This week the task is to use this poem by Puck in A Mid Summer Nights Dream as the basis for a fairy story.

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire!
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon’s sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green;
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favors;
In those freckles live their savors;
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.

Jillis has risen early for there was much to do. Herbs to be gathered, the vats stoked and the potions to be concocted before the suns set for another day.

Looking out his front door he observed the two suns in full glare. Thankfully the second sun was some light years further away from the first of their suns and so as his people always said on a hot day, it could always be worse.

But today was going to be a hot one there was no doubt about that.

A day for precaution against wing burn.

The fairy population in this part of the universe had developed very specific ways of dealing with wing burn as it was a great problem on the hottest of days.

He would have to make sure he stuck to the shelters today. The fairy council had met many years ago and decided that they would shade their world as best they could but some rays always managed to find their way through the shades and there were fairies unfortunate to be suffering wing burn on such days.

Jillis was an apothecary.

He loved to make potions and he loved seeing the excellent effect they had on the ill and infirm.

He made sure before going out that he had on his protective hat and gloves and that his wings were safely tucked away.

Only the week before Bathis the silver smith had made the mistake of hurrying to an appointment and in doing so had not tucked in his wings and was now sporting a severe case of wing burn.

Jillis has developed a cream to counter the effect which brought not only relief for the sting of the burn but also a quicker recovery and restoration of your wings than leaving it to mother nature.

He tucked a tube of the cream into his jacket pocket I case he came across anyone in need. Today he wanted to go to the Grapis fields to gather grapis seed so important in the making of his Sweet Dream Potion.

In the kitchen his wife Manis was tidying up before beginning her work in the vat room. Manis was a potion mixer, she had a rare talent in sniffing out imperfections and Jillis saw her contribution to their business as invaluable. Every batch that was brewed Manis would sniff out and report to Jillis for it to be corrected.

Jillis stepped out into the early morning heat. Already it was insufferably hot. He stepped quickly from shade to shade and soon found himself in the Grapis Field…….grapis seed had to be handled carefully as it contained a spike on his outer shell, if it pricked you it left you feeling like there was no tomorrow just a heap of yesterdays that you were pleased you didn’t have to visit again.

Jillis was experienced and soon was on his way back to Manis with the required number of seeds.

There had been a greater demand for Sweet Dream Potion since the weather had warmed up and many were experiencing sleepless nights.

The potion when applied to your forehead penetrated your skull and found a home in your brain where it went to work convincing your brain that it really wasn’t extremely hot outside and that you should sleep, as tomorrow there may be snow.

The net effect of course was a slumber that had to be experienced and a feeling in the morning as if you had been bathed in goats milk by seven virginal women or men, depending on your preference.

You always knew who was using the potion by the contented smile on their faces.

On the way home Jillis couldn’t help but notice the town’s leading actor, Wontom Shiverspear at work on his latest play, A Mid Winter’s Nightmare.

As Jillis wandered past he heard:

Over the teeth and round the gums

Through the brush and in a fire

Over the road with a car full of chums

Through a flood with a fat faced liar.

I will be seen in every town

Because I am no man’s clown.

Jillis paused only for a second to think that Wontom had a long way to go before he’d hit the big time; maybe a literary potion might help him create a play of some merit. He hurried on thinking herbs and creative ability; all the ones he thought of had hallucinogenic qualities.

Back home and Manis had the vats bubbling as Jillis crushed the grapis seed and added the exact measured amount.

On hour later and Manis had her nose in the vat smelling the potion. Jillis knew when the potion was right as Manis would buckle slightly at the knees and begin to whisper sweet nothings in Jillis’ direction.

Keeping his distance from her as she slurred desirous words at him he poured the liquid in sachets that when cooled turned to the desired potion of a good nights rest.

By this stage Manis was almost delirious with desire, removing by now most of her clothing and so Jillis did the only thing any apothercaric fairy would do, grabbed a syringe full of the potion and injected it into Manis. Within seconds she was out like a light.

Her sleep did afford him some quiet time and time to quickly manage the front counter, which was open each day from two till six in the afternoon.

By six o’clock Manis would be awake and Jillis knew she was rested when she stood at the door of the shop, one hand on the door, the other hitching her skirt, her wings fluttering provocatively as she began to hover around the ever patient Jillis, her lips puckered as her body came to rest intimately against him. Jillis reached out and turned the open sign to closed.

His own wings now erect and fluttering with passion it was time to complete another day at the office.

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/fairy-tale-prompt-may-22th-2015-shakespeare-to-inspire-you/