The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-20
W00-WANG, THE FAIRY.
In which Willie Meets the Little
Steam Engine Man and They Take
Trip Through the Clouds.
BY Harry Baxter Mason.
CHAPTER 1.


tales, spelling out all the little words
and skipping the big ones. And all
this time his mother was more than
likely calling at the top notch of her
shrill voice.
"Willie."
On the day this tale begins Willie
was out in the orchard under an apple
tree with an old fairy book almost
glued to his hands. His mother had
been yelling for some time, and her
voice made him nervous. so he rolled
over on the grass and muttered:
There goes mother again. I'll pet
she wants me to go TO the STORE lor
something Oh, my, but do wish
fairy would come along and run err
rands for me"
In his anger he threw his book away,
and it struck a knob on the tree, roll
ing a distance away
There is no way of telling just why a
strange thing happened, but it did ana
no one was more surprised than WINE.
1t must have been that the book SIM
ply happened to strike the rlsht hhoo
at the right time.
ANYWAY. the words had no sooner
nassed his mouth than there was rus
Ting of the leaves overhead and down
came the biggest apple on the tree: AL
though he had hit the right knob at
the right time he looked up at the
wrong time. for as he turned his face
toward the sky this big apple came
crashing against his nose
With a yell of pain he jumped TO MS
feet. There was a thud on the grass
behind him. and turning he was pretty
near scared to death when his eyes
lighted on one of the queerest things
ever seen on this earth.
II was a something just about the
size of his sisters biggest doll, but was
really a little man-and the most COM
ical little man any one could possibly
imagine His. stomach was pufteo out
for all the world like a real browne,
his legs were so thin they looked IKE
lead pencils, he wore a high silk nat
and his face was as red as the paint
on the farmers barns.
whites ewes almost lost themselves
for they bulged out until II seeIheu DC
though they would drop to the GROUND.
His hair stood straight up ana ne
trembled and shook so that his teetn
made a noise like china dlshes Aallihs
down uncarpeted stairs.
Rut all this time the funny little red
faced man stood there, grinnlng as
though he were having the happlesI
time of his life.
Then another remarkable thing hap
pened.
THE silk hat worn by the funny little
man went up into the air and remain
ed there, playing, about hve rect up
like the balls you see on the tops Oh
streams of water in fountains.
Willie rubbed his eyes hard and look
ed a second time to see what kept the
hat in the air, and then he made the
astonishing discovery that the red
faced man was in reality a tiny steam
engine, or, at least, he was filled with
steam, q little stream of which was
coming from the top of his head. 1t
snurted out with such force that it
kept the hat nicely balanced in the air.
The red-faced man once in a while
put his finger to the top button of his
coat, and each time he did so the
steam somehow blew a little whistle,
which was fastened to the top of his
head, but could not be seen when the
funny man wore his hat. This small
whistle screeched away like tiny To-
connective.
And all this time the stranger stood
there and grinned in a very familiar
manner.
Suddenly the whistle gave two
frightful screeches, the hat settled
back on the egg-shaped head. the
steam sailed away to the clouds and
the IIlle DOWeQ pOllSiy dS
his mouth opened and strange voice
said:
"well?"
1t was surely a question, but Willie
was too dazed to know il, and all he
could do was to whisper back: "Well?"
You sent for me, did you not?" and
the little redfaced man bent his knees
in a very pretty curtsey.
"D-d-d-did II" asked the boy. who
h1r n ,otI
he began to stammer.
yes, sir. you did"
The little man spoke sharply.
The visitor pressed the second button
on his velvet coat and Immediately he
was standing upon nothing at all and
just on a level with Willies head.
If the man had not smiled Willie
would certainly have been scared into
fits this time. but he saw a merry
twinkle in the round eyes of the red
faced man. so he gained courage
enough to answer.
''Well, perhaps 1 did. But who and
what are vou?'
81 am Woo Wang" and the gentle
man turned a somersault up in the air.
and once more stood in front of Will
lie. but apparently on nothing.
"You are Woo Wang?" asked the
boy.
II am"
But who is Woo Wang?"
The stranger turned another somer-
sault, pressed his whistle button three
times and smiled as he answered:
IT am simply Woo Wang. and Woo
Wang is the fairy for whom you asked
when you knocked the knob on the
tree just about three and one-half min
utes ago. haven't been called to this
earth for more than seventy years, and
certainly am gla l you brought me
here. This looks like n nice place in
which to live, and we shall have some
jolly times stirring things up"
He looked around at the house, barn
and garden and seemed very much
pleased, for he put finger on each of
the air. AS he turned the tiny whistle
yankee Doodle"
"You certainly are a wonderful man."
said Willie. who by this time had lost
his fear of the fairy. How do you
ever do all these strange things? l
wish / could do them. My. perhaps l
wouldn't astonish the boys in town
if 1 could only do what you have
done"
you can do things more wonder
full" Woo replied, but in order to do
them you will have to keep me here
with you, for when / get away you
will be only a plain. everyday boy.
lazy. hungry and always wishing for
something different"
well" Willie returned. And now
what shall we do to-day?"
We'll" and Woo stopped rubbing
hnNa Idea