones eagerly, tearfully, as they -rushed into the outstretched arms of their mother and _father_ too! - -Yes, it was a happy Christmas morn, indeed, for the sea had brought its -_living_ to their home. And as the children sat that evening in the -little low room, their father told them of the shipwreck, of his life -on an island with one other, carried like himself to its shores, and of -their joy when a passing vessel sighted them and brought them home at -last. - -When the Southern Cross again shone down from the sky on the father and -mother and happy children, Hal told them his tale of all he had seen the -night before. - -Although little Cis declared it was not so, Hal would never believe but -that Cis and he had been with Santa Claus to see all the wonders of the -Southern Cross Fairy-land. - -FINIS. - - - - -NOTES. - - -[1] Bell-bird. Korimako. (_Anthornis melanura._)—A honey eater, the -size of a sparrow; plumage dark green. It inhabits the outskirts of the -forest. At daybreak the Bell-birds collect together in a favourite tree, -especially on the Pohutukawa, or Christmas-tree, so called because it is -in blossom at Christmas time, every little branch being then decorated -with a tuft of crimson flowers, the cups of which are full of honey. One -bird acts as conductor, making a snap with his bill, which is the signal -to the others to begin the music, when at once a beautiful sound, like -distant chimes, is heard; all the birds listen to the conductor, and stop -or begin at his command. During the daytime they do not sing in chorus, -but before retiring to rest they again gather together and with sweet -music show their joy in life.—A. REISCHEK, F.L.S. - -[2] The Cabbage-tree (_Cordyline australis_) is a characteristic feature -in New Zealand landscapes. It receives its name from the arrangement -of its leaves in tufts or heads at the ends of the branches. The tree -may reach forty feet in height, and the tufts of stiff and sword-shaped -leaves at the ends of the not very numerous branches gives it a -peculiarly picturesque appearance. It is a member of the Lily order, and -bears in the spring, feathery masses of small, white and sweet-scented -flowers.—A. P. W. THOMAS, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. - -[3] Kiwi. (_Apteryx mantelli._)—A bird about the size of a common fowl, -with a long bill; it cannot fly, as the wings are extremely small and -hidden amongst the plumage, being only 2½ inches long. The plumage of -the Northern Kiwi is brown, and that of the South Island grey, the -feathers are very much like hair, and when walking it steadies itself -with its long bill. In summer it inhabits dense and secluded gullies, -and in winter the spurs of the forest-covered hills. During the day the -Kiwis sleep in burrows, under roots, or in hollow trees. As soon as the -sun sets the shrill call of the male, and the croaking answer of the -female, is heard, and it is amusing to see these creatures on a moonlight -night, coming into the open spaces, and challenging any of their rivals -who may dare to intrude into their favourite haunts. The challenge -being answered, each bird makes a grunt of defiance, then the two rush -together, and the fight begins. They strike forward with their strong -legs at each other, and often roll over and over from the hard blows -given. They are the most unsociable of all the New Zealand birds.—A. R. - -[4] Parson-bird. Tui. (_Prosthemadera novæ Zealandiæ._)—A honey bird, the -size of a blackbird; plumage black, with steel-blue and green shimmer, -and two white tufts of soft curly feathers under its throat, suggestive -of white bands, hence the name, Parson-bird. It imitates nearly every -bird, and talks to perfection when in captivity and if taught. It alters -its note according to the four seasons. In September, when the Kowhai is -covered with bright yellow flowers, it is a remarkable sight to see the -Tuis climbing among the blossoms, and sucking the honey from them, their -dark plumage forming a beautiful contrast to the mass of brilliant golden -flowers.—A. R. - -[5] Pied Fantail. Piwakawaka (_Rhipidura flabellifera._)—A small -fly-catcher; plumage greyish brown. While busily engaged catching -mosquitos or sand flies, these birds steer with their fan-shaped tails, -making fantastic evolutions in the air. When a fantail has spied out with -its big black eyes the hiding place of the owl, in the daytime it will -call its mates together and show them the spot where their enemy dwells, -and then all the birds dart at the owl, and fly round and round, annoying -it in every possible manner until they chase it away.—A. R. - -[6] The little Brown Owl, or Morepork. Ruru. (_Athene novæ -Zealandiæ._)—The size and plumage is the same as that of the European -Stone Owl. As soon as darkness covers the land, the Moreporks appear -silently swooping through the air, or darting suddenly after insects. -Woe to any small bird which happens to chirp in its dreams, or to any -rat which is taking a walk abroad, they will be sure to be detected by -the bright yellow eyes of these nocturnal wanderers. On one occasion I -saw one of these owls dart down on a large rat, fly with it high into -the air, then let it drop, and, again darting down upon it, it repeated -the operation till the rat was dead. The bird then proceeded most -systematically to skin its prey, and, after feasting on the flesh, flew -to the nearest tree, where it gave a few contented calls of “Morepork,” -and then sat like an image, with its piercing eyes gazing on the ground -in search of other prey.—A. R. - -[7] North Island Crow. Kokako. (_Glaucopis wilsoni._)—A bird about the -size of a jay; plumage of a slaty-grey. In the North Island it has blue -wattles, in the South, orange with blue. This bird inhabits the secluded -slopes of mountains, hopping swiftly through the forest, or hiding itself -and peering through the boughs. Its note is melodious, and similar to -that of a flute, and in the pairing season the male dances up and down on -a branch, with his tail and wings out-spread, making at the same time a -gurgling noise to attract the female bird’s attention, who sits near by, -looking on in quiet admiration.—A. R. - -[8] The Tuatara (_Splenodon punebatum_) is one of the peculiar animals -of New Zealand. It is a lizard-like animal, rather less than two feet in -length. It was formerly found on the mainland, but is now confined to -a few of the outlying islands which are seldom visited. It has no near -relative amongst existing lizards, and its nearest allies are certain -fossil saurians of a remote geological period (_Lianic_). A. P. W. T. - -[9] VEGETABLE CATERPILLAR. - -A caterpillar found in the New Zealand forest, which, when it buries -itself in the ground previous to its change into the perfect winged form, -is attacked by a kind of fungus. - -The fungus spreads through the substance of the caterpillar, upon which -it lives; it then sends up a stem from the neck of its victim, and this -stem appears above ground, growing to the length of some eight or ten -inches. From its slightly thickened end, spores are shed. - -The caterpillar becomes hard and dry, and its skin being filled with the -wood-like substance of the fungus, its natural shape is preserved.—A. P. -W. T. - -[10] Grey Robin. Toutouwai. (_Petrœca longipes._)—A bird very much like -the Robin Red-breast. The plumage is grey, with a yellowish-white breast. -Robins are very tame birds, and can easily be made pets; they will often -come into a tent. When I was camping in the forest, a pair came into my -hut, ate off my plate, drank and bathed in my tin mug, sat on my dog’s -back, and, when I did not get up by daybreak, actually pulled my beard -and sat on my blanket. They often followed me on my expeditions for -miles, and were so jealous that they would not let any other robins come -near my camp.—A. R. - -Tomtit, or Black Robin. (_Petrœca macrocephala._)—A bird of the size -of a titmouse; plumage black, with yellow and white on the breast. On -the Little Barrier Island, off the coast of the Auckland province, a -pair came to my camp every morning to get a little porridge or a few -crumbs. If I did not feed them at once they would come to the entrance -of my tent, and whistling, ask for food. One morning, to my delight, -they brought a family of three pretty little birds covered with yellow -speckles. As soon as I gave them oatmeal they fed their young with it. -They stayed with me till I broke up my camp.—A. R. - -[11] Parrakeet. Kakariki. (_Platycercus novæ Zealandiæ._)—A small green -parrot, red on the top of the head. The parakeets climb about in large -flocks on the tops of the trees, feeding on seeds and berries. They are -most amiable towards each other, chattering the whole day, feeding and -kissing.—A. R. - -[12] Maori Hen. Weka. (_Ocydromus earli._)—A bird rather smaller than -a common hen; plumage brown. It is the most inquisitive, cunning, and -mischievous of all the New Zealand birds. During the day it hides in -burrows or in thick scrub, from which, however, it emerges as soon as it -hears any unusual noise; it then hides behind a log, stone, or tree-root, -whence it watches all proceedings, calling to its mate with a booming -noise. Any small, bright article, such as a knife, watch, or bunch of -keys laid aside, the Maori hen will at once pick up and carry off with -delight to its hiding place. When near a farm-house, this bird, as soon -as it hears a domestic hen cackle, will watch its opportunity to run to -the place and carry off the egg she has laid, to eat it at leisure. In -the forest the Maori hens watch the birds building their nests in order -to steal their eggs. If a young bird or a rat is not sufficiently on the -alert, it will be seized at once and devoured, or should a lizard or a -grub cross their path, or a fish come too near the shore, they seldom -escape the eye of these vigilant birds. When chased by a dog the Maori -hen will run into its hole and slip out by another opening, and, screened -perhaps by a bush or fern, will watch the dog digging for it.—A. R. - -[13] White Heron. Kotuku. (_Ardea alba._)—There is a Maori saying, that -the Kotuku, or White Heron, is like a great chief, seen only once in a -lifetime. These birds inhabit the rivers on the west coast of the South -Island, proudly stepping up and down the shore, or standing knee deep -in the water, with neck drawn in and head bent downwards to be ready -to make a dart should any fish venture too near. In November the White -Herons leave the rivers and congregate at one of the old breeding-places -on the shores of secluded inland lakes, where they sit about on the -crowns of tree-ferns or branches of trees near their nests; if any enemy -approaches, the birds begin in chorus a strange croaking noise. It is -a beautiful sight to see the long-legged, snow-white creatures sitting -amongst the green foliage, the whole picture clearly reflected in the -dark still water.—A. R. - -[14] Wairakei Valley.—K. C. - -[15] The Eagle’s Nest Geyser.—K. C. - -[16] The hot-springs and geysers of New Zealand are chiefly found over a -broad belt of country stretching from the great volcanic mountains near -the centre of the North Island, in a north-easterly direction to the Bay -of Plenty. Hot-springs occur in tens of thousands over this area, showing -every variety; the water of some is only pleasantly warm, so that they -serve as natural baths, others are at a boiling temperature; the geysers -are boiling springs which act intermittently, now throwing up a column -of water fountain-like into the air, now sinking to rest for a longer or -shorter time.—A. P. W. T. - -[17] Swamp Hen. Pukeko. (_Porphyrio melanotus._)—About the size of a -fowl: plumage of a black and blue colour, with a red bill and long red -legs. These birds inhabit swamps, or the shallow shores of lakes, where -they stalk about with tails erect, their white undercoverts showing out -conspicuously from the dark plumage. Where they are often disturbed, a -few are always on the watch, whilst others feed, and on the approach of -danger the watchers give a note of alarm and all disappear in the swamp. -When plentiful near a cultivation they are destructive to crops of grain, -as they eat the young shoots.—A. R. - -[18] THE TERRACES. - -The White and Pink Terraces were situated on the shores of Lake -Rotomahana, a warm lake, as its name indicates (from Roto, lake, and -mahana, warm). The lake was surrounded by hills, and it was on the sides -of these hills, sloping down to the lake, that the Terraces had been -formed. At the top of the White Terrace was a hollow in the hill-side, -and in the centre of this was a great geyser. The water rising in the -geyser overflowed its basin, and streaming down the sloping ground into -the lake, cooled, and deposited a white incrustation of silica. On the -opposite side of the lake was a similar terrace, known as the Pink -Terrace, which, owing to the presence of a little iron oxide, was of a -delicate shade of pink. Thus, in the course of unknown ages had been -built up the wonderful Terraces of Rotomahana, structures which for -purity of colour and beauty of sculpturing were unrivalled in the world. -The White Terrace covered an area of about four acres, the Pink Terrace -was a little smaller. - -[19] The heat of the geysers and hot-springs around Rotomahana was -doubtless derived from the volcanic fires which slumbered beneath the -Tarawera Mountain, standing at a distance of some miles. This mountain -was an old volcano, but its true nature was hardly recognized. On June -10th, 1886, the old volcano awoke to new life, and a violent paroxysmal -eruption rent the mountain asunder, the chasm extending beyond its foot -and through Rotomahana. The ground around the lake and beneath its waters -to the depth of 500 feet was blown into the air, and the beauty of the -terraces was lost to the world for ever.—A. P. W. T. - -[20] Lennox Falls. Mt. Earnslaw.—K. C. - -[21] The Mountain Lily (_Ranunculus Lyallii_) of the South Island is a -large and handsome buttercup, perhaps the most beautiful of its kind. -Its numerous flowers are four inches across, the petals being of a pure -waxy-white; the leaves are very large, round, and somewhat cup-shaped. -Its favourite spot is by the side of some mountain stream.—A. P. W. T. - -[22] The Mountain-parrot. Kea. (_Nestor notabilis_)—A dull green parrot -which inhabits the alpine mountains of New Zealand. It is found sitting -about the rocks and snow-grass, or seen circling high in the air, where -one can hear its call, which is like that of the European Stone Eagle. -When the sheep died upon the hills or vast runs, the blowflies would -deposit their larvæ in the bodies. After a while the Keas hovering -over would see the maggots moving, alight on the sheep, and feed upon -the insects, getting pieces of fat and meat with them. In this manner -the birds found it was an easier way of procuring food than by seeking -berries and seeds, or searching for grubs, and so it became a habit for -them to attack even living sheep.—A. R. - - PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LIMITED, ST JOHN’S HOUSE, - CLERKENWELL ROAD, E.C. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SOUTHERN CROSS FAIRY -TALE *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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