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Show THE SANDMAN STORIES 1 How the Peacock Got His Beautiful Colors PART I Once upon at tme eu long ago that time cannot be reckoned there lived on the aide of a mountain a little Goblin named Colorem. He waa' larger than the Goblins that lived In tha rocks, but still he waa something like them In appearancea ap-pearancea aort of elbow cousin, per- hapa. Anyway, Colorem lived there all alone on the mountain aide, and all the magic folk were hia friends, for Colorem Col-orem waa the artist of Magic Land and kept all the tints and ahadea of everything beautiful In the world. Not that he did all the painting himself, him-self, for he did not, and his helpers were the Fairies and Gnomes and Klves, but to him they had to come for tho colors. Now It happened that a little Klf named Klfo did not like Colorem, because be-cause he had refused to give him aome red coloring for his coat, which waa brown, like the dried leaves. Colorem was wiser than Klfo, and he knew that with a red coat Klfo would be quickly seen among the leavea and twiga by Mortala for the Klvea run about In tho daytime aa well aa at nlrht. To be aeen by a Mortal Is a terrible thing for the little Magic folk, for they at once become a mortal and can never return to Magic I-and. So. after all, Colorem waa really a friend of F.lfo, though Klfo did not think so and did not forgive Colorem for refuaing to color his coat. Colorem did not know this, of course, and a the magic people were hia friends he never locked his door when he went away from his home, for no one ever thought of touching the color pota when Colorem waa away. lint little Klfo was waiting for a chance to punish Colorem la some way, and it happened one day he waa waiting wait-ing about and saw Colorem go down the mountain leaving the door to bis home open. "1 will ateal in and spill all hia colors.' col-ors.' said the bad llttlo Klfo, "but first I will get the red for iny coat and in spile of him will change my dull brown clothes." But when he begaa to hunt for the red Klfo found It was not an easy matter mat-ter to find it. for all the post were covered cov-ered and stood in dark place, and while he could see very well in the night time Klfo found he could not see a thing in Colorem's dark paint room. "I will try every pot until 1 fn.d the red." ho said after thinking a minute. "I can dip a atick Into each pot and carry it lo the door and If Colorem happena to come back -t will hide behind be-hind a pot until he goea out again." Having arranged hia plan lo fin J the red paint Klfo ran out to get a stick, and if a large dull-colored bird with a aweeping tail had not aeen him no doubt Klfo would have got the red for hia coat. Tomorrow I will tell you more : about the bird and what happened to I Klfo. (Copyright, l:i. by tho McClure Newapaper (Syndicate.) |