So That Is How Signal Hill Got
Its Name And Its Slopes Are Covered With Daisies Once A Year
Elfin Seeds
ONG,
long ago beautiful flowers of all shades of manve, scarlet, yellow, orange and blue grew on the slopes of Signal Hill, and the hillside fair- ies who attended to them were happy until the Dragon came. Little Day's Eye, the smallest fairy, saw him first
"Quick!" she cried, "the Dra gon has come. He's over there," and she pointed to a spot where he had settled himself comfort- ably on the grass. Without. Jos- ing any time the hillside fairies fied to a secret cave where they could hide until their
had enemy gone. They had heard so much about him and feared him so.
"Gracious exclaimed the Dra- gon when he found the hillside deserted, “No one here, Humph!" He walked about looking for something to eat but all that he found were some sour figs. As he nibbled them a startled rábbit jumped out of a bash and stared at him for a second, then with a swish of his short furry tail fied down a burrow.
ACROSS THE SEA
After a while the Dragon felt very lonely and looked across the sea at the Island some miles
away.
"The Island Elves aren't afraid of me,” hê muttered; “I wouldn't hurt a fly. Yet those fairies are frightened just because Pm big and not very handsome.” A large tear slowly trickled down his ugly face, and with a sigh he turned over and fell asleep. His snores
»
sounded like guns to the Elves on the Island,
Wonder what's wrong over there," they said, peering at the hillside through eltin spy-glasses, no flowers about and they used to be so lovely. If only we had some of their rabbits." You see, the Elves found it difficult to get about the Island quickly and rab- bits
wonderful would make
steeds. MISSED THE SUNSHINE:
Away back in the cave the fair- ies were missing the warm sun- shine and their beautiful flowers. Especially little Day's Eye. The others had named her that be- cause she gazed at the sun so often, sometimes forgetting her work. Then one morning the Fairy Queen arrived.
"I am ashamed of your ugly hillside," she said sternly, "all the flowers are dead.”
"But, your Majesty," wept the hillside fairies, "if we were to go outside to attend to them the Dragon would destroy us”
Nonsense?” replied the Fairy Queen "Pray, what harm has he ever done? believe me, your hill- side is far uglier than any dragon who cannot help his looks: Lis- Fen! Unless there are flowers here within a month I will never visit you again. They will be your signal for me to come:”
"We have no seeds," cried the hillside fairies, "even if the Dra gon went away," and they peeped at him through a crack in the door of the cave.
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THE CHINA MALL FRIDAY SU
ปรั
EXCHANGE FOR RABBITS
The Island Elves have plenty and will exchange them for rab- bits which they badly want," said the Fairy Queen before she van- hillside ished. Of course the fairies were very unhappy. None of them could fly all the way to the island without resting. If salt water. "touched a fairy it meant death. They peeped again at the Dragon resting so comfort- ably on the slopes of the Hill Perhaps if he went away a big bird might take one of them to the Island.·
:i
They thought of all kinds of plans but no one was brave -enough to put a foot outside the cave. At last little Day's Eye said bravely:
"I will go; the Fairy Queen told us that the Dragon is harm- less."
So she put on her daintiest gown of white and gold and tîmid- ly crept out of the dark cave into the golden sunshine that she-lor- ed so dearly.
"Hullo" chuckled the Dragon when he saw her, “so at last you are brave enough to meet me.”
We
"Please! Please cried Day's Eye, "won't you go? All the flowers are dead, and-and may never see our dear Fairy Queen again. No birds will come here until you are gone, and wè must get some seeds from the Island Elves in exchange for rab-- bits.".
"Well, well," muttered the Dra- gon kindly, "perhaps I may be able to help you. What about go- ing with me to the Island? My back is broad. In these parts. I don't think there are any birds big enough to carry rabbits."
“Oh! No! No! I couldn't do that," cried Day's Eye miserably. “Think it over," said the Dra- gon, “you must decide quickly, as I will soon be leaving to visit the Island Elves, who are expecting me.”
BRAVELY WAVED HER WAND
Day's Eye sat quiet for a minutes, then she bravely waved her wand and in a moment two small brown rabbits hopped out of the long grass into her lap. A. few minutes later the 1 hillside fairies were astonished to see her step on the Dragon's back carry- ing two rabbits.
Then the hillside fairi
"Please, won't you go?” cried Day's Eye
-Legend by
Dorothy Dury
out of the cave and sadly looked at the bare ugly hillside. Every day they gazed across at the Island wondering if the Dragon would return and what had be
One come of little Day's Eye. moonlight night a few days later when they were all asleep be brought her back.
"Good-bye, dear, dear Dragon,” she said, “and thank you so much for being so kind.”
"Farewell, little fairy, try to remember that, bigness and ugli ness are not always to be feared," and he disappeared in a cloud of mist. Day's Eye ran to the sleep- ing fairies.
"Wake up,” she cried, "Tve come back. The Dragon was so kind and he's gone. Here are the seeds."
Joyfully the fairies divided them and eagerly set to work, digging, planting and watering. There was little time to lose if they were to see their lovely Fairy Queen again. Soon small green plants appeared and great was the excitement of the hillside.. fairies. Clasping hands they danced about singing:
;
"We shall have flowers of every
hue, Scarlet and mauve, orange and
blue,
The brightest flowers ever seen To welcome back our Fairy
Queen."
"Then one morning the elin buds burst open just as the sun
rose.
"Those aren't our flowers, cried the hillside fairies crossly when they saw patches of white and gold daisies spread over the grass, ours were beautiful”.
"Those are little Day's Eye flowers in memory of her bra very," replied the silver sweet voice of the Fairy Queen, “and they are very, very beautiful if you look at them closely. Daisies will be your signal for me to visit you once a year.
So that is how Signal Hill got.. its name and why its slopes are almost covered with white and gold daisies once a year instead of with flowers of mauve, scarlet yellow or blue. And to-day, it you happen to visit the hill on a moonlight night, if you look very carefully, you may see scampering about with elfin rid ers on their backs.