by Edith Howes
Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Janet Blenkinshipand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team athttps://www.pgdp.net
Wonderwings and other Fairy Stories
by
EDITH HOWES
Author of "The Sun's Babies," "Fairy Rings," "Stewart Island," "Wherethe Bell Birds Chime," "Marlborough Sounds," etc.
Illustrated by Alicea Polson
Whitcombe & Tombs Limited Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin andWellington, N.Z. Melbourne and London.
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CONTENTS
Page Wonderwings 7
The Magic Mirror 17
Fairy Tenderheart 31
"Come then," said Wonderwings. She took the littlefairy's hand and up they rose into the clear air.]
Wonderwings
Poppypink sat up in bed and yawned. "Why is everybody getting up soearly?" she asked. "Is it a holiday?"
The older fairies were dressing themselves and brushing their long finehair. "Wonderwings is coming to see us," they said. "Jump up, littlePoppypink."
"Who is Wonderwings?" she asked.
"You will see when you are dressed. Hurry, or you will miss her."
"The older fairies were dressing themselves and combingtheir long fine hair."]
"Oh dear! I am so sleepy," said Poppypink, and she yawned again. "Idon't care about Wonderwings." She snuggled down into the bedclothesagain, and went to sleep.
Presently she was awakened by the sound of the sweetest singing she hadever heard, and a flash of brilliant colour went past her window pane ofcrystal set in pearl.
"That must be Wonderwings," she said. "Oh, I must see her. I hope I amnot too late."
She sprang from bed and dressed so hurriedly that I am afraid her hairdid not receive its due amount of brushing. Then she ran out into thegarden.
The older fairies stood all in a group, saying loudly "I will go," and"I will go." And before them, scarcely touching the ground with the tipof her foot, stood poised a glorious fairy, taller than any other there.She was altogether beautiful; and her wings--as soon as Poppypink sawthem she knew why the visitor had been called Wonderwings. For theyreached high above her head and almost to the ground, and they glowedwith so many colours that it seemed as if a million jewels had been Hungupon them and had stuck, growing into a million flashing stars thatmade a million little rainbows with every sway and movement of her body.
"How lovely! Oh, how lovely!" cried Poppypink. She crept nearer to thebeautiful fairy and sat among the daisies at her feet. "See," she cried."My wings are small and colourless. Tell me how I may grow wings likeyours." Just as little girls adore beautiful hair, so do little fairiesadore beautiful wings.
Wonderwings smiled down at her. "Such wings as mine are only to be wonin sadder lands than these," she said. "If you would have them you mustleave your fairyland and come where humans live, and where hunger andsorrow and death trample the city streets."
"I will come!" cried Poppypink. "I will come!"
"Come then," said Wonderwings. She took the little fairy's hand, and upthey all rose into the clear air, flying far and far away till they lefttheir fairyland behind and came at last to the sadder lands where humanslived. There Wonderwings showed them where hunger and sorrow and deathtrampled the city streets, and the band of fairies flew lower and lowerto look.
"The children tumble and fight in the dirty lanes, and cry for bread,"cried Poppypink. "The little ones, I cannot bear to hear them sob."
"Perhaps you can help them," said Wonderwings.
"I am only a little fairy. What can I do?" asked Poppypink. "I have nobread to give them."
She flew a little lower, to gaze at them more nearly. "What can I do?"she asked again.
No answer came. She looked around, and found herself alone. Wonderwingsand the older fairies had in a moment gone from sight.
Below, a crippled child sat among rags in a dark corner of a drearyroom, and tears ran down her cheeks. "The sunshine, the pretty yellowsunshine!" she wailed. "If only I could run and play in the prettysunshine!"
"Here is something I can do," thought Poppypink. She gathered armfuls ofthe golden sunbeams, and flying with them through the glass as only afairy can fly, herself unseen, she heaped them over the twisted handsand pale thin face of the child, and left her playing with them andsmiling happily.
Poppypink laughed with joy. "I am so glad, so very glad!"she said. "I had forgotten all about my wings."]
Lower she flew to help the little ones who cried about the gutters. Sheled the starving and shelterless to comfort, the toddlers to safety; shebrought a flower to the hopeless, ease to sick ones racked with pain; atnight she flew with glittering dreams from room to room, so that evensad-eyed feeble babies laughed for pleasure in their sleep. Day afterday, night after night she toiled, for weeks and months and years. Therewas so much to do! The time passed like a moment. So busy was she thatshe had forgotten all about her wings.
One day there came a flash of colour in the air beside her, andWonderwings and all the older fairies stood around her. "DearPoppypink," cried one, "how your wings have grown! And how beautifulthey are! They are so tall that they reach above your head and almost tothe ground, and they glow with so many colours that it seems as if amillion jewels had been flung upon them and had stuck, growing into amillion flashing stars that make a million little rainbows with everysway and movement of your body."
Poppypink laughed with joy. "I am so glad, so very glad!" she said. "Ihad forgotten all about my wings."
"Yet they have grown with use," said Wonderwings; "and for every deed ofkindness done a star has sprung, to shine in beauty there for evermore."
The Queen-mother looked over the garden wall. There anold woman hobbled, muttering to herself.]