FOR THE CHILDREN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2628, 9 October 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

FOR THE CHILDREN.

TiilS POLLY WOLLYBO-U PICKLIC

The King of Pollywollydom was iu au awful ruckfo. All tile little i>rinces and princdbjes —there were a dozen, at least—Jiad come home for their summer holidays. . Nov/, you mustn’t think that the King of Pollywollydom wasn’t pleased to see liis children, and to have them home again. Not at*all! Ihe trouble was that as soon as they got inside the palace front door they all began to ask at once where they were going for their, summer holidays. “Don’t be vulgar, children,” said the Queen, “it is only ordinary children who go away for their summer holidays. I don’t know where you pick up your common ideas, I’m sure.

| But the little princes and princesses I took not the least notice ol their mamma, which behavior was certainly ujst very polite on their part. I “We want,” began the oldest. “IVc i want,” said the next, . “We want | said the third, fourth, and the fifth, 1 and the sixth, and the seventh, and on 1 and on and on to the twelth. “We j want— to — go — away— for— 011 py holidays.” Six times they repeated this i dreadful remark in the same dreadnii } way, and by the time they had finished j the queen’s fringe had come out of curl, and the king’s splendid moustache was drooping right on to his turndown collar, though generally he twirled it neaily up to his eyebrows in beautij ful sharp points. So you can guess how I worried he was. I “Co away—do!” cried the queen as rdie wiped her damp forehead. “To the Strawberry Cardens?” askcel the Crown Prince promptly, j “Ob. yes! Go, go to—anywhere! j roared the King. So, of course, they went to the Strawberry Cardens. __ “We slia’nt have a moment’s peace, ’ wailed the Queen. “I only wish we could send them away for their holidays, j The darlings! But, really, Thomas, we can’t afford it. If only your father—--1 that generous man Thomas XII. —had not been so absurdly extravagant, we t could have been so comfortable, and a , little in the bank as well, no doubt. ! The King looked more dejected than i ever "I believe you are right, mj i dear". If onlv I had not been Thomas XIII. I should not have been so unlucky, I’ve taken the last penny out ! of the savings box,’ he added, with a i deep sigh. „ ~ ~ » “Parliament might,' began tnc 1 Oueen. , ~ • “Parliament won’t,” replied the Kin-- “Tn fact. Parliament can’t afford to spend thousands upon new shaped caps for the army, and T daren’t ask tlvmi for a pennv. although my nightcaps are all'in rags, as the In undress i iri::v have mentioned to you. It 1 tall | ill I shall die. for I won’t let- the conn I physician see me in one of those shockin'* nightcaps, no. not on any account. ' 1 “Something must be done, said the I Queen tearfully. . j “Something must —but vhatr gloomily responded the Kin". . They' looked at one another m sad silence for several minutes. f I “I know.” said the Queen suddenly. ' i “Let’s look iu the dictionary!” “Why. what is there in a diction- . ' arv?” asked the King. , • ! “Oh. everything!” And tue Queen I rang for a page-boy to bring the big I pa ace dictionary at once. . ! “At times like this you open it witli a j pin,” explained the Queen, s^- •’ , : , 1 hairpin, and you see what you hud. ; ' She took a hairpin from her plaits as she spoke. . x] “Now. shut your eyes and bring tiie hairpin down on to the page, cried the Queen excitedly. , The King obeyed and together they l looked at the word upon which the pm rested. “Jam!” tbev cried both together. ■> “What is jam?” cried the King in ! j astonishment. I “Preserve.” I £ ‘Preserve what ? ’ ’ t J “Oh, preserve anything. ’ i ! The King walked to the window and • j stared out -thoughtfully upon the meai dows that surrounded the palace.

“Royal buttercup jam! How does that sound?” be asked presently. “Splendid!” cried the Queen, clapping her hands. “Royal daisy.jam! How does that Gound?” “Delicious! Y\ o will make it our own selves!” “1 daresay it will fetch a guinea a pot,” said tlie King, rubbing his hands. “We will make it at once. We must start the children gathering the buttercups and daisies this minute.” So the little princes and princesses started gathering the buttercups as fast as they could and the Queen began turning them into jam as fast as ever she could, and the King began potting the jam as fast as ever he could, so that by the end of three days and three nights the palace courtyards were full of pots of royal buttercup and royal daisy jam, priced at a guinea per small ]X>t. No sooner did the. people of PollyWollydom bear of the royal jam than

.HTrybody v. lio could qMW a guinea, as well as many who could not, sent for a not In less than a week* the oourtvjuris wem clear. As Tor the King’4saving h 0.., n was crammed full of ■ uinea.s so full, indeed, that you could shake hard as vou like and .still there war; no jingle/ And then the Oueen had to have a hole made in the top of her be t tin trunk to receive all th«* extra guineas that could not he 1 ~',,'vriri into the- savings box. Conse- l fluently the little princes and princes- 7 . a 1 i went a wav for their summer li o'id.ays, and with plenty of spending money in their pockets, too! Was the royal jam good ? do you aric Of course it was. So good that nobody would eat it. but everybody kept it as a treasure and an beirloorn. And if ever you go to Pollywollydom you may still find a pot of the Royal jam as the centre e~nament on drawingroom mantel prices. But only in the best houses, f course.