Not overly keen on this story, but it is the beginning of three other Fairy tales and it explains the beginnings of them. One day I might even rework it, but for the moment it will have to do.
Away with the Fairies?
It all happened a long time ago in summer. I should have written it down then, but I was too young and upset at what happened. Now that I am a lot older I am going to try to tell as much of it as I can remember. Some of the details may be wrong, but the story is as accurate as I can make it.
I was walking through the garden admiring the flowers and listening to the birds and the insects going about their business and enjoying the warm sunshine. Please do not ask me how it happened I have only a vague idea. I was carrying my binoculars as I was going to take a closer look at an odd looking bird that had flown into the garden. Being somewhat clumsy I managed to drop them. They fell so that anyone or thing looking through them from the ground would have seen me, not closer too, but farther away. Try it for yourself, look through the wrong end of a pair of binoculars, if you do not believe me!
Anyway, perhaps something or someone WAS looking through the wrong end, for suddenly I was smallified. Yes, I know there is no such word, but that is what happened.
Fortunately, my clothes were reduced in size otherwise it could have been very embarrassing. How small was I? Well, as I stood there wondering what on earth had happened, a piece of pollen fell from a flower on to the path beside me and a bee the size of an eagle buzzed off. I had to cover my ears as the noise from its wings was deafening. The rush of air knocked me backwards and into an open flower.
When I finally managed to claw my way out I was covered from head to foot in bright yellow pollen. It was in my eyes, up my nose and in my mouth. Actually, it tasted rather nice. I can fully understand why pollen beetles love to eat it. However, it is not the best stuff to get up your nose as any hay fever sufferer will tell you. I freely confess it I came out of that flower spitting and sneezing. Disgusting, I know, but you would have done the same.
Before my eyes were clear I felt myself being held tightly. A voice as light as the touch of gossamer said, “Oh, you poor thing. Here let me help you.” A hand as gentle as a mouse’s kiss began brushing the pollen from my face.
As the pollen fell out of my ears I heard the sound of giggling, like the sound of a distant music box. It stopped and a voice full of laughter said, “I am really sorry, but you really do look sooooo funny.” Then it went off into another fit of giggling.
A third voice chimed in, as sensible sounding as an old fashioned grandmother. “Do stop being silly, what is needed is a good dusting down.”
Then I felt myself being brushed off with the fluffy end of a dandelion seed. “There, that is much better than cuddling or giggling.”
Since my eyes, nose, mouth and ears were now free from pollen I was able to see, hear and smell my helpers. Stood in front of me were three perfectly formed females just a little smaller than myself. They were scented like the evening breeze from a bed of roses. I have already described their voices. I will try to describe them to you. No, I think it better for you not to know. I will only to say that they were all prettier than a spring morning. However, there was one very puzzling thing, each of them had a pair of wings.
The one with the dandelion duster turned me round to brush down my back. I heard her give a gasp.
“What?” I cried, thinking perhaps I had ripped my coat or worse still my trousers.
“He has no wings!” Duster exclaimed (I still think of her under the nickname I gave her then).
Cuddles and Giggles (as I named them) rushed round to join her. “Oh, the poor thing,” I heard Cuddles say.
I swung round to face them. “But I am a human being, we don't have wings.”
All three of them squealed and with a flap of their wings disappeared. I did not know what to do. However, before I could make a decision, Duster returned.
“Are you really a human being?” She sounded very nervous.
I nodded.
“One of the giants?” She asked.
I looked down at myself and said, “Not any more I'm not.”
She nodded. “It's all right,” she called. The other two returned.
“What are we going to do with him? You know we are not supposed to let Humans see us.” said Cuddles
“We will have to take him to the King and let him decide," said Duster who seemed to be the most sensible one.
“Follow us,” she ordered and the three of them flew away.
Well, I did my best, but it is hard to keep up with flying things when you can only walk. Soon they were well out of sight and I had a stitch in my side. I sat down on a rock to rest and catch my breath. I was not there for long before they came back, full of apologies.
Cuddles gave me a hug and said. “We will walk with you. It will be a lot slower.”
We had not gone far when there was a tremendous thud on the path and a huge shadow went over the top of us, followed by another loud crash in the undergrowth alongside.
“Look out!” shouted Duster. “Froglets.”
Before she could explain there was another thud, shadow and crash.
Next to the path was a small cave between two boulders. “In there!” I shouted and we dashed in. Not a moment too soon, a huge 'thing' landed at the entrance.
Duster screamed, “Oh, my foot, it is sat on my foot.”
“What is it?” I wanted to know.
“Froglets,” said Giggles. “They leave the pond at this time of year and go off into the fields.”
“Is that all? Frogs are not dangerous.” I scoffed.
“They may not be to normal sized human beings, but they eat anything, including US.” Cuddles was bent down near Duster, trying to pull her leg out from under the froglet’s rear end.
Fortunately, I always carried pockets full of useful things. I fished in my left hand pocket and found the small torch that I always carried. It lit up the dark cave nicely.
“Oooh, a small firefly!” exclaimed Giggles.
I did not try to explain.
At the back of the cave I found just what I was looking for, a nice long thorn. It was too heavy for me to lift on my own. I called over Giggles and Cuddles and explained what I wanted them to do. Together we lifted the sharp pointed piece of plant and with me at the front aiming it, we ran at the froglet.
It gave a squeal and leapt away. I think you would have jumped too, if you had a thorn jabbed in your bottom. Duster's foot was free, but it looked very swollen. She could not walk on it. Even when flying she looked to be in pain.
“Do not worry, it will be made better when we get home,” Cuddles whispered.
A little farther along the path became very narrow and we had to go in single file. Giggles, led the way with Duster following, I was next and Cuddles brought up the rear. Giggles kept turning round to make sure we were following.
Suddenly Duster shouted, “Look out.” It was too late. Where the path was at its narrowest a spider had built its web and Giggles had walked backwards into it. She was stuck fast.
Fortunately, the spider did not seem to be at home or perhaps it was busy eating another victim. Again the contents of my pockets came in very handy. I always carried a penknife that my Father had given me. It was one of those with lots of different blades. It even had a spike on it, My Father said that it was for getting Boy Scouts out of horses' hooves, but I think he was joking. The silk of the web was very tough, but my knife was new and still sharp. It did not take long to cut her free from the web. I also cut a length of the silk. It was really strong.
The rescue was done not a moment too soon. The spider arrived. It hissed when it saw us, but soon moved away when we threw stones at it. Giggles was shaken by being caught, but she was not badly hurt. There was a tear in her wing. She was more concerned with the sticky silk that clung to her hair and would not come out.
Duster said “You can wash it when we get home.” To me she added. “This is the trouble with walking rather than flying. We are not used to it.”
“I am not used to being this size, so there are things that are dangerous to me too." I said. “We will just have to be very careful.”
For the next few minutes nothing happened to interrupt our trek. Duster flew slightly above the ground next to me, telling me the names they had for all the flowers that we passed I could see that her foot was causing her a lot of pain. Giggles could not fly properly with her torn wing so she walked alongside me. She had quite lost her laughter. Cuddles led the way.
As we turned a bend in the path I could see a faint glistening, shimmering on the path ahead. Before I could shout a warning, Cuddles walked straight into it. She slid a few steps forwards before falling flat on her face. We ran to help her up. She was covered in a clear gooey slime.
“Don't touch it,” warned Duster. “It is very hard to get it off. We have to get her out quickly though. It will set solid soon.”
“What is it?”
“Giant slimer.” replied Duster as she ran forward.
I did not know what she meant until I saw a huge snail disappearing down the path.
It was no easy task to pull the fairy from the slime, especially as we were trying hard not to get the horrible sticky stuff on ourselves. In the end I managed to tie the spider silk rope round Cuddles ankle and between us we managed to drag her out backwards. She was covered from head to foot in goo. It was all we could do to get it off her face so that she could breathe. By the time we had managed that the rest of it had set solid. Cuddles could neither walk nor flap her wings to fly.
“How far is it to your home?” I asked.
“We are very close,” said Duster.
“Good. In that case I shall carry her.” We tied Cuddles to my back with the spider silk rope and set off again. She was not heavy fortunately.
Soon we reached the base of a plant. Duster pointed upwards. "We live up there. I could fly up and get some help, but........” She hesitated.
“A problem?” I asked.
“We are not supposed to let ourselves be seen by humans. I do not know what the King will decide, but the fewer of my people who see you or you see the better. I am sorry, but those are the rules.”
“I understand. No matter. You fly on up and warn your people. Giggles and I will climb up with Cuddles.”
Duster leant over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, as light as the touch of a single soap bubble. She flew off upwards.
The climb was not too bad. Small branches and leaves grew out of the main trunk and made a kind of stairway. It was a bit awkward with Cuddles on my back, but Giggles either pulled me up or pushed me from behind. In that way we arrived at a large flower bud. Giggles touched the side and a door opened. We went in.
The flower had been hollowed out to make a large room, large enough for a lot of fairies. However, at present there were just two, Duster and a male. He beckoned me to come to him. Giggles led me across the floor. I felt I ought to bow or something, but Cuddles fastened to my back made it a little difficult.
The King, whom I called Nuff, just to myself you understand, for want of a better name, spoke quietly to Duster. She came and undid the spider silk and she and Giggles carried Cuddles out of the room. I was left facing the King.
“So, you are a human?”
“Yes, sire.”
“We have a law that prohibits fairies and humans from seeing each other.”
I nodded.
“The penalty is Death for the Human.”
I did not like to ask how something as small as a fairy could manage to kill a human. We were so many hundreds of times bigger. I had a horrible feeling that it was possible.
The King had not finished.
“However, my daughters tell me that you have saved each of their lives this afternoon.”
“Duster, Cuddles and Giggles are Fairy princess?” I blurted out.
“They are indeed. Their names are Larkspur, Cornflower and Lily. And there is another law that says that a good deed must be repaid by a good deed. This means that you cannot be executed until each of my daughters has saved your life.” The King smiled.
I can remember the feeling of relief even now,
Larkspur, Cornflower and Lily came rushing into the room I was amazed to see that Larkspur no longer limped, Cornflower was cleaned of the slime and Lily's wing was whole again.
Cornflower flung her arms round her father. “Thank-you Daddy.”
Larkspur threw her arms round me. “Thank-you human.”
Lily danced round us laughing.
It was all too much for me, the climb up to the Fairy Hall had exhausted me. I sat down on the floor with a bump.
Larkspur helped me up. “Oh, we have been selfish. Quick Lily, get him something to make him better.”
A minute later, Lily thrust a cup into my hand and ordered, “Drink this.”
I did so. Even now I do not have the words to describe the feelings that came over me as I swallowed. All I can say is that in an instant I felt better than I had ever done before.
“What is this?" I demanded.
“That is our Elf Gift,” said King Adonis, which was his real name. “It cures just about everything."
“It also makes whites stay whiter in the wash too,” laughed Larkspur.
“There are Elves here too?" I asked.
“Alas, no more. They disappeared more years ago than I care to think about, but we still have the recipe for their Elixir. Now, I am sorry, but we really must see if we can find a way to send you back. Only me and these three may see you without breaking the Law and it is getting late. Those out in the garden will have to come in soon.” Adonis said.
Between us we put together a harness with the spider silk rope. Now that the Princesses were fit they and the King, flew me back to where I had dropped the binoculars. When we arrived I discovered that the other fairies had turned them the correct way up, so, now, looking through them made everything look bigger.
Sadly I said, “Goodbye!” to my three princesses and stood in front of the eyepiece.
“You will return one day," said Larkspur. “You will see.”
I have never seen a fairy since that day. Oh, yes I tried. I have spent almost all my life since that day looking through microscopes in the hope that I would find one. I have become one of the world's experts on insects in the process. I have never told anyone about this before. Who would believe me? My parents did not. I was punished twice, once for hiding in the garden and not coming when called and once for lying about where I had been.
I know they are still out there in the garden. On a clear, still summer's evening I have heard the laughter as quiet as a far distant music box, felt the faint touch of a kiss on my cheek, as light as the brush of a piece of gossamer, felt the waft of a dandelion duster, as light as a mouse's kiss. Oh, yes, I know they are there, waiting to repay their debt.
Well, this is the day when I try for the final time to get ‘smallified.’ All my affairs are in order and instructions for what to do are in the top drawer of my desk.
This document was found on the Desk of Professor H...........the distinguished Entomologist, who disappeared without trace on Midsummer’s Day. He was last seen leaving his house carrying his binoculars as if he was going Bird watching. A search of the Gardens and surrounding fields, turned up nothing, except the binoculars lying upside down on the Garden path.
His housekeeper said that he was his normal self, but that he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Signed. Det. Sergeant P.......S...... 
