For the Children.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2051, 30 November 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

For the Children.

THE LITTLE MASTER. (By Laura E. Richards.) “Oh, Alan—-I mean T-amhnne!” cried Fair Janet; “I oannia hold ye if yo wriggle so hard. Bide a bit, till I get my breath again. ’ “Ho!” cried the Fairy Knigbt. “I in-list wriggle. I !im a serpent, and if you lot me go, Janet, 1 shall be- lost forever, you know. Hoid on tight; I 's-lwill turn, into a fire m a minute.” . ,

P-oor Janet .held on as light as she could, painting and eriniio-i; the serpent 'wriggled and hissed !'v glit-f-ii'lly. .

“I’m frightened!” cried the maiden at lust. “You look lear.some, Tumlane. Is it near done?” “Almost 1” hissed Tumlane. “Now I am a lire. Do I burn you?” “Ye —esl” faltered Janet. “Yon burn me line, but it’s not so bad as the serpent part.” “Now I am a swan!” flic 'knight announced. “I am afraid I mm' hurt you a bit, my beak is- so hard ; but this is the last, you know, J-a net, and then 'you’ll only have t. throw your greeii mantle over me, and ” 1 ‘What is to do here? sand a voice behind them. “AVhat is to do here, Master?” Tiho Knight started, 'and turning, saw Donald, tho falconer, looking sternly down upon him. “Striking a lassie!” the old mini went 'on; “-and your own sister, too? That .is a sight I never thought to see from my Lord’s "son.” “Oh! Donald, ho wasn t! He wasn’t!” cried little Elspat eagerly. “He is Tamlane, and—oh, wait; wait a minute —there!” She snatched up her little mantle mid threw :it over her brother, who stood silent and shamefaced. “Now he is safe, and tiho hairy Queen canna touch him more; do ye seo, Donald?” . • “Tamila lie ?” said the falconer doubtfully. “Ay, sure; ’tin a fairy tale, -uotlier told -it to- us, anil we made a play of it. iHe was a fairy knight, and I was Fair Janet, and lie luul to turn into a fire and a snake and all tlio other things, cl so I never could hove got him free. ’Tis a bonny play, Donald!” “May-bo so,” 'said Donald, “i looked a bit rough, as between a knight and a lady; but play is play, and I’ll say no more. Now sit ye down, lad ‘and lass, and see ivhat Joan cook has sent you for a noonpiece.” Tlhe Little Master cast tho green mantle aside and sprang up with a joyful shout, and Elspie clapped her hands for joy. “Tis a doo-pa.sty !” she cried. “Oh, Alun, ’tis a doopasty!” ~ The “doo-’p-asty, which was neither more nor less than a pigeon pie, was set on the grass, and soon the children were enjoying themselves 'to tlie full. It was a lovely spot they li-ad chosen for their play; a .little open glade in tlie forest, where the short grass was flecked with sunshine, and shaded by tlie spreading blanches of u great ash tree.

They did not know that they were having a picnic, for they had never heard the word. They had just had ■leave to conm to the forest, with Donald, and have their noon-pmce there, and that over, Donald was to tell them a story. Lhey reminded him of this when nothing was Seif.t of the pasty save she crumbs, -which Elsn-a-t scattered lor the birds.

“A tale?” said Donald, stretching himself on the grass, and looking -up into the great green v< ’it /above him. “You bairns aro aye wanting tales. Hark to the. mavis yonder! He tells a sweeter tale ‘than ever, old Donald could. Anil yet ithat was a sweet tale H , heard last night,” he added. “David sang it to liis harp; maybe you heard it ; the song of the Two Sisters of Binliorie? Nay? Then I will—nay, I cannot sing it; yonder old crow co.ukl sing better than I; I’ll tell it in plain words as well as I can. “’Twas of two sisters and a gal--lanit knight that came a-wooing. it began like.this, I mind, me': .. .

“There were two sisters si.it in a bower, -Binnorie, O Biiaiorie! A knight came there, a noble wooer. By tlie bonny mill-dams a’ Bin morie.

“Aiul why he should court the elder when ’twas the other ho loved passes old Donald’s wit to tell ye, bairns; but so i-t was, and the elderiliated her sister therefor. “One day she called her aud said: ‘Come away down to the river strand with me !’ " The nvn-id came, thinking no -harm, -and as she stood on a stone, what docs that wicked other one do hut push her into tlie deep, swi fit-flowing water? Oh, but tlie poor voting maid cried on lier: “ ‘O sister, sister, reach your hand, And vou shall bo heir of half my land !’ “And again: “ ‘0 sister, reach me but your glove, And Sweet William shall be your Lovol ’ “But that wicked one stood by and sow .the poor maid borne down t-lio stream, and never spoke nor reached her hand. “So down she cumo to the milldam ” “The wicked one?” asked Elspat. “Nay, nay, lassie! t-lic other, to be sure, that, was floating in tlie water; and the miller’s son saw her u,nd called to liis father, here was either a nier-makl or a swan. 'ILi miller drew the water out and the. he found the lioor sweet lassie, but cold and dead was she, and yet fairer than any lily. Round her middle was a girdllo of p-ure gold,audstrings of pearls in her yellow kiir, and her white lingers sc.t with jewel-rings. “By then came a harper, one like our David, that went from hail to hall playing, and singing, and when die saw that piteous sight he made a great moan and sighed and we-pit. Then he took three locks of lier yellow bail- and strung Iris harp with them, and then ho took liis way to her father’s hall that lie knew well. They were all sitting -round idle board —the lord her father and tlie lady her mother, aud that wicked .maiden lier sister—and she all clail ill her silks and velvets, and thinking now she would win. Sweet \S • liam’s heart for sure: but he, poor lad, looked ever over liis shouldei at the door, wondering why his true love was so long a-coming. But instead of her, in came the harper and ait down among tfliem anil took up bis li-arp to play. But ho, bairns, when he did that a strange marvel befell, for the harp spoke and sang with its own voice, and never a won] from him. And —but see now ! the words are so bonny. I must u - them if I can, for my own words a poor- beside them. David sang, then : “ 'And soon the harp sang loud and clear, Binnorie, O Binnorie! “Farewell, my father and mother dear!” By the bonny mil 1-da ms o’ Bin norie. “ 'And next when, the harp began to sing, Binnorie, O Binnorie I ’Twas “Farewell, sweetheart!” said the string, :By the bonny mill-dams o’ Binnorie. “ ‘And then as plain as plain could be. Binnorie, 0 Binnorie! “There sits niy sister who drowned me!” -By the bonny mill-dome o’ Binnorie.”