Kate McCosh Clark

“ 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.
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 ”

“ 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.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 [35] quickly from south to north. ”

“ 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.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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?”
[23]
“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.”
Maori hen. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”