FAIRY TALES Part 2

"My wand is missing," said Nijir. "We searched everywhere for the thief. They don't seem to be on this world."

The seven Dwarves exchanged looks. "This is bad." They seemed to say to one another.

"Could the wand take them to another world?" asked Jara, the only female Dwarf in the group, and the older sister of the other six.

Nijir nodded. "Mijorn of the Mountain Fairies tested it with his wand."

"Was there just one thief?" asked Jara.

"We don't know," said Nijir.

The Dwarves spoke quietly amongst themselves, and reached a decision. "Find out who's missing, and we will bring them back to you," said Jara.

Nijir spread his black wings and flew off to find the missing fairies. He spoke to the other Fairy Leaders, and they all combined their efforts to account for every fairy under their command. It was eventually found who was missing.

Adera a Night Fairy.

Harria a Cloud Fairy.

Jorie a Desert Fairy.

Kor a Mountain Fairy.

Eria a Prairie Fairy.

Perto a Forest Fairy.

Gewq a Swamp Fairy.

Irua a Water Fairy.

Jara and her brothers looked over the list. "Three men and five women. Right. We'll find them."

The Dwarves opened a hole that took them back to their home world, Orean. There they spoke with many other traveling Dwarves and discovered the fairies were on a world called Earth. A world with no magic.

*****

Adera was having fun. She liked giving gifts to these humans. They were nice. They gave the fairies all sorts of stuff. Adera was free to do whatever she liked and go wherever she pleased.

The other fairies were enjoying themselves too. Irua started visiting babies and giving them lifelong gifts like beauty, wisdom, singing voices, kindness, etc. Jorie said they couldn't visit every baby. There were too many of them. Gewq said why not the babies of leaders, to help be better leaders when they grew up. The other fairies agreed this was a good idea.

The problem was they got tired of giving the same gifts all the time. and sometimes their gifts were interrupted and never finished. One princess got the gift of an early death, because Harria had meant to say she would at a young age be able to make many dyes of vibrant colors to bring more color in the kingdom, but she was distracted at the time and all she said was, "At an early age.... dye...." Then she went into an argument with Eria about the usefulness of such an odd gift.

Perto visited another princess after not having slept for two days, and now that princess was hardly ever awake.

Eria had had an argument with Perto about loosing her hair from all the stress of granting so many wishes that she gave the daughter of a duke luxuriant hair that would never fall out and could never be cut.

Gewq thought it would be fun to make a prince kiss a princess that was dead and have her revive to complete health. Irua reprimanded her cousin harshly for that one.

And so it went. The gifts that had been so greedily welcomed by humans when the fairies arrived became dreaded and the commoners often reassured the fairies they were exceedingly happy and their gifts should be spent on the more deserving nobility. The nobility never turned the fairies away. It had become a symbol of status to have a fairy visit. The fairies didn't mind. There were far less nobility than commoners, and they found themselves not quite so busy as they had been before.

Time passed. The Dwarves did their best to catch the fairies, but they often eluded them. Although, when they caught and returned Perto to the fairy world, Eria sought out the Dwarves and volunteered to go back so she could be with her husband. Later they also caught Jorie, and Kor, who wanted to go back to be married properly and not just because some human priest said they were.

There were only four left. It had been nearly three decades since the fairies came to Earth, and Dwarves were getting frustrated. They didn't dare ask the humans for help. The humans liked the fairies better than they liked the Dwarves. The Dwarves figured this was because the fairies shared their magic. The Dwarves didn't.

One day after a long day when Irua had escaped them once more, the Dwarves came home to find a human sleeping on their doorstep. It turned out to be the king's oldest daughter, heiress to the throne. She had run away from marrying a prince she couldn't stand. She was also a receiver of one of the fairies' gifts. She was the one doomed to die an early death.

The Dwarves were delighted to learn Princess Esther's hatred of the fairies, and, when she learned what they were doing, she was more than willing to help the Dwarves get rid of the fairies.

Esther told them the elusive hiding spot of Gewq, who had taken up residence in mirrors. He gave advice on beauty, government, menus and all sorts of things. All a human had to do was ask the mirror and he'd appear do his thing without leaving the comforts of his home.

Kurgh, one of the Dwarf brothers, entered the mirror and grabbed Gewq by his iridescent wings and tossed him through the hole to the fairy world made by Jara.

Esther's friend, Prince David, not the prince she ran away from, and whom, incidentally, was supposed to kiss a dead princess which thoroughly disgusted him, knew where to find Irua. Irua had set up her own castle and was living on an island not far from Prince David's father.

She was challenging. Being a Water Fairy, Irua could swim through the water as easily as she could fly through the air. The Dwarves were stuck on the shore, until Lerso suggested opening a hole underwater. This was tricky because the hole always opened in the same cavern in Orean, and when a hole opened everything went through. They ran a few tests and together several of the Dwarf brothers were able to make a hole that let through everything but the water. Needless to say Irua landed in the Orean cavern on a pile of fish. The dwarves on Orean thought this was quite amusing and referred to her as the Fish Queen until they returned her to her own world and the leader of the Water Fairies.

There were only two fairies left; Adera and Harria. They were worried. They did not want to go back. They were afraid of what would happen to them. They knew they would be punished. They did not like to think of it. Harria figured they would be put to death or chained up. Adera didn't like to think about it. Whatever happened would not be good. They had to do something. It was Esther's fault. She was doomed to die anyway, why not speed up the process?

After a long discussion, the two fairies decided to trick her by giving her a poisoned apple. Then no one would know it was they who did it. They prepared the apple with Nijir's wand, which Adera kept with her at all times, then they dropped it next to the stream where Esther fetched water for the Dwarves.

They hid in the trees and watched Esther get the water. She must have seen the apple! Why didn't she take it? It was perfect in every way! Esther returned to the house. A Dwarf came out, washed his feet in the stream, glanced at the apple and went back inside.

Adera and Harria were getting annoyed. Whet was wrong with these people? Didn't they recognize a good apple when they saw one? Esther and the seven Dwarves came out again. She waved goodbye to them and they left. Esther went to the stream and seemed to see the apple for the first time. She picked it up, glanced around, took a bite and fell to the ground.

Adera and Harria laughed. Aha! The princess fell for it! They could get rid of all their enemies this way! Why not make a whole basket of apples for the Dwarves? They flew down to gloat over Esther. They congratulated each other and rejoiced over their success, until they realized they couldn't fly away. Adera's black shimmery wings and Harria's white feathery ones were in the hands of Dwarves.

They knew the apple was poisoned. That was what the Dwarf brother had been looking for when he had come out to wash his feet. They had asked Esther to eat the apple in the hope that the fairies would show themselves.

Jara opened the hole to Orean. Adera and Harria were handed over to the Dwarves there who delivered them to Nijir. The seven Dwarves took care of Esther, who was kissed by David and they lived happily ever after.

Adera and Harria on the other hand, with their six friends, stood before the Fairy Counsel. The Mountain King and the Golden Queen of Summer sat at the head of the semi-circle table flanked by the Prince of Night and the Purple Princess of Autumn. Seated on either side of them were the Swamp Lord, the White Lady of Winter, the Ocean Rider and the Flower Fairy of Spring.

Their friends had been held captive by the Dwarves until all eight were retured to their world. Their wands had been taken and handed to their leaders. Prince Nijir was happy to have his wand back.

The Golden Queen of Summer stood and said, "You have committed a great crime. You have stolen the wand of a Great Fairy and used it. Used it to leave this world, to grant wishes of people of another world, to curse people on that that world. We have no law for such actions, because these things have never happened before. Your punishment will be severe, because we do not wish for this to happen again."

"The Dwarves have given us a detailed report of what you have done, and we are disgusted at what we have learned," said the Mountain King. "You have shamed us."

"Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" asked the Golden Queen.

The eight fairies exchanged looks. Perto and Eria looked old and haggard. The stain of living among the humans and the following capture of the Dwarves had been hard on them. Jorie and Kor no longer glowed like newlyweds. They were tired and Jorie was large with baby. Gewq and Irua were relieved to be back home. Humans were fun for a while, but soon became demanding. Harria was wide-eyed with fear.

Adera raised her head and said, "I am guilty, and will pay for my crimes as well as those of my friends. I was the one who wanted to travel to other worlds. I was the one who My Prince's wand. I was the one who asked them to come with me. It was all my doing. Please, let my friends return to their homes and their families."

The other seven were shocked. They did not expect Adera to confess so readily, and they did not want her to take their punishments for them. They protested. They would accept the consequences.

The Fairy Counsel whispered to each other. and came to a conclusion.

"Jorie and Kor, since you returned voluntarily, you shall give community service to the Desert and Mountain Fairies," said the Mountain King.

"Perto and Eria, you shall teach the children of the Forest and Prairie Fairies what you have learned. The importance of laws, respect for your leaders and about the humans and Earth," said the Purple Princess of Autumn.

"Irua, you shall be restricted to the oceans. No lake parties or river runs. You are also to give service, and report daily to me of your activities," said the Ocean Rider.

"Gewq, you will likewise be restricted to the swamps, give service, and report to me," said the Swamp Lord.

"Harria, you will be restricted to the Clouds. No trips to see friends or family. Service is also expected of you," said the White Lady of Winter.

"Adera," said Nijir, "you will serve in my house. You will not be permitted to leave without my permission. I will not make service easy for you. You have claimed full responsibility for what has happened and you will pay accordingly." He paused as he waited for her to meet his gaze. When she finally looked at him, he continued, "I hope, in time, that I will once again be able to trust you."


Elizabeth Williamson Copyright © 2009

FAIRY TALES Part 1

Fairies are normally a happy people. Everyday troubles don't bother them. So what if you spilled the milk? A bit of magic can fix that. A messy room? No problem. A cut on your arm? Healed. Fairy life is so easy. So simple. So happy. The different types of fairies know their roles and perform them with pride. The Forest Fairies paint the leaves in the Fall. The Water Fairies send waves and make the rivers flow. Cloud Fairies bring the snows.

Each type of fairy has a leader. The White Lady of Winter rules the Cloud Fairies. The Golden Queen of Summer rules the Desert Fairies. The Swamp Lord rules the Swamp Fairies, and so on. The rulers have special wands. All fairies have wands, but theirs can perform greater magic.

Adera was a Night Fairy. Her people brought the darkness and lit the stars. Her ruler was Nijir the Prince of Night. Adera was one of his assistants. Fairies don't have servants. She had seen the Dwarves come to their world many times, and she wanted to go to theirs. No fairy had ever gone to another world. When she had asked Nijir if she could go, he had said no, her place was here.

Here was so boring! Every night the same thing. Bring the darkness and light the stars. It never changed! Adera wanted some excitement. She wanted to go places. She told her cousin Harria that she intended to leave. Harria wanted to go too. So did their cousin Jorie and Jorie's fiance Kor. Kor's Aunt Eria and her husband Perto, wanted to join in too. Not to mention Gewq and Irua, Perto's nephew and niece.

These eight fairies represented the eight fairy tribes. Adera decided that they were the perfect group. Now, if only they could find a way to travel to another world. She had seen the Dwarves come though a hole they made in the air. How could she make her own hole?

"I know!" said Harria. "We can use one of the rulers' wands!"

"Nijir said no," said Adera.

"We'll steal it."

Adera stared at her cousin. Steal a ruler's wand? Unthinkable! No one ever stole anything from another fairy. To steal a ruler's wand was beyond unthinkable. Adera wasn't sure if there was even a punishment for it. They would probably make one up, and it wouldn't be at all pleasant.

"We'll take Nijir's while he's asleep. We'll be gone before he knows it's missing."

Adera hesitated. She really wanted to travel. She wouldn't have to worry about punishment if she was gone. "Okay. I'll do it."

That day when the Night Fairies were asleep, Adera snuck into Nijir's chamber and took his wand. She flew to meet Harria and the others.

"What do we do now?" asked Harria.

Adera waved the wand, concentrating on the hole the Dwarves used. It appeared. Through the whole was a world that looked very much like their own. They stepped through and the hole disappeared behind them.

The eight fairies flew up in the air to see the new world they had come to.

"Look over there!" said Irua. Is was a castle.

"I wonder who lives there," said Gewq.

"Let's go take a look," said Adera.

"Stay out of sight until we know if they're friendly or not," said Perto.

They flew low to the ground. When they arrived and the town around the castle, they landed and walked slowly toward the nearest house. Harria rose to look in the window and ducked again hurriedly. "They're giants!" she hissed to the others.

"Bigger than Dwarves?" asked Gewq.

Harria nodded.

"How do we know if they're friendly?" asked Irua.

"We will test them," said Eria.

A few minutes later Jorie and Kor, huddled under a blanket they found in a barn, knocked on the door. A human answered it. The two fairies got a good look at his knees. The human looked about and then down. He let out a yell when he saw the fairies.

"Who-What are you?" The human knelt down so he could look them in the face.

"We are travelers. Do you have a place for us to rest?"

"Certainly. Come in."

The two fairies entered, keeping the blanket over their wings. The house was small. A woman stood over the fireplace. She looked up at her husband. "Who was at the door?"

"These travelers," he pointed down at the fairies.

The wife looked down and gasped. She recovered quickly so as to not offend their guests. "Please, come in. May I offer you something to eat?"

"Yes, thank you," said Jorie.

The husband invited them to sit at the table. The two fairies stood on a chair. They were too short to sit. The wife dished up a bowl of stew and placed it before them.

The two fairies exchanged looks over this bathtub of food, shrugged their shoulders and began to eat. It was delicious.

"You have both been very generous. Are all your people as kind?" asked Kor.

"It is our custom to welcome strangers and make them feel at home," said the husband.

"This is good," said Kor. He and Jorie removed the blanket and fluttered their wings. "We are fairies, and we wish to return your kindness. What would you like?"

"The husband and the wife stared at each other then at the fairies. "I-I guess enough food to last us through the winter?" said the wife.

"You shall have it," said Jorie, "and through the spring and into the summer when the food grows again."

"Thank you."

Jorie and Kor flew out the window to join their friends.

"Well?" asked Adera.

"They are good people. They fed us good stew and we returned the gift of food though winter."

Harria grinned. "Does this mean we can go into the town and meet more people?"

"Yes, I think it's safe enough," said Perto.

That is exactly what the fairies did. They gave many gifts, not all appreciated. These are the fairies that started the circulation of what we call fairy tales.

to be continued...

Elizabeth Williamson Copyright © 2009