1929-12-13 — Page 36

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CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, 1929.

ELIZABETH'S ADVENTURE IN SNOWLAND

- By AUNT EDITH

ELIZAB

NLIZABETH was sitting on the window seat in the nursery gazing out into the garden. The sky was grey, the garden was dull, and Elizabeth was feeling dull and miserable, too. It was just three days be- fore Christmas, and this was Elizabeth's first winter in England. She had spent the seven years of her life in warm countries, and she had looked forward so much to hav- ing a real Christmas with holly and mistletoe, snow and robins, a Christmas tree and parties, just like her mother told her she had had when she was a little girl. Now it was all so disappointing. There was no snow, she had not even seen a robin, and she had not been able to go with her cousins to a party this afternoon because she had caught a bad cold. Poor Elizabeth! She felt very like crying, then she looked into the warm nursery with its big glowing fire and the tea laid ready for herself and her aunt, who was staying at home with her, and she tried to be brave. Her father and mother in far-away India would want her to be brave, she knew.

Suddenly she heard a little voice saying, "Cheer up! Cheer up! Cheer up!"

A Robin Talking

It was a robin talking to her! A robin perched on the sill outside the window, look- ing boldly into her face.

"Oh, you darling!" cried Elizabeth; but the robin did not stay to listen.

Tiny bits of white stuff began to fall slowly through the air, just like little white feathers. Then more and more, quicker and quicker, until there was a mad whirl of

white fluff outside the window.

"It must be snow," said Elizabeth, talk- ing aloud to herself. "Real snow. It's just like a Christmas card. How perfectly lovely! I hope it will snow and snow for days and days."

She thought of all the exciting stories she had heard about snow. Snowballs and snow-men, skating, and people being lost in the snow, and she did wish that some really exciting adventure would happen to her.

"Come and play! Come and play!" she heard a little voice saying. "We are having an awfully exciting game.'

"J

Elizabeth gave a jump. Who could have spoken? Then, riding on a snowflake she saw a little fairy in a white fur coat.

"Open the window!" shouted the fairy. "We will take care of you, and you'll be back in time for tea."

Of course, no one in search of adventure would refuse to obey such an exciting com. mand, and in a second Elizabeth was stand- ing on the window-ledge; but, strange to say, she was now as small as the fairy, and she did not feel the slightest fear.

"Hop on a snowflake," said the-fairy, "and join in the race."

So Elizabeth jumped on a snowflake, and immediately she was whirled down. down, down. At last she reached the bottom. Peep at Snowland

"I won," said her fairy friend. "I was just in front of you. Now would you like just a peep-only a peep-at Snowland?"

"I should love it," answered Elizabeth.

"Then up we go again. Catch another snowflake."

•

This time Elizabeth and the fairy rode on the same snowflake, and instead of going down they went up and up until they reach- ed a huge white cloud. Then they just floated into the midst of it, and there was a huge castle made of ice.

"This is the home of the Snow King," explained her friend, "and this big cloud is Snowland. It is here that all the snowflakes are made, and the snow fairies have a ter- ribly busy time finding all the people who lose their way in the snow and guiding them safe home again. Every snowflake that goes down to earth has a fairy on it, but only very few people are allowed to see them. You are one of the lucky ones.'

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"Thank you very much, said Elizabeth, "It's awfully good of you. But do tell me more. Who is the Snow King, what does he do, where does he. live in summer, why ?"

.

Sometimes he cannot manage it as he is so busy arranging for snow and ice in other parts of the world, but he tries to send snow at Christmas if he can, for Father Christmas knows that British children love snow and ice, and he wants to make them happy. You have heard of Jack Frost, haven't you? He is the king's special messenger. He always goes in advance of the king."

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"Do you always live on a cloud?" asked Elizabeth.

"Yes: we drift from place to place. The North Wind - he's another friend of the king drives us along. But we musn't stand here talking. There is going to be a big snowball fight in a few minutes between the frost fairies and the snow fairies. Will you join us?”

Ice Castle

Of course Elizabeth loved the idea, and she joined the snow fairies' side. They form- "Oh, stop!" begged the fairy, "One ated two long lines on a flat piece of snow in time, please. The Snow King is a great front of the Ice Castle, and tiny gnomes friend of Father Christmas, and in summer were kept busy supplying each side with he lives at the North Pole; but he generally snowballs. The fight was long and fright- tries to get to England at Christmas time. fully exciting. First Elizabeth thought the frost fairies would win, then she thought her side would; and so it went on until in the end the snow fairies defeated the other side. Although it was such a fierce fight no one was hurt, for the snowballs were as soft as swansdown and they did not. melt.

A CHRISTMAS IN SWEDEN (Continued from Page, 28.)

Start With Many Relishes Dinner, Christmas Eve, started with and consists of many relishes, anchovies. "Smorgasbord." This is typically Swedish

sausages, potato salad and cheese.

This This is a special creamed cod fish. The fish was followed by a traditional dish, "Latfisk."

must be cooked exactly ten minutes or it is dried and prepared weeks in advance. It will dissolve. At this meal "Rullsylta" is another special dish. This is a head cheese made of rolled pork and beef. The mention of cheese makes one remem. ber the “Jul

a special Christmas cheese, prepared many weeks ahead of Christmas. it must stand all this time in order to ac- quire flavour.

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Afterwards all the fairies, both frost thought she had never tasted anything so and snow, were given ices. Elizabeth

lovely.

have to go now.

"If you want to be back for tea you'll I'll come with you to show you the way," said her fairy.

Down, down they flew, for snow was still falling, until they reached the nursery window.

"Good-bye," said the fairy, "and a merry Christmas to you."

"Good-bye," shouted Elizabeth, "and thank you very much. I shall never forget it-never!"

A minute later her aunt came into the Dessert for Christmas Eve is a rice pud-room and turned on the light. ding flavoured with cinnamon and served with milk. In it are placed a thimble for the one who is to be an old maid-a ring for the first to be married, and a gold coin for riches. It is a bowl of this rice that is served to the trolls. No wonder they help so Llithely the next day.

Popcorn Is Missing

After all this food, comes the Christ. mas tree. The American girl who was visit ing noticed the absence of our popcorn. Her Swedish friends assured her it was quite un- known, but that was twenty years ago. The tree was

with very lovely

its bright candles and many packages. These were gifts with little jokes for the family as well as more treasured presents.

Christmas Day begins very early with a special church service at five o'clock. Every one attends regardless of their attend- ance the rest of the year. One old custom must have been a beautiful sight. Each sleigh as it started out in the dimness of winter dawn carried a torch fore and aft. A procession of these sleighs must have pre- sented a fairy-like appearance worth remem- (Continued on Page 32.)

you are not very cold and lonely.

"Hullo! Elizabeth," she said. "I hope. Come, along to tea now, and afterwards you can help me decorate the room with holly. Why, whatever have you got in your hand?"

Little White Fur Coat

Elizabeth looked down quickly. There in her hand lay a little white fur coat, very tiny, and slowly vanishing in the heat of the

room.

"It's my little fur coat that I wore when I went to Snowland," explained Elizabeth. "Oh, Auntie, darling, I must tell you all about it."

Her aunt was very interested, so were her cousins when they came in, and, of course, Elizabeth had to write and tell her mother and father all about it too.

All that day and night it went on snow- ing. and at Christmas everywhere was per- fectly white. Elizabeth was happy! Her cold got better, and on Christmas Day they had a lovely Christmas-tree and a party, and on Boxing Day she was well enough to have but best of all she loved the snowball fight a game with real snowballs in the garden;

she had had in Snowland,