Are Fairies People Too&;#063;

FAIRIES ARE PEOPLE TOO
By

Valerie Waldby

All was not well in the tiny fairy kingdom of Volta ,many different
coloured mushroom houses made up this little community, nestled among
the tangled roots of a Banyan tree. There were pink, and grey, mauve
and green houses, and just like mortals the fairies who lived there had
to work hard to keep them looking neat and tidy.

Iiving in a house not far from Volta was a family of mortals. As the
fairies went about their daily task of spreading fairy dust, doing good
deeds and granting wishes they noticed the Sutton family working hard
and going about their daily tasks. Peeping through the window the
inquisitive fairies spied Mother Sutton making beds, and dusting
furniture, while Father Sutton was always mowing the grass or working
in the garden. The Sutton children were always busy helping their house
proud parents.

Back in Volta three fairy sister were arguing over who should stay at
home and do the housework, and who should spread the fairy dust and
happiness like all good fairies do. Their names were Amelia, Amy, and
Avril,

As fairies are not very good at house work, their little pink mushroom
home was in need of a good spring clean. Their windows needed
polishing, the front door needed a new coat of paint, and their garden
was over run with weeds.

Avril being the eldest fairy decided to take her sisters on an
inspection visit to the Sutton's home, in the hope they would learn
from the example set by the house proud family The fairies flitted
around from room to room and observed the Suttons hard at work , but
Amelia and Amy were soon bored and flew off to do what fairies do best.
They had stars to shine and glow worms to light, and the making of
fairy dust took a great deal of time.

Each night they had to make a special trip to gather moonbeams, stars
and evening dew, place them in their big black pot, and mix and mix to
make fairy dust for the next days spreading of good luck. They didn't
have time for house work.

When Avril realised the example visit to the Suttons was not going to
make Amy and Amelia more houseproud , she decided to call an urgent
family meeting. As the three wee fairies sat round their kitchen next
morning sipping their morning dew, she told Amelia and Amy in a very
angry voice "things will have to change"
[Fairies just like mortals, can have angry voices when
necessary.}

"Our little mushroom house is looking quite shabby and everyone in
Volta is talking about it" she said to her sisters. "We will just have
to work together, and set our place in order, and she reminded them of
their visit to the Sutton home, and how the family had to work hard to
keep their place looking good. Gazing longingly out of the window Amy
and Amelia were not listening to Avril's harsh words. They just wanted
to be out and about doing their fairy deeds.

"Listen to me, listen to me," called Avril, as she stamped her tiny
foot, and waved her magic wand, at her uninterested sisters.

"Did you know the Fairy Queen is coming on a visit to Volta very
soon?"
"No we didn't", they replied. "Coming to Volta" was their surprised
response.

A visit from the Fairy Queen was a very special occasion in
Volta.
Do you think she might call on our house for afternoon tea?" questioned
Amy and Amelia, at last showing some interest.

"No, not while our house is in such need of repair" said the angry
Avril.

When Amy and Amelia heard their sisters stern voice they agreed to
start work the very next day and help Avril tidy up their house. The
making of fairy dust, and other fairy chores would just have to wait
for a few days, while they all worked together to make their house like
new again. If the Fairy Queen happened to call on them, they wanted to
be prepared.

Everybody in the kingdom of Volta was hoping the same thing, each
trying to outdo the other with the most inviting home for a Fairy Queen
to visit for afternoon tea.

For the next few days they scrubbed and polished , and in no time every
thing was looking clean and tidy. The windows sparkled, the front door
was now bright red, and the garden was planted with roses and daisies,
and Avril was a happy fairy again. {Like all fairies should be}

As the fairy sisters waited and hoped for the special visit by the
Queen, they were kept busy helping mortals with their special wishes,
and one afternoon as they flew from flower to flower polishing the
petals they heard a very strange sound coming from the Sutton's
garden.

"I think I can hear a little girl crying" whispered Amy to her
sisters.

"I'll bet she can do with our help" they all replied together, and they
flew towards the Sutton's garden to find where the sobs were coming
from.

They soon found an unhappy little girl sitting under a tall tree, and
high up in its branches was a scared little kitten, too frightened to
move.

Between sobs the little girl tried to coax the kitten from the tree,
but not even his mistresses cries and pleas could bring the kitten down
from his perch.

Realising the animal's plight, the fairies flew high into the tree,
each tossing a handful of magic dust over the frightened kitten, and in
no time at all, it was brave enough to drop down into the waiting arms
of a very happy little girl.

Julie Sutton raced into the house carrying her rescued kitten, while
calling to her parents.

"I think there must be fairies in our garden."

"What makes you think that," replied her amused Mother and
Father.

"Because somebody came to the rescue of Snowball, and I didn't see a
thing, and everybody knows fairies are invisible."

As the Fairy Queen inspected her domain, she was made aware of all the
good deeds worked in her kingdom, and decided they should not go
unrewarded. At the top of her rewards list were Fairies Avril, Amy, and
Amelia.

Flying around her kingdom on the back of a golden dragon fly, theirs
was the first house she decided to visit for afternoon tea, and the
happiest fairies in Volta were overjoyed to have her call on their
little house.

"You should be very proud of your mushroom home," she remarked to the
trio, and the sisters smiled happily at each other, as they sat round
drinking dew drop tea, and eating honey cakes with pink icing. {very
much like mortals who live next door} BECAUSE FAIRIES ARE PEOPLE
TOO.