A/N: This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D
Elfland.
"O, sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!"
– Alfred Tennyson
1. Corolla Calyx.
The fairy flew among the lilies, stroking the pink and white flower buds with the edges of her translucent wings. She lifted behind her a yellow dust-cloud of pollen that caused a series of loud and repetitive sneezes afflicting two caterpillars and a bee.
'Oh, I apologise! I was not really intending to bring such an unpleasant condition to such honorable citizens of the forest like yourselves; but unfortunately for me, the lilies have distracted my attention, and I found it hard to resist the temptation to fly among them.'
One of the caterpillars used her almost transparent handkerchief – a precious gift woven by the spider – to dry her nose.
'Never mind, my dear,' she said hoarsely clearing her throat 'but in future, you have to be more careful.'
The tiny fairy stood on the palmate leaf of the maple tree, and there she shook off the yellow residues of pollen that had powdered her golden blond hair and arms. Suddenly, a couple of sunbeams penetrated the foliage and fell on her face vertically, triggering her to notice the position of the sun.
'I am late!' she shouted at anyone interested in listening to her, using her crystal, lustrous voice. A bird responded with a melodious song from a branch on the tree. 'Our fair lady will have already arrived and it would be almost impossible for me to become a part of her royal escort.'
With a swift and decisive move she adjusted properly her blue cap – made of the inverted leaves of a decapitated flower-bell – she straightened her dry-grass-made skirt around her waist and flew as fast as her gossamer wings could fly towards the Elven city, humming a pleasant tune.
'I would come with you to greet our fair lady,' the bumblebee said, flying by her side for a while 'but I am very busy collecting as much pollen as possible for my own queen and her buzzing children.'
The fairy smiled at the bumblebee, and making a curtsey movement in the air, she sent two kisses goodbye at her and continued her swift flying. Although she had started out early from her home, which consisted of a formerly abandoned, but firmly constructed bird's nest resting on an age-long pine, with the many lovely distractions that intersected her path, one could bet on her delay.
The white rabbit, fighting against the brown hare about the ownership of a carrot, had asked for her arbitration; the squirrel who had accidentally scattered all his acorn stuff out of his nest and she willingly helped him gather it; the colourful lilies which stained the green grass so lovingly ...
She was already late for the welcoming of the fair Queen, but if she flew swiftly and rapidly using her transparent wings, she might still manage to pay her respect. A position in the Queen's escort, even among the last ones, was for her – the tiny fairy Corolla Calyx, no bigger than the middle finger of your hand – all she had ever dreamed. So, she resolutely continued her flight.
She would have reached her destination, albeit a little late, if the strange, repetitive sound coming from the root of the giant pine tree in the middle of the clearing had not attracted her attention. Full of curiosity – all her life was dominated by curiosity – she strayed again and approaching the large pine tree, she saw him!
A/N: I feel the need to thank Restrained Freedom from the depths of my heart for his constant help and support.
Thank you for reading this fairy-tale.