Page 17 - 1917 February - To Dragma
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104 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA 0 MICRON PI TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OM1CRON PI 105
T H E ROCKING-HORSE over the H i l l s where all the rocking-horses go and frisk and
scamper and play together until daylight comes. We have such fun.
A Fairy Tale By INNES MORRIS, n , ' 1 0 But now that I have a master, I may not go."
(The author suggests that this may be a good bed-time story and sends it "Oh, I can't let you go, you'll never come back again, and I
to the Alpha O mothers.—The Editor.) won't have any horse to ride!" said the little Prince.
I t was the Prince's sixth birthday. He wandered around through "Yes," answered the pony, " i f you look in my mane you will find
his six rooms of toy gifts and was very happy. Finally he saw way a single white hair. Pull this out. So long as you hold this, I
over i n one corner a large package all tied up i n brown paper. shall be obliged to obey you."
There was a toy that caught his eye, for even at six the little Prince
could read those words: "Then you may go, gladly," said the Prince happily, "and play
From all night. I ' l l call you when morning comes."
Your Fairy Godmother. So the Prince wrapped the white hair around his finger, went
The Prince tore off the paper with delight and there before him to the window and opened it.
stood the most beautiful rocking-horse you've ever seen. I t was "Enjoy yourself, my Pony."
as large as a real pony. Its hair was soft and brown. Its mane "Thank you, little Prince."
was long and silky and black, and its tail was, too. Its eyes were Then the Pony was gone, and his master watched him as he sped
the softest brown and looked straight ahead. I t was just a beautiful
pony and the little Prince was as happy as ever he could be. through the moonlight, just touching the tops of the hills. Away
off he thought he heard the neighing as of many horses, calling joy-
He forgot his other toys, but jumped on the horse and away he ously to their playmate, and the note of happiness that was i n his
rode. He imagined he was captain of a large army, and wore an pony's answer made his heart glad as he crawled back into bed.
armor of steel. A mighty sword hung at his side, and his helmet
gleamed in the sun. A l l day he rpde at the head of his men, through I t was early morning when the Prince unwrapped the hair from
forests, over mountains, into valleys, over plains—all day he was
following the enemy. Finally at nightfall he met them. his finger and waved it out of the open window.
"Little Pony, your master wants you back again."
"Charge," he said to his army. His noble steed plunged forward Way off on the horizon there appeared a little black speck, which
and there was roaring of cannon, clanking of steel, flashing of guns—
and the enemy was conquered. grew larger and larger the nearer it came. Finally the pony burst
in through the window, and stood quivering by the Prince.
Then his Royal Nurse came to put him to bed. He went regret-
fully after kissing his horse on his hairy cheek. "Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Oh, little Prince, it was wonderful! I t makes i t easier to be
The little Prince had hardly fallen asleep when a very curious wood all day and never able to look right or left—but just straight
thing happened. A soft whinny aroused him. He listened. Again ahead. Now, little Prince, will you replace the hair?"
he heard it—right by his bedside. He put out his hand and touched When the Prince had replaced the hair, he spoke to the pony
the warm, panting nose of what he knew to be his rocking-horse. again, but silence only greeted him. The pony was not warm now,
The Prince drew his pony gently to him, and saw that great tears but just the rocking-horse of yesterday.
stood i n the horse's beautiful eyes which were now glass no longer— A l l day long again the Prince was the captain of an imaginary
glass that looked straight ahead. army. And at night came the Royal Nurse to take him off to bed.
And that night the same thing happened again. The Prince extracted
"Oh, my beautiful Pony," said the little Prince, "you are alive and the hair and watched the pony as he sped over the hills to his
not a wooden rocking-horse after a l l ! Why do you weep?" playmates.
"Little Prince, I am alive at night only. And I weep because And so it happened every day and every night until a month before
I may not play with my fellow playmates."
the Prince's seventh birthday.
"What do you mean?" asked the mystified little Prince. . The Prince began to notice that his pony returned more reluctantly
"Well, you see, as long as we don't belong to any one but are
just i n a toy shop, we can go every night to Toyland—a place away each day and lacked his old joy and spirit. He had no happy
