ypsies Visit Lilliland

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

Once a year in June a friendly band of gypsies visits Lilliland. They play their happy music, wear their colorful costumes, and dance with great joy. Everyone is happy to see them.

Baron Von Lodge permits their visit for a week once a year provided it is for entertainment and not any serious fortune telling.

The gypsies arrived one fine summer for the week and everything started off very well. Everyone enjoyed the visit except for one new member of the gypsies named Edna. Edna was advised in advance not to engage in any serious fortune telling but she could not help herself and told some of the Lilliland citizens of strange and alarming signs for the future. Edna said that soon there would be birds of fire falling from the skies over Lilliland.

The news of Edna's predictions spread very quickly and the Baron became very concerned. The Baron asked the band of gypsies to leave, cutting short their visit by three days. The band of gypsies could return the following year if Edna was not part of the visiting group. Edna was very sorry, but she said that she was only telling the truth. The year was 1914 and the month was June.

It turned out that Edna was right in giving Lilliland some advance warning of the coming of World War I and the combat airplanes that would be having dogfights over neutral Lilliland in August of 1914. Lilliland would have a problem remaining neutral, like neighboring Switzerland, in keeping the war planes, which Edna called "birds of fire," away from the skies of Lilliland.

Four years later, in 1918, the war was over and peace once again would come to the area around Lilliland and Switzerland.

The Baron sent word to Edna that she would be welcomed back to Lilliland and apologized for asking her to leave. Edna had given Lilliland a glimpse of what was going to happen and she was right.

Lilliland and the surrounding countries are at peace and that is the way the people of Lilliland would like it to remain.