Children and Fairies.

Some months ago I was resting, as is my custom under the old oak tree in the large clearing in Fairyland. I had dozed off and dreamt that I could hear the voices of children; the voices came nearer and nearer. One voice was of a small boy the other of a little girl. The girls voice caught my attention by what she was saying. “Where are the fairies? You promised me that we would see fairies, where are they? The boys voice, “ we must have patience they will come soon and we will be able to play with them.

Finally the voices woke me and opening my eyes I saw a small girl with tears in her eyes and a little boy bravely trying to get the girl to go further into the woods. The children on seeing me both turned to run. “Please don’t run away I may be able to help you with the fairies.” The children stopped and I noticed that the boy had a catapult in his hand. “You will not need a catapult here in Fairyland,” I said. The boy offered me the catapult and I took it and placed it in one of my very big pockets.

Fairies are afraid of catapults; too many of them have been injured by people catapulting stones through the woods of Fairyland. This satisfied the boy. The little girl with tears in her eyes said, “Where are the fairies? I want to see the fairies. Looking at the boy she said, “You promised, you did.” The boy looked at me and asked me if I could help his little sister with the fairies.

Look very carefully; all around you are fairies, some are working others are playing. Listen can you not hear their voices singing the old songs. Both children looked and looked. Both strained their ears to hear the fairy music. “I cannot see or hear anything,” said the boy. The little girl with her eyes and mouth wide open called out, “There they are, why they are everywhere. Looking again at the boy she said, “Can you not see them,? They are lovely with wings that shine in the sunlight they are pretty and I want to play with them.” “You said that I could play with them, you promised.” The little boy sadly said, “I cannot see them, where did you say they were?” “Open your eyes they are everywhere why one is sitting on top of your head and pulling faces at you, open your eyes.”

I naturally could see the fairies and knew that they had taken to the little girl but the boy with his catapult had somehow put them off him. I smiled to the fairies and called out show yourselves; this little boy did not know about the stones that come from the catapults. He would not have used it, he carried it to protect his little sister. Then a shout from the boy, “I can see them, I can see them” The fairies then called to the children and asked them if they would like to play with them. Soon a piece of rope twisted from the cobweb threads from the spiders was placed by a fairy on the ground.

The rope was spread along the clearance floor and the fairies told the two children to sit on the rope. Then six fairies took each end of the rope and flew up a little way and the two children were having a swing on a rope made from the threads of cobwebs. Other games were played until I heard a man’s voice calling, “Nicky, Janey, where are you it is time for you to come home for dinner?”

I quickly waved my magic wand the children knew all about fairies but their father might not know and could be angry with the children going so far into the woods. The children ran to their father who picked them both up in his strong arms and asked them if they had enjoyed themselves, The children were very happy and kept the fairies a secret from their father.

The fairies gathered around me and asked me if other children will come and play with them. They all had, had so much fun. I could not answer them but I sincerely hope that other children will play with the fairies sometime soon in the near future.