Once upon a time ... I lived in a far away place in a very old, creaky house - now my home was very beautiful and it was surrounded by many wonderful gardens filled with roses, lilies, daisies and all sorts of other flowers. The gardens were said to be magical, full of mysterious woodland folk of all kind and other strange beings not of our world but I had not yet seen them. It is true however, that sometimes late at night, just as I was nodding off between today & dreamland, I would hear my garden laughing & singing to itself.
Yes, I lived alone in my very old, creaky house surrounded by my beautiful gardens but I was never lonely, not really, not often anyways, because I had all of my flowers to keep me busy and it was full of birds that would chirp & chatter at me all the day long and I would always answer back - because they were my only friends and I loved to hear them speak to me ...
One night, a very long time ago, just as the sun was sliding into tomorrow and the moon was starting to
climb high into the sky, I once again heard a noise outside my bedroom window, out in the garden. But this time there was no laughter and singing like there usually was - no tonight was different. Tonight my garden sang the saddest song I had ever heard ... it was so sad but so beautiful and the song seemed to enchant me ... for I rose from my bed and I went down the stairs in my night dress and out into the dark of my garden.
It seemed as though someone was calling me ... whispering my name and so I went deeper into the darkness of the night - and I crept quietly through the wet grass until I neared the center of the garden to where the old and twisted oak tree grew. As I got closer and closer to the singing the night seemed to grow darker & darker.
Suddenly, the moon slipped behind a dark cloud and I was surrounded by the black, black night - I stopped, shivering - for now I was afraid. I was not sure I wanted to go one any further but I couldn't move, I couldn't turn and run - I just stood there - listening ... the song continued ... and then the moon came returned from behind the dark cloud and a single ray of moonlight shone under the tree ...
My eyes opened wider & wider and I shook my head in disbelief. There, under my tree, in my backyard, was THE. MOST. BEAUTIFUL. FAIRY. that I had even seen! Well ... actually, truthfully, it was the only fairy I had ever seen but still, it was very beautiful and I was no longer afraid - I was filled with happiness for it was such a beautiful sight.
But then I noticed that she, the tiny little fairy, was trapped inside of an old, dirty jar - imprisoned by someone or something and it was clear that she could not escape. I looked around to see who had done this horrible thing, who had caught the little fairy and sealed her in the jar but I could not see anyone. The night was quiet and the garden was still, so still that even the leaves on the tree did not move ... not one little bit.
I slowly walked nearer the jar, 'hello' I said, 'why are you inside of that dirty old jar?'
I carefully picked the jar up and held it in the moonlight so I could see the fairy inside more clearly and as I did this - the fairy smiled at me. She had a lovely smile and the prettiest pair of light blue fairy wings I could have ever imagined and a tiny crown of gold sitting upon her beautiful hair. She was standing upon a mushroom and starred back at me - fluttering her wings lightly to hold her balance.
In a teeny tiny voice she said, 'My name is Olivia and I am the Tulip Fairy of this garden - would you please take the lid off the jar so I can fly free again?, she asked.
I nodded and slowly and ever so carefully unscrewed the rusty old lid. She giggled as she jiggled and wiggled inside the jar because the lid was on tight and it took all my might to twist it off.
Soon she was free and she flew out of the jar and began twirling all around and about and after a few moments she moved closer to me and suddenly she flew back into the air ~ laughing and spinning around me, buzzing about my head like a crazy old bumble bee. I could tell she was happy to be free once again.
I stood there watching her for what seemed like hours & hours and then suddenly she darted close to my ear and hovered there like a little a teeny tiny dragonfly and I could feel the slight breeze of her wings fluttering so near to me. Then she whispered to me in such a quiet voice I could only barely hear her. I leaned in closer and closer to catch her words more clearly and she said, 'Thank you my friend - you have set me free' and she then flew up and landed on an old bramble-berry branch.
She sat there for a short while looking at me and smiling ... at last she said, 'Come visit me tomorrow and we will talk - I will tell you many wonderful tales and you can share yours with me. This is what friends do' ... and with that she flew away ...
'I will come back tomorrow night', I said to myself, 'because Olivia, my new friend, might need my help again.' And with that I turned to head back home and as I did I heard my garden laughing ...
Come back soon for more 'Fairy Tales in a Jar' ...
Have a great day - smile as needed & laugh often
- N -
"Just living is not enough" said the butterfly fairy,
"one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."
- Hans Christian Andersen -
