JUNIOR KING’S BUSINESS
THE MAGIC PAPER THAT SPOKE
by Velma B. Keifer Based on a trite story
B “ o a n a ,” ca lled th e m ission a ry . “ Yes, sir,” answered the dark boy as he popped his head around a comer. The missionary smiled at his helper. “ Please take this paper to the man at the plantation store,” he said. Boana took the piece o f paper the missionary gave him. He held it tight in his hand and skipped down the path toward the store. All along the way were exciting things to see. On the ground he saw tracks made by two pigs. Ahead o f him a startled snake slithered into the grass. Several busy rats scurried across the path. Bright butterflies fluttered around him. B ig beautiful birds flew back and forth between the trees. Feathery ferns waved in the breeze. Red and yellow flow ers nodded at him. Before he knew it, Boana was at the plantation store. He walked up to the store man and gave him the missionary’s paper. He wait ed to see what the man would do with it. First the man stood still and looked at the paper. Then he got a box and put some little
packages and tin cans in it. He looked at the paper again and put another package in the box. Then the man picked up the box and gave it to the surprised Boana to carry to the missionary. “ I don’t understand,” thought Boana. “ That must have been a magic paper. It spoke to the store man. It told him to give me these things fo r the missionary. It is big magic. I must tell my father about it. Maybe we can get some magic paper, too.” Boana hurried. He stopped only twice to rest even though the box was heavy. He couldn’t wait to tell his family about the paper that could talk. How surprised the missionary was to see Boana back so quickly! The missionary praised him and gave him three blue buttons to put on the string around his neck. Boana thanked the mission ary shyly. Then he slipped out o f the house and ran home as fast as his brown legs would go. “ Father, Mother, Brother, Sis te r !” he called, “ The missionary has magic paper!” He told them what had happened when he took
the missionary’s paper to the store. Boana’s father looked thought ful. “ The missionary is a kind man,” he said, “ We will ask him fo r some o f his magic paper. But first we must tell the other men in the village.” Boana had to tell about the magic paper again and again un til all the men had heard about it. Then the men had a meeting. They said, “ We will go and ask the missionary fo r some o f the paper that can speak.” In the evening they all marched to the missionary’s home. They stood politely outside his house and coughed and made little noises so he would know he had visitors. “ Mr. Missionary,” said Boana’s father, “ My son has told us about your magic paper. He told us that he took a piece o f it to the store and it spoke to the store man. The store man gave him things fo r you. And we have come to ask you to give us some o f this magic paper, too.” The missionary invited the men to sit down on the grass with him.
32
THE KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker