Image: Frances MacDonald

what if: * fairies lived in your garden

It came as a bit of a surprise on my twelfth birthday when my Granny took me to the garden behind the kitchen and introduced me to the fairies who lived there and whom she informed me had lived there a long time.

Garden behind the kitchen I refer to was one Granny had built planting varieties ferns over the years. The reason of course was to allow the fairies to create their own home in and among the ferns.

It was to be my responsibility to nurture the fairy garden, make sure the ferns were thriving and establish my own relationship among the fairy folk.

They were very intrigued that a younger version of Granny was among them. They eyed me with great curiosity. They touched my clothes but were more fascinated by my blonde hair.

Fern fairies had dark hair with variations of green through it. The maidenhair fairies had the softest down as their hair, which also has streaks of bottle green through it.

The Birds Nest fairies had wild hair that stuck out and gave them a fierce look but in fact they were the gentlest of all the fairies in the garden.

Peasbum was a cook for the Birds Nest fairies. She was very particular about her fare; she spent ages preparing each meal and looked forward to the compliments she would always receive. Her neighbour was Stawkmust and he was not always to be relied upon. Stawkmust would invade her garden and help himself to her produce. This created a degree of animosity between the two, which often in my observation resulted in serious altercations.

Stawkmust would argue that he needed Peasbum’s produce as being the Birds nest fairy apothecary he could make the most potent of mixtures that would be benefit the entire fairy kingdom.

Their disputes would invariably end up in front of Maplecun the village head fairy. He was a patient fairy with a big nose and an even bigger heart. He would listen to each complainant before always making a decision that seemed to please every one concerned. What they didn’t know was that Maplecun was also a wizard fairy and anyone who entered his domain was always subject to a spell he put on them to accept whatever decision he arrived at.

So, in time my Granny passed away and I became the keeper of the fairy kingdom. And keeper only meant making sure the garden was kept in good order, the fairies happy and my own ability to listen to their stories. Fairies love telling stories and often I would be invited to their festivals where story telling was like a competition among them.

Graciousgoodness was the best storyteller I heard. No matter what he talked about you couldn’t help but feel it was all real. A little like this tale.

You see I do pay strict attention.

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/tale-weaver-119-what-if-11-05-17/