Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 155, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1918 — DADDYS EVENING FAIRY TALE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DADDYS EVENING FAIRY TALE

by MARY GRAHAM BONNER

THE PINE NEEDLES. “I must thread my needle before I begin my work,” said a. little girl as she sat Under the big pine trees, with another little girl. “What’s that I hear?” asked one of the pine needles. “She speaks about threading her needle? Am I her needle, or are you her needle, or who in the word is her needle? And what is thread?” The poor needles were very nervous. And the other little girl spoke next: “I like to knit better than I do to sew because then I can use four needles.” “Oh, dear, oh dear,” said the pine needled. “There’s a child who needs four needles. Do you suppose she threads us too?” They watched for a long time, trying to move away from the children so they would not be used. They whispered to the pl nd tree saying: Blow about and move us away. Sway, swing, swing and sway. For we’ve just this minute heard it said. That into needles they will put thread. And the pine tree whispered to the breeze: Blow, blow, make me sway, So I can move the needles away. Please, Mr. Wind, would you mind Doing this act so very kind? And the wind said: I love you, pine tree. Tou are my delight. In the winter to see. . And in summer you’re right, just right. “Tm glad I please you,” said the pine tree. So the wind blew the pine tree and the pine tree’s branches swayed and blew about the little pine needles. But. no sooner had all this happened than they saw that the children had other things called needles. They hadn’t wanted pine needles at all. “It’s a good thing though,” said one of the pine needles, “that we’re not used for sewing. I’d hate to go into a sewing basket.” “rd hate to go Into that great big knitting bag,” said another pine needle. “Goodness only knows ail that may be in that bag. I’ve never seen such a big one. Oh, I’d be frightened if ever I were put in a bag like that.” “But in a sewing basket,” said the first pine needle, “it would be far worse. I saw scissors there with which she cut all sorts of things—and suppose I were cut in little pieces! I might bump straight into that pair of scissors in the dark and Instead of saying, ‘How-do-you-do,’ the scissors would probably cut off my head, or some part of me. I have no special head of course.” “Oh, that knitting bag would be so dreadful because it could hide so many

things- Gracious! it might even hide a small furnace or an open fire-place — or anything.” “I don’t believe it could hold a fireplace,” said the first pine needle. “It would be dangerous, for the bag Itself might catch afire.” “I wouldn’t be any too sure of that bag," said the second pine needle. “I don’t like the looks of it. lam sure I wouldn’t trust it for a moment. It might be made like a grate so it couldn’t catch on fire, but would make everything else catch on was put in it.” “There .are no flames coming from it now?’ “It might not be lighted.” “Oh well, we’re not going in those bags because we’re not sewing and knitting needles,” said the first pine needle. “I’m very, very glad,” said the second pine needle. “I like the wild and free life, the pine trees and the wind, the snow and the rain and the sunshine and the beautiful out-of-doors world, but I would never like to live a life in a knitting bag or a sewing basket. I can Imagine nothing more dull in all the world. Nothing, absolutely nothing could be more dull.” “To be surrounded by half-made pieces of work,” said the first pine needle, “and pin-cushions and thread and a thimble. I feel sorry for those other needles.” “So do I,” said the second pine needle, “but we need not be ashamed of them, for most assuredly, they are not any relatives of ours!”

“I Must Thread My Needle."