You find it situated on an arid, burnt up plain, midst sugar-loafed hills, swept by the winds, enveloped in dust and fighting to keep at bay the ever encroaching African bush. Despite its limitations it has been destined, as the Georgian in its wisdom has revealed, to make the headlines of the future; to become part of the folklore of another world, to be visited on the fourth dimensional plane by Machiavelli and has now, we understand, another tale to tell.

At the dawn of time, when the world was young and peace with good fellowship reigned, the Little Folk flourished, sharing the fruits and abundance thereof with men. Shunning their busy haunts, they kept to secluded and shady groves, places where the chattering brook gurgles its tortuous way midst over-hanging banks of moss and thyme, where the wild bracken grows, and where the stately oak stretches itself to the sky and where the bluebell greets the spring with vivid, colourful array. There, where the badger pays his social calls and the cunning fox. follows his secret trails, where the timid rabbit posts his sentinels and the solemn-eyed owl patiently watches, were their favourite haunts.

The ways of Little Folk are not those of men, night is their play time, stars their lanterns, the flickering moonbeams their .inspirations. There, as the soft winds stir and rustle the leaves, they gambol, dance and sing. Sensitive creatures, retiring of habit, they rarely reveal themselves to man, but desire his friendship and recognition of their existence; given these, they willingly perform their little tasks and gratefully take as pay¬ment the proffered gifts of simple folk, that noble remnant of rustic souls, spared as yet the sophisticated veneer bestowed by so-called civilisation's advance.

It could not last. Once we believed in "fairies, elves and goblins, but man in the blindness of false triumphs, knows better; he even distorts the theme, inventing witches, hobgoblins, ghosts and magic spells. Further and still further into the green and pleasant land he has advanced, leaving in his wake vast wildernesses of bricks and mortar for habitations. Roads and fields, even the sky above, echo and re-echo to his vibrating machines. Flushed with triumph, forgetful of what the Stratford bard had said to one, Horatio, heedless of the lore of the East, material¬istic to the core, he has not only restricted the living spaces of Little Folk, but also hurt their sensitive souls by his arrogance and unbelief.

In isolated spots, the Little Folk survive and in Old Ireland, there lived a youth well loved of them. Alas! the lure of far-off places cast its spell; he packed his bags, Kongwa bound, to work where the groundnuts were to grow. Simply and tragically it happened. A case stood open, two Little Folk explored, a gust of wind and they were trapped.

Strange noises and unexpected movements followed, a feeling of borne along by gigantic wings, till one day, inevitably as indeed they must, since otherwise there would be no tale to tell, they reached Wagogo land. The years in slow cycle passed, the groundnutter, defeated went with honour away, but the school survived, always expanding, invariably improvising, answering the needs of eager youth. Marooned like Robinson Crusoe, these Little Folk looked old, indescribably old, with puckered brows and hollow sunken cheeks, and eyes seeming to reflect all the sadness and misery of the world. Despair was their companion, hope seemed gone, their only solace the pro¬ximity of youth, and that enjoyed surreptitiously at night, visiting the school precincts, empty, silent and deserted, but to them hallowed by the atmosphere found therein.

It might have seemed that the Almighty Being, ruler of a universe stretching through the boundless regions of space, suns beyond suns and milky ways beyond milky ways, mysterious and wonderful beyond man's wildest imagination, would hardly be concerned with the fate of Little Folk. Be that as it may, He decreed their escape, to be made effective, not by a nod or an eyelid flicker, but by natural causes.

The sixth former laid down his pen and wiped the perspiration from his brow. Vividly, in beautiful prose, he had described a natural scene, one known to him well, his natural ability sharpened by rare emotions; old memories, nostalgia and the knowledge that soon he would tread those lanes, visit those woods and see those mountains again. His masterpiece was read that night, the scene described easily recognised as their own beloved haunts and the significance of the writer's impending return well understood.

The rest is easily told. With the end of term, our literary friend packed his bags and into one, as may be guessed, crept two uninvited guests. Once more, an old adventure repeated itself, this time with happier result. Strange noises, a feeling of soaring through air propelled by giant wings, but no mishap occurred and final escape was easily effected.

Over the rest, we can draw a veil, the welcome home in the shady grove, in the pale moonbeams' flickering light, the wise old owl struggling to keep its unruffled calm and the moon above, restraining hard a smile, knowing well the endless speculations of men below at some new phenomenon in the skies. Lucky the stars! they could afford to twinkle, for that is precisely what they are supposed to do.

P.S.

Primary School Nativity Play and Prize-Giving

The Primary School Nativity Play and Prize Distribution was held on Thursday, 4th December. We were honoured to have the Director of Education, Mr. Lewis-Jones, and Mrs. Lewis-Jones with us on this occasion. The Nativity Play was excellently produced and fully maintained the high standard set in previous years.

The Headmaster congratulated all the performers and those who had helped in the production of the play. He then asked the Director of Education to distribute the prizes which had been awarded on the results of the end of term examinations.

In his address to the children the Director congratulated them on their performance in the play and said that he felt sure that when they went on to other schools next year, they would remember the happy days which they had spent in Kongwa.

The final dinner and dance was held on Friday, 5th December and was attended by the Director of Education and Mrs. Lewis-Jones and many local residents and friends of the School.
Our thanks are due to the caterers for an excellent dinner and to Mr. J. Short for arranging the lighting for the dance on the tennis courts. The dance ended with the traditional Grand March and "Auld Lang Syne".

ORDER OF SERVICE:

Reading Philippians <t vv., 4—9,

School's Opening Prayer Read by James Seabrook who Was present when the prayer was read for the first time at the opening of the School In October, 1948.

" We lift up our hearts to Thee, O God, in thankfulness for the many good things in our daily lives; that we can run and play and work and learn; for our homes and parents and friends; and that we can come to know Thee and Thy truth; and now we ask for Thy blessing on our new school, and on the lives we shall live and the work we shall do, in this place. Open our minds to Thee from whom all truth doth come; and open our hearts to love, that we may care for others as we care for ourselves; and so enable us to live and work and play together in fellow¬ship and in fullness of life; through Jesus Christ Our Lord. AMEN."

School's Closing Prayer Read by Head Girl, Reinhild Wallenberg.

" O God, we bring to Thee at the closing of this School our humble and hearty thanks for all the blessings we have received at Thy hand; for health and strength, for the opportunities of improving our talents, for progress we have been enabled to make and for the joys of friendship. Forgive us, in Thy mercy, for those things wherein we have failed; our yielding to temptation, our neglect of work and duty, our unfaithfulness. May the holidays bring us increased strength so that we may start afresh at our new School, ready to pursue our studies with renewed vigour and to render Thee more loyal service.

We ask for Thy blessing on St. Michael's and St. George's School and on all who will serve Thee there in the years to come.

Finally, we beseech Thee to be with those of our number whose schooldays have now come to an end. As they go forth to take their place in the world may they seek to serve as servants of Christ, doing the will of God.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN."

The Lord's Prayer

The Headmaster welcomed the Director of Education, Mr. Lewis-Jones; the Provincial Commissioner, Mr. Johnston; District Commissioner, Mr. H. St J. Grant, and other visitors and friends of the School. He thanked all members of staff and pupils for their loyal support during his term of office and asked Mrs. Lewis-Jones to distribute the House and individual trophies which had been won during the term.

The Provincial Commissioner then addressed the School and expressed the regret of the people of the Central Province that the School was closing.

The Director of Education said that the closing of a School such as St. George's School, Kongwa, was a unique event in his 28 years' experience in education. In many ways it was a sad occasion. He thanked the Headmaster, the staff and the children for building up a fine School under such trying conditions. It was an illustration of the fact that a School is not dependent upon having fine buildings but rather upon the loyalty and devotion to duty of the staff and the spirit of the children. He remarked upon the wide variety of occupations which the pupils of the School were taking up in many parts of Africa and in the United King-dom. He felt sure also that the various schools in the Territory would benefit greatly when former members of Kongwa staff took up their duties in those schools.

His final words of advice for those children who were going on to the new St. Michael's and St. George's School, Iringa, were that they should show the same spirit of endeavour as they had shown at Kongwa and retain the best of the many fine traditions which they had built up.

The Senior Master, Mr. P. Shuttleworth, on behalf of the children and members of staff, presented a cheque to Mr. and Mrs. Gillham and expressed the hope that they would buy a memento of the time they had spent in Kongwa. The Head¬master replied and the ceremony was brought to an end by the Head Boy, Hugh Nelson, who in an admirable speech thanked the distinguished guests and expressed the School's gratitude to the Headmaster and staff for the work they had done.

Dear Readers,

The Editor has kindly given me permission to include in this final magazine a message of thanks to all who contributed to the most generous cheque which you presented to my wife and myself at the Final Assembly.

We are planning to buy some suitable memento of the time we have spent at Kongwa and we shall never forget the help and kindnesses which we received from you all—from the pupils and staff, from parents and friends of the School, from the Director of Education and .other officers of the Department and all who have been in any way connected with the School.

The time has now come for us too to depart from Kongwa and we wish every success and happiness to all those pupils and staff who have been at the School, wherever they may be.

We feel sure that those who go on to St. Michael's and St. George's School at Iringa will show the same spirit of endeavour that they have shown at Kongwa and play a full part in building up a School of which Tanganyika and the Commonwealth will be proud.

Our best wishes to you all,

Yours sincerely,
C. W. GILLHAM