For the Children.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2191, 21 September 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

For the Children.

THE DUSTMAN’S STORIES. (Continued.) THURSDAY. “I’ll tell you what!” said the Dustman, “do not be afraid, and you shall see a little mouse 1” and he held out his band, with tho pretty little animal in it. “She has come to invite you to a wedding; there aro two little mice here, who intend, this very night, to enter into matrimony. They live under tho roof of the din-ing-room ; their’s must be a pretty house.” “But how can I get through that little hole?” asked Hialmar. “Let mo take care of that,” said tho Dustman. “I will make you very little J” and ho touched Hialmar with his magic wand, and he became smaller and smaller, till at last he was no larger than his own fingers. “Now you can borrow tho tin soldier’s clothes; X think that they will just fit you ; and it looks so grand to wear uniform when you are in company.” “Ah yes!” said Hialmar, and in another moment lie was dressed like the prettiest tin soldier. “Will you have tho goodness to sit down on your mother’s tliimblo?” said the little mouse. “In that case, I shall feel honored by drawing you.” “What! will you really take so much trouble?” said Hialmar; and away they went to tho mouses’s wedding. ' They first came to a long passage, under the floor, which was high enough for the thimble to be drawn along through it; and was lighted up with toadstools throughout.

“Is there not a pleasant smell here?” said the mouse who was drawing the thimble. “The whole passage is covered with rind of bacon; there is nothing more delightful!” They had now entered the Bridal apartment; the lady mice stood on tho right-hand side, whispering together, seemingly very merry; on the left side stood tho gentlemen mice, who were all stroking their whiskers with their paws. In the middle of the room the bride and bridegroom were seen, standing in the scoopedout rind of a cheese; and kissing each other incessantly, before the eyes of all present. They were already betrothed, and were to be married immediately. Strangers were arriving every moment; the mice almost trod each other to death; and the Bridal pair had placed themselves just in the centre of the doorway, so that no one could either get in nor out. The whole room was, like the passage, covered with the rind of bacon; this was all the entertainment given; for dessert, however, a pea was exhibited, in which a litt-le mouse belonging to tho family had bitten the initials of the married couple; was this not an exquisite idea? All the mice agreed that the wedding had been extremely genteel and the conversation delightful. So now Hialmar returned home; he had certainly been in most distinguisn* ed company; but still, he felt as though he had rather lowered himself, by'beooming so small, and wearing the uniform of a tin soldier.

FRIDAY. “It is incredible what a number of old people there are, always wanting to have me with them,” said the Dustman, “especially those who have done anything wicked. ‘Dear, good Dustman,’ they say to me, ‘we cannot sleep a wink all night; we lie awake, and see all our bad deeds sitting on the edge of the bed, like little ugly goblins, and sprinkling hot water over us. If you will but come and drive them away, so that we can have a little sleep,’ and then they sigh so deeply, ‘we will be sure to pay you well—good-niglit, Dustman, the money is lying at the window.’ But I do not come for money,” said the Dustman. “What are we to do to-night?” asked Hialmar. “Why, I don’t know whether you would like to go again to a wedding? The one of which I am now speaking is quite of another kind from yesterday’s. Your sister’s great doll, that looks like a man, and is called Herman, is going to marry the doll Bertha; besides which it is a birthday ; so they will doubtless receive a great many presents.” “Oh, yes! I know that already,” said Hialmar, “whenever the dolls want new clothes, my sister calls it either their birthday or their wed-ding-day. They must certainly have been married a hundred times already.” “Yes, but to-night they will be married for the hundred and first time; and when it has come to that number, they can never be married again. So this time the wedding will be splendid! only look!” And Hialmar looked upon the table, where stood the little doll's house; the windows were lighted up, and the tin soldiers presented arms at the door - . Tho bride and bridegroom were sitting on the 'ground, and leaning

against the leg of the table; they seemed very thoughtful; there was, perhaps very good reason for being so. But the Dustman had. meanwhile, put on liis grandmother’s black gown, and married them. AVlien the ceremony was over, all the furniture in the room began singing the following pretty song, which had been writen by the lead pencil:— “AA’aft gentle breeze, our kind farewell To tlio tiny house where tlio bridefolks dwell, AA’ith their skins of kid-leather fitting so well; They are straight and upright as a tailor’s ell. Hurrah, hurrah for beau and belle! Let echo repeat) our kind farewell!” And now presents were brought to them ; all eatables, however they de--elined accepting; love was enough for them to live upon. “Shall we go into the country, or make a tour in -some foreign land?” asked the bridegroom. So tlio swallow. who had travelled a good do:P, and nhl hen, who had hatched five hr mils nl chickens, were com 1 : - oil. And the swallow spoke of ti • beautiful, warm countries, where bu t■chcs of grapes, large and heavy, bang oil the vines; where the air is so balmy, and the mountains of various lines, such as are never known here. “But then they have not sueli green cabbages!” said the hen. “One summer, I and aTI my chickens, lived in the country; there was a gravelpit, in which I might go and scrape about;, besides, we had acess to a garden, full of green cabbages. Oh how green they were! I cannot imagine anything more beautiful!”

“But ono head of cabbage looks exactly like another.” said tho swallow; “and then wo do so ofteuliavo wet weather here!” “Ono gets accustomed to that,” said the hen. “But it is so cold; it freezes!” “That is good for' tho cabbages,” said the hen, “besides which, it can bo warm sometimes. Did we not, four years ago, have a summer ivhick lusted five weeks? It was so' hot, that ono could hardly breathe. Then, too, we have not all the poisonous animals which they have in foreign countries ; and wo aro free from robbers. He is a blockhead who does not think our country the most beautiful of all! lie does not deserve to live hero!” and at these words tears ran down the hen’s cheeks. “I too have travelled; I have been twelve miles in a coop. There is no pleasure at all in travelling.” “Yes, tho lion is a sensible animal!” said tho doll Bertha. “I do not wish to travel over mountains; one is always going up and down 1 No, we will go to the gravel-pit, and walk in the garden, among the cabbages.” And so it was settled. (To Be Continued.)