The Fairy Box

There was once upon a time a young fairy of fiery red hair and dark eyes called Breena. Breena lived in a fairy glen on an island in the ocean with many other fairies. It was a beautiful green place, with lots of wild flowers, puddles of water to splash around in and lovely butterflies and dragonflies to play with.
But, even though Breena loved her wonderful home and the other fairies she lived with, she was also very curious about the world around her. The fairy glen where she and the other fairies dwelt was in a deep dense green forest with mounds of moss surrounding humongous evergreens and small bushy shrubs. There were a great lot of berries and flowers, all different kinds, and many furry critters that made great friends to the fairies. The wonders of nature were all around her, but the thing that most aroused Breena’s curiosity was the single little cottage that stood near the big water, not very far at all from her home.
Normally the cabin stood lonely and still and all the fairies found it a great place to explore. But occasionally, usually when the summer was the warmest, and then again when the fairies were homebound due to the chill of the winter, the cabin would light up and all kinds of interesting noise would echo down to the fairies home. The smell of fire and food was all around and it was during one of these times many, many years ago that the fairies first encountered children. The first children were two, one boy of seven and one girl of five. All fairies, except maybe the bad ones, love children. And children love fairies. Children hardly ever tell their parents about fairies because adult human beings do not ever believe them anyway (those children who have mentioned their fairy friends have found that parents will just laugh and tell them not to be silly). This is the way that it has always been, with children full of curiosity and belief, and adults with little or no belief in the magic of fairies, Breena noticed (and always means a long time for a fairy because they can live to be a thousand).
Now for Breena and most of the others, the times when the children were at the cabin were the best times of all. And though they lost count of how many children they had befriended through so many years, they never forgot the names of any. Breena and the other fairies loved to play hide and seek the most. It was easy for the fairies to sneak up and surprise the children, which would cause fits of laughter all around. It was also much fun when the children would bring their small toys for the fairies to see. The little boats they would set upon the pond water were a favorite of Breena’s. Nothing is as much fun for children as giving a fairy a ride in their toy boat and, oh, what fun it was for the fairies as well (good thing fairies are good swimmers because of course there were a few upturnings). The other toys were fun too. In fact, the clothes that Breena wore now actually belonged to Anna’s doll, but Anna had given them to Breena to keep. It was a lovely dress of red (a fairies favorite color) but was a little dirty now because that was way back in the summer. Anna was the girl child of seven years that came to the cottage now, and Janee was the other child of four. Breena was happy that she would have a few more years with these children, before they too grew up and were taken away from her and the other fairies, to do the things adults do.
Now that it was growing cool, and the time for making warm nests under the moss was upon the fairies, it meant that the cabin would, likely as not, light up again soon. Breena would continue her ritual of checking three times a day by climbing up on top of the moss heap and onto a branch, and then up and up the tree again, so she could see the cabin. When the lights were on, it meant the children would be here! It did happen on occasion that no one would come, or that someone would come a different time of year, like in the spring (which is most dangerous to fairies because though they can leave their nests of moss, they do not yet have the protection of the leaves of the trees to hide them). And only a few times in Breena’s life, only the adults human would come and no children. These years, though few and far between, marked a very sad time for the fairies.
Along with her friends, Breena to hall moss and bird feathers from the forest floor to the den underneath a large pine tree that would make their winter home. They were careful to make their winter home always near the water, where the streams divided, because of course that is where those who know about fairies would look. Other groups of the fairies gathered food, or what was left of it, which was not much as frost was now turning all the green plants brown with cold. The fairies were now sleeping in the den and not on the soft petal of a flower as they do in warmer weather, but it was still warm enough during the day that they could stay outdoors as much as they wanted. Very soon though, natural instinct told Breena, that they would all need to head into their nests and stay there except for the odd bit of exercise, or they could freeze (it is lucky that fairies live where winter is mild or they could not exist at all).
Sure enough, the morning after the fairies finished their gathering of bits of this and that, snow did come. Only a wee bit, but that is enough to do damage to the delicate wings of a fairy. Breena and her friends stayed warm and safe in the shelter, only leaving for a few brief moments of exercise each day. For Breena, her exercise consisted of climbing up the tree to the point where she could see the cabin, and then back down to the coziness of her home. It seemed to Breena that this year, it was taking a longer time for anyone to come to the cabin. When Breena voiced her concern to Orin, her friend, he admitted in dread his thought that maybe this was one of those years. One of those years when no one would come. Soon many of the fairies were crying, and those who tried to be strong about it, paced the small shelter. It was Tana, the queen of the fairy glen that finally broke the depression amongst them all by reminding them that Anna and Janee were still so young, surely they would come. It was usually when the children got older that they stayed away. She then encouraged Breena to have one more look before they retired for the night. So up the tree she went again, in hopes that this time she would see the faint glow that would come from the lights of the cottage.
Now the forest is a very dark place at night. Only the fireflies give off a bit of glow, but they were not even out at this time of year. The moon and the stars were there of course, but Breena couldn’t see much of them until she was high in the branches of the great pine. So, it isn’t surprising that Breena noticed at once that there was an unusual glow about the forest and that indeed, oh indeed; someone must be at the cottage. Breena was giddy now as she hurried up and up further so that yes, she could now see for sure that someone was at the cottage! Not only someone, but she could hear laughter that could only be coming from the children. But something was a little different- it was the lights. It appeared as though instead of the one shining bright light that usually marked the arrival of the humans, this time there were many lights of all colors of the rainbow! So excited was she that she jumped with joy, almost loosing her footing on the needles of the branch where she stood. Breena made a note to be more careful, and quickly as safely possible, she climbed down to tell the others the great news. Not only that the children were here, but also about the wonderful lights.

Well, as I mentioned earlier, Breena was a very curious little fairy and she just couldn’t stop thinking about those lights, and what they could be. Of course, as always, she was excited to see the children, who she knew would come searching for them in the morning. She could hear the sound of their feet treading lightly on the snow so they wouldn’t hurt the winter shelter. But the lights were something brand new and oh, how she wanted a closer look.
So, it was after the other fairies laughter and joy died down, and they were all sound to sleep in the warm moss, bird feathers and dead leaves that made their beds, that Breena quietly tipped toed out. She didn’t tell the others because she knew that they would not allow her to go without a huge fuss. And Tana would forbid it at all costs. ‘It’s unsafe, you must be careful, it’s too cold!!’ She could hear their advice and warnings now as she climbed for the third time today up the tree. She wouldn’t go all the way to the house today, but just far enough to get a little closer look. The lights were still on, she could see from afar.
Breena hopped from branch to branch, much like a squirrel does, to get closer to the cottage. She was getting cold, but the night wasn’t as bad as many winter nights are, so she decided to go one tree further. She could see now that the lights were many small lights that surrounded the roof of the house. Finally, Breena knew she must stop and head back now, or she would risk getting herself too cold. So after one more look of wonder at the red, blue, green and yellow lights, she turned to go. It was then that she heard the children laugh, and when she turned to see what they were doing out in the dark, snowy night, Breena lost her footing and fell. Down, through the trees, snagging her wing on a branch as she went. Finally she landed, and was surprised to feel soft moss underneath her, and the soft snow surrounding her. Soft, but cold it was, and though she tried to flutter her wings in hopes of getting up, she knew they would do her no good. One was snagged, and it hurt, and even if it wasn’t, her body was just too cold.
The next morning was one of mixed emotions in the fairies nest. They awoke with excitement and arranged a plan to attract the children to where the nest was. They would take turns waiting by the fork in the creek until the children saw them because of course, no one fairy could be out in the chilly air for very long. The children, by now, knew to wear extra socks and mittens on their winter trips to see the fairies. It was in these extra garments that the fairies would stay to keep warm when visiting with the children. Sometimes they left a sock or a mitten behind, and in fact there was one from last year that helped make their current winter nest (for you parents out there, this is why children loose so many socks and mittens). It was not until Liliana, Breena’s closest friend suggested that Breena be the first to go out and watch for the children, that they all noticed that Breena was no where to be found. The mood in the nest changed instantly because fairies are sensitive creatures and care very much for each other, and they knew they could not be happy without Breena. Liliana was scared most of all, because she knew that Breena had a hard time fighting her curious nature, and that she could be anywhere right now.
So, Liliana instantly notified Tana who then gathered the others and it was decided that they would yell for help to the children. Though they could take the chance and go searching themselves, they all knew that the children would have more chance of finding Breena, as they could cover the forest more quickly and did not risk freezing to death. So yell they did. They shouted chants to the children of ‘Help, help, We need you, Help!’ They knew indeed that it mattered not at all what they said, for when fairies are trying to get the attention of a child, that child will feel a shiver through his or her body. Have you ever had shiver run up your spine, or turned to see who was behind you, only to find no one there? Well, maybe it was a fairy trying to get your attention. The children did sense that something wasn’t quite right and eventually they did run into the forest, where Liliana and two friends were waving and jumping frantically on the branches of the great tree.
This was not the usual response the children received upon their reunion with the fairies and it made them instantly aware that something was wrong. It didn’t take long for the fairies to explain the situation and it was decided that Liliana would go with Anna, and Orin with Janee. Tana and the other fairies would try with all their might to reach Breena (fairies can talk to each other even where they are far away from one another).
It seemed that the children searched the forest for a very long time. And though Liliana and Orin were safe and warm in the mittens of the children they accompanied, their minds were cold with the knowledge that Breena could not survive outside for so long. And it was just as Anna was thinking that her Mother and Father would soon be yelling for the girls to go into supper that she noticed that there was a tree ahead of her that looked very odd indeed. For though the day was calm as it could it be, this tree was waving about as if a hurricane was upon it. Quickly she called Liliana to attention, and after calling to Janee and Orin, the four raced forward.
Once they neared the tree, it did not take long at all for Liliana to spot Breena lying still as the winter just below the branch tip of the frantic tree, who had know stopped all movement. She was easy to see because the snow directly around her had melted with her body heat upon it. It was painfully clear however, that any heat that she had given off was now gone. She was white as the snow, and Anna saw when she stooped to carefully pick up the fallen fairy that she seemed to barely be there. It was as if her body was filled with air (for fairies do not die as people do, but fade away instead). Children and fairies together knew at once that they must get Breena into warmth. So with a quick hug to the tree for being so helpful (did you know that trees have personalities? Some are very grumpy but most are kind and gentle), they left.
Once they arrived back at the fairies den, Tana and the rest immediately did all they could to warm Breena, and also tended to the injuries on her wing. The children of course had to return home (where there parents wondered why children on holidays were so sad all of the time) but returned as often possible to check on Breena’s condition. And each time they visited, they came across the same Breena, not gone, but not really there either. She slept, only to awake for a quick bit of food, and then was back to sleep again. The children brought all kinds of mittens, socks, even small blankets for the fairies, but it seemed that Breena, though holding on, just couldn’t get back to her energetic, curious little self.
Well, it was just two nights before the children were to leave the forest again, that Anna came up with an idea to help Breena. It was a chilly night this one, and the fire in the room that she shared with her sister was lit and burning, yet the chill in the air would not go away. Anna was desperately worried for Breena with the temperature dropping, and stayed up long after her Janee had crawled into her bed. The girl’s room at the cottage contained one small child’s bed, and a large double bed, which Anna had claimed, being the oldest and all. Eventually, once her parents had gone to bed as well, Anna climbed into her large bed. Shivers crawled through her body as her legs and arms touched the cool sheets, and she was again reminded of the day they found Breena in the snow. Why, it was chilly enough in this bed that she thought she felt like Breena had, lying there in the cold. Usually chilly sheets will warm quickly once a warm body has touched them, but tonight, it seemed, they just were not and so Anna soon got up and joined her sister in her warm little bed.
Through the night, which was quite cozy with the two girls nestled in the small bed, Anna dreamed of Breena, alive and full of life, flying through the trees as she did the previous summer. And in the morning, she awoke and knew that Breena needed just what she had needed last night. A small cozy, sheltered spot. Of course the den, to Anna’s standards was very small and sheltered, but to a fairy, it could feel like the big bed did last night, open and airy. Though Anna wished she could bring the warmth of the fire to Breena, she knew that fire could be awfully dangerous. So, it was a small jewelry box that Anna had brought along to the cottage that she brought to her sick friend. First she searched for any doll bedding she might have brought along and then found some scraps of fabric from Mothers quilting box. She cut and pasted and sewed until she had made a cozy little bedroom in the little box. They fit it into the den, and carefully helped Breena into it, where she instantly fell asleep. The fairies took turns staying with Breena although Liliana was there almost always. It was warmer in the box, with no outside air to get in, and after two days of peaceful sleep, Breena did wake with a splurge of energy. It was everything that Tana and the others could do to contain Breena with in the den. She badly wanted to get out and thank the children, but alas, she realized that it was this kind of carelessness that got her into this mess in the first place.
When Anna and Janee came to check on the fairies later that day, they were overwhelmed with joy to find Breena back to normal and the other fairies so happy as well! They felt they had just had their best holiday ever, and over the last couple of days of their stay, persuaded their father to help them to build a couple more boxes. Their father, not really sure what the little girls were wanting boxes for, thought they were building doll homes, but of course they were for the fairies- just in case they should ever need them. And now you too have been entrusted with a fairy box. Keep it safe for it yours to keep forever, unless of course, you ever come upon a fairy that may need it!