The Feast of the Fairies
I
Once upon a time the land of Uclalia stood out as a beautiful country so frequented by the fair folk of Fairyland that a visitor might have confused it with that beautiful realm itself. Fairies and nymphs attended its forests and meadows. Luscious fruit trees adorned its countryside. Wild grains that provided every delicacy grew uncultivated in its meadows. Its days and nights echoed with the songs of joy of its inhabitants. So much good will filled the land that when men appeared on the scene they found themselves welcomed to share in its bounty.
However, over the years the number of men increased, and the numbers of fair folk decreased. Without the presence of fairies and nymphs, the country’s trees bearing special fruits of delight became replaced by orchards. The meadows of wild grain gave way to farmers’ fields. But still, rain fell sufficiently enabling the hardy people that remained to make a prosperous living farming the land’s rich soil.
Time passed until the fair folk seldom entered Uclalia. The people that now inhabited the land no longer remembered the magical creatures that had once frequented their region. Only most senior of citizens recalled the stories of fairies and the like handed down from generation to generation.
Along with the legends of the fair people many an old granny warned of the darker creatures that also had once frequented the land. Goblins, trolls, dragons, giants–although not as numerous as fairies and nymphs had also visited–but were held at bay by the forces of good. Younger people dismissed these as myths best told at bedtime. Almost no one took the stories as truth.
The time came when an extraordinary cold summer destroyed all the country’s fruit trees. The following year locusts swept in from the east devouring everything growing in the farmer’s fields. Afterward, three years of drought devoured what the locusts had left behind. The people of Uclalia turned to its northern forests for their needs.
While they grew what they could on their farms, they hunted for and gathered the rest. At first, they found the forests provided ample provision. But when the drought lasted, the bounty of the forest became depleted. Gatherers had to venture deeper into the woods to find their needs.
One day, Min, a young, dark-haired girl with ivory skin in her twelfth year set out with her neighbor’s son, Nik, a tall, thin youth of the same age, to gather foodstuffs to replenish their families’ depleted supplies. Entering the forest, they managed to find a few berries, mushrooms, and nuts, but not enough to last for long.
Wiping his brow, Nik, turned to his friend. “This will not do. Tomorrow we must return to these woods and press as far as need takes us until we find something more substantial.”
Min agreed. “Yes, perhaps we can find some birch trees from which we can gather bark. My mother can dry it and grind it into flour to augment the meager supply of wheat from this summer’s scant crop.”
Her companion nodded. “If not birch, pine will do, but we’ll have to go far. The trees nearest us have been overharvested and are mostly dying. I hope you are not afraid to venture deep into unknown territory. After all, there have been strange rumors coming out of the woods.”
The stalwart girl raised her head. “Ah, those are just stories. I’m not worried if you’re not. We’ll keep together and be fine.”
And so, the following day the two children fitted Molly, Min’s family’s pony, with several coarse cloth bags to carry back their harvest. They entered the skeletal fringe of the forest and continued north. At this location, overharvested trees stood bare. The longer the drought lasted even saplings nearest the settled had become became stripped of their bark.
As the children passed by a dying pine Nik shook his head violently. “I hope we find something good up ahead. The pine bread my mother baked yesterday tasted nasty.”
Min agreed. “Maybe we’ll find birch. If one has fallen recently and the bark is still good we can harvest it without harming living trees.”
“Let’s hope so,” her companion replied. That’s why we are going so far. Just look at what we’re passing through. Dead trees everywhere. People cut out the bark as high as they can reach, leaving the tree to die. What a waste. I hope we don’t have to do that.”
Not until late in the day did they begin finding live trees to their liking. As the daylight faded they pressed on hoping that in the thick of the forest they would find trees recently fallen.
Late on the second day of their journey, they discovered mushrooms and edible pine cones. Min filled a sack of each of these. “My mother will be glad for this.”
“Sure.” Nik nodded. “But we have hardly reached what Molly can carry. We’ve come this far. Let’s go further. Perhaps we’ll find the prize–a freshly fallen birch or something like that. We can always return this way and pick up more of this stuff.”
Min agreed and as they continued on, Molly pitched her ears forward. A faint cry in the wind reached their ears. As they approached the source of the sound they made out words. Min stopped and grabbed Nik’s arm. “It sounds like someone is calling for help.”
The boy nodded and plunged ahead. In a stand of birch trees, they discovered a cage formed from branches and twigs. Inside a diminutive human-like form struggled to get out. “Well, I think we’ve found what we’re looking for,” Min said.
Nik wiped his forehead. “Yeah, I’m sure in this stand we’ll be able to gather enough bark to make it worth our while. If we don’t find a fallen log, we can cut and strip lower limbs without permanently damaging the trees.”
Min rolled her eyes. “Silly. I was talking about what or who was making those cries. It looks like a person in a cage. But he or she can’t be more than a foot tall. Do you know what I think?”
Nik stared at her. “What do you think?”
The girl hesitated before continuing. “I think we have found a fairy.”
Nik shook his head. “You don’t believe the myths, do you? If that is a fairy why can’t she break out of that cage which appears to be quite fragile, and fairies have magic, don’t they?”
Min laughed. “I see you assume that a fairy is a ‘she.’ As to why this, if it is one, can’t escape we’ll have to ask.” And with this, she stepped forward to the cage.
The figure in the enclosure interrupted their conversation. “Hello. People. You’re talking about me as if I can’t hear you. Yes, I am a fairy and yes, the cage is not strong, but it is made out of lemonwood and we fairies are weakened by lemons.”
“Wait.” Nik called after Min who reached out to the cage. “You don’t know if this might be some sort of trap.”
But they found no such contraption, only the fairy inside. Nik easily broke open the cage and freed her. “My name is Spindle,” she told them. “And I thank you for your kindness in releasing me. But I must warn you to be careful in this forest. Not everyone you meet will think kindly of you being here. Some of my kind have banded up with others who inhabit these woods to plot mischief against you humans to the south. Their accomplices put me in that cage.”
Min leaned forward. “Why did they do that?”
“Because I would not go along with their scheme.” Spindle frowned.
“But still, leaving you in that cage was cruel,” Nik said.
“These are cruel creatures my friends have joined up with,” replied the fairy. “It would be best if you get what you are looking for and leave these woods as quickly as possible for your own safety. They put me in a cage. Who knows what they would do with you?” Spindle frowned. “There are trolls among them.”
Min shivered at the mention of the evil creatures. Nik tried to put up a brave front. “Well,” he said, “they might find us not so easy to take.”
Spindle shook her head. “Don’t dismiss what you know nothing about. Be careful, I say. I’ll stay with you as long as you are in this grove because it is my domain. But when you leave here, you are on your own.”
The rest of that afternoon, the children went about their business gathering all the treasures they could find in the stand of birches. When they found a newly fallen tree they went about stripping its bark and scraping the inner layer from the outer. Soon they had quite a pile. When added to the scrapings from the outer layer of limbs they cut from living trees they had enough to fill all the bags that Molly could carry.
Spindle hovered over the children while they completed their preparations for returning home. Nik smiled at the fairy. “You know,” he said, “you could just wave your wand and magically transfer us home.”
Spindle frowned at the boy. “I don’t do magic.”
Min cocked her head. “I thought all fairies did magic. What about when you make flowers bloom, or sprinkle your fairy dust?”
Spindle frowned, “What you call magic is not magic at all. It’s only doing the wishes of the Creator with the strength and abilities he gives to us. Magic is what the goblins do–casting spells and such attempting to manipulate the forces of nature into doing their own will. No, I don’t do that kind of magic.”
Nik replied, “I didn’t know there was a difference. Besides, I was only kidding.”
“Kidding or not,” said the Fairy, “that’s the difference between those that are loyal to the Creator and His Servant the king of the fairies, and those who are not. It’s those who are not loyal that I’ve warned you about. Take care.” This said, she flitted away.