Smyrna times., 1920-05-19
THE AWAKENER

young and handsome in spite of hi!
thin legs and hollow cheeks. His fact
was pale and his big eyes were full
of sadness, his forehead white anC
the blue veins showed through the
delicate skin. He was dressed il
black velvet trousers of old fashion
ed cut, a white shirt and a broad col
lar of beautiful lace, and wore a small
round hat with a peacock feather
while his little feet were incased il
red shoes like those of choir boys.
The village into which he arrived
was in itself very strange place. The
grass of its meadows and common
was of the palest green, its trees were
round or pointed, and the water in the
brook was deep blue. Every house
was dazzling white with red roof
and rose colored shutters. The inhab-
itants were childlike and simple
minded people.
The women wore sunbonnets, white
aprons with short bibs, which made
them look like little girls playing, and
they spent their time listening to the
babbling of the brook or the sighing
OF the wind in the wind in the tree
tops. The men loved to dance with
them, especially during the moon
light nights in spring. All were
good and laughter and tears came
with equal ease.
Late one afternoon in May the lit
tie flute player entered the village. He
walked silently up the hill, and when
he had reacher the top he sat down
on the trunk of fallen tree and be-
gan to play his flute sweetly. The
first who heard him were two little
boys who were fishing beyond a wall
in brook near the mill, and right
afterward number of girls who
were playing sI1uttlecock and who
came running up, rackets in hand.
Then came a mother carrying her
baby, three boys with big hats hold
ing each others hands, and a. man re-
turning from the fields with his oxen
and his cart. All lined up on the hill
without daring to approach too
closely.
Looking toward the blue sky the lit
tie man played on as if he had been
ali alone. The sound of his flute was
sweet and carressing, now tender
and plaiRtive like the voice of night
engale singing in the woods or the
wind signing in the tree tops. Ellis
ten," it said, 81 have come far away
to tell you of mysterious things
the silvery light of the moon on the
water which reflects strange faces"
ga little shepherd has gone out and
is wandering about with his sheep.
Laugh! 1t is spring and the apple
trees are in blossom, the arms of the
mills are turning before the wind,
butterflies are fiuttering about whis-
pering strong things to one another.
Listen to what I'm going to tell you
about the country down there"
All listened, staring at him, greatly
moved. Three children dropped their
wreaths and garlands of flowers. A
woman suddenly burst out crying, and
the little mans finite said.
"On the hillside lies the little vii
lage with it's pink houses, its greer
trees and its meadows full of flow.
ers. Through the meadow runs &
long white way like river. Gold is
raining on the plain, the sunshine rec
on the wood, the whole country
awakens at the sound of my flute
Gradually more people joined The
others; women came out of theil
houses, men left their work, and al
last the whole population was gather
cd, listening breathlessly while tn,
little man was playing with his eye.
turned towards the blue sky. Only
the old women did not come, the old
est in the village. She was 100 year.
old and her eyesight was poor. She
remained sitting in a corner of he
cottage. When evening came sht
looked out of the window, and as she
family made out the crowd sht
thought: "a lot of big birds have de
scended on the village" And she wa.
scared.
The little man went on playing
When night came and it grew dark HI
laid his flute on the grass and lookeC
at his feet. All gazed at him il
silence, but they dared not speak anC
slowly dispersed. The little MAJ
smiled and laid down to sleep.
The next day and the following on'
he never left the hill. He looked a
the sky and murmered gentle words
in strange language and sometime!
he looked far away. When the SUI
was nearing the horizon, he took hi'
4 A.,fo -. Al L l..