Moonchild, A Fairy's Tale

A short story that may appeal to children and adults alike.

Moonchild, A Fairy’s Tale

 

When the little girl neared, Princess Moonchild muted her fairy illumination and cowered beneath a large bold daisy. The inquisitive girl stopped, bent over and peered closely at the diminutive fairy.   

With a finger to her cheek, the singular child asked, “Beautiful tiny lady, who are you? With your glow and glassy wings, you look like an angel?”

The child’s breath disturbed the daisy Moonchild silently crouched behind. The fairy pulled the flower down lower and widened her blue-silver eyes to gaze up through the daisy’s silken white petals. From her stooped vantage point, the bedazzling sun beamed between the petals and haloed the child’s head. Moonchild squinted, dipped her head, and took a step back.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” whispered the child, backing away. “Don’t be afraid little lady angel. I’ve seen you other days, but you always fly away. Can’t I please be your friend?”

Moonchild had grown accustomed to her invisibility to human eyes over the generations of children at the farmhouse, but she couldn’t recollect any legends of a child talking to a fairy. Speechless, she thought of flittering away as always but the little girl’s presence impetuously drew her closer again. The flower sprang from her grasp.

“Whew!” said the surprised girl, flinching back. “There, now I can see all of you. You are such a handsome little lady and your gauzy gown�"how grand! What is your name?”

Moonchild glanced about; she stood up and gripped the stem of the daisy to steady herself. “Ssh,” she shushed with a finger to the lips. “I’m not an angel,” she said in her soft tinkling voice. “I am the Fairy Princess Moonchild, and this is my fairy realm.” She waved toward the tame wilds behind the farmhouse.

“A fairy, how special!” The girl quickly put a finger to her lips as she considered her voice, but then bent close again and whispered. “Moonchild, a pretty name for a very pretty fairy, but Princess Moonchild�"this is my backyard.”

Moonchild stepped forward and gazed across the yard. She mimicked the child with a finger to her cheek in thought, crossed her legs confidently, and beamed brightly. “Then, little girl, we have something in common.” She smiled and pointed up to the child, “You have my name, but I must have your calling name, my new friend.”

“Of course, my name is Eleanor.”

“You have a pretty name as well, Eleanor�"named after the sun’s spirited rays. Did you know that?” Moonchild asked.

“No, I wasn’t” Eleanor said with a little pout. “I was named after my grandma.”    

The two soon became inseparable as only a human girl and fairy could be�"forever friends they would vow. They played together when other people weren’t around because they knew adults couldn’t see Moonchild, and they surely wouldn’t understand. Moonchild showed Eleanor her moondial, her favorite place in the lawn ringed by spring beauties.

“Oh, this is a moondial? I’ve seen the pretty stones lying in the circle and moved them around,” said Eleanor picking one up. “I have a couple in my bedroom.”

“I know. I put them back here where they are supposed to be�"several times,” Moonchild said sternly with hands on her hips; then she broke into a smile. “Here, see how it works.” She showed Eleanor how the circlestones moved according to the movements of the moon, planets, and the season’s change.

On especially sunshiny days, Eleanor and Moonchild waded in the small brook way in the back where a small willow tree laced its branches in the gentle currents of wind and water. Moonchild soaked the hem of her milk white gown while Eleanor simply wiggled her toes in the cool water and giggled at Moonchild’s stories. Moonchild taught Eleanor much about fairies and fairy realms, and Eleanor could envision everything Moonchild showed her.

 One day, little red, rough-skinned creatures that chattered and snickered capered into the backyard fairy realm. Eleanor ran to Moonchild with wide frightened eyes.

“Moonchild! Moonchild! Some little scaly monsters are in the yard. They are going in the house�"they’ll hurt my family!”

“Monsters? What did they look like?” Moonchild flitter-hovered and touched Eleanor’s arm, trying to calm her. After Eleanor explained the monsters’ appearance, Moonchild reassured Eleanor. “Pixies, my dear friend. Oh, they’ll cause trouble for sure, but they’re not very dangerous as you’ll see�"let’s go!” Moonchild sped away toward the farmhouse’s back porch with Eleanor running behind. Carefully avoiding Eleanor’s family, they foiled but foiled irPixie plotsattempt to hide one ofthe father’s tools under his workbench, misplace mother’s knitting needles behind the grandfather clock in the parlor, and even conceal Eleanor’s doll in of all unlikely places, behind the bathtub. ;

“We fixed those noisy Pixies!” Moonchild laughed. “But now they must go.”

Fairies and Pixies naturally don’t get along, and soon ran sEleanor laughed while brave fluttering Moonchild chased the bouncing, chattering Pixies away to bother other human households.  

On another day, grimy gnome patriarch Gus waddled up while Moonchild and Eleanor sat on the steps of the birdbath fountain. Gnomes, those laborious, industrious creatures distressed Moonchild with their endless work ethic, and they never played�"how absurd! Vigorous workers above and below ground, the Gnome family held residence nearby in an abandoned woodchuck hole in the brushy hillside hedge line. Gus’s gruff voice startled Eleanor even though she was fully watchful of his shuffling approach. Moonchild advised Eleanor to sit quietly.

Neither socially adept nor astute in etiquette, Gus pointed at Eleanor and said straight up, “Moonchild, you know I don’t trust them big people.”

“Gus, she is my friend, Eleanor. You can trust her.”

Eleanor was about to burst with excitement to see the little white-bearded, red-pointy hatted, blue-shorted gnome and couldn’t help herself, “Very happy to meet you master gnome, sir,” Eleanor said in her most perfect polite voice. She reached down with her relatively huge fingers to shake the tiny gnome’s hand. Gus kept his composure but stepped back away from the hand. He gritted his teeth, then stepped forward to reach out to grip Eleanor’s index finger.

“Friend of Moonchild�"friend of mine,” he said in his characteristic gruff voice.

Gradually, Gus grew bold and proud to tell the fairy and child about all the work he had done�"not letting them get a word in edgewise. Gus told them how he had mended a bird’s injured wing while his wife sat on the bird’s eggs to keep them warm. He said he had gathered seeds and berries for his winter storeroom and planted twenty-two new mushrooms. Gus went on about digging holes, hauling heavy loads, climbing plants for food-seeds, helping small animals, going on and on until Moonchild finally sighed.

 “Master Gnome you must still have so much more work yet to do.”

Without hardly another word, he agreed and said, “thank you Moonchild for the minder” He turned to Eleanor. “Nice to meet you big person-child, and a howdy-do.” Moonchild and Eleanor exchanged silent knowing smiles as they waved goodbye to Gus. He strode away singing an “I got to get back to work” ditty.

Moonchild glowed so incandescently one day Eleanor stepped back and shielded her eyes, “Moonchild�"you’re so shiny and bright today�"my eyes hurt to look at you.”

“Oh, I’m so happy. I, we have a visitor coming. Just you wait!”

Later on as they waded, Moonchild suddenly launched out of the brook spraying water all over Eleanor.

“Hey! You got me wet. Where are you going?” said Eleanor following Moonchild’s flight path. She instantly saw another lady fairy greeting Moonchild with an embrace above the moondial. Eleanor stood up out of the water when the two lady fairies approached.

“Eleanor, as promised�"a visitor. This is Queen Fairemaidenchild.”

Fairemaidenchild had long flowing silvern hair streaked with flaxen, stood the same size as Moonchild and wore a similar gown in creamy yellow. Her glow was pinkish compared to Moonchild’s chartreuse.      

Eleanor froze and turned to Moonchild, then back to the Fairy Queen. She held out a hand, and then she withdrew it to do half a curtsy. “Oh, ah, q-queen? Moonchild you should have warned me. Queen Fairemaidenchild, how very nice to meet you.” Eleanor performed a perfect curtsy by pulling her skirt out on both sides with her fingertips, ankles crossed, and flexing down at the knees. 

“Oh, you are a perfect human child like Moonchild told me,” Fairemaidenchild said. “But stand up my dear, Moonchild should have warned you not to show respect like humans do�"in the fairy realm we have no need for such proper civility.” She beamed a friendly smile and hovered toward Eleanor extending a hand. Eleanor delicately held her finger out and touched the fairy’s hand. For a split-second, Fairemaidenchild dimmed, lost her smile, and flashed an expression to Moonchild. Eleanor didn’t see, and Moonchild didn’t understand. “So most pleasant to make your acquaintance, Eleanor,” said Fairemaidenchild. “Moonchild told me much about you and your ability to see us and our realm; your facility is very rare, though not wholly unheard of.”

“Yes, ma’am, Moonchild told me so,” said Eleanor. “And she and I are forever friends.”

“Indeed you are! A most splendid relationship for you both. You must nurture your friendship for the betterment of you both. Come let us sit in the shade awhile, and we’ll talk.”

The three talked for sometime until Eleanor had to leave for her daily farm chores; she excused herself and started up to run off, but Fairemaidenchild stopped her.

“Just one more moment child. It has been a pleasure to meet you, but I must be leaving soon after a short serious discussion with Moonchild. So, I’ll say good bye. Please enjoy your friendship to the fullest for time bears dire consequences for both human and fairy. Good bye, Sunchild Eleanor.”

Eleanor gazed quizzically at the two fairies, not knowing how to take the solemn tone, but nonetheless she beamed a smile, “Good bye Queen Fairemaidenchild. Until next time, which I hope is soon!” When Eleanor trotted away, the two fairies lost their glows as they looked at each other.          

 NOT TOO LONG AFTER     Fairy princesses are evermore; little girls are not. Most little girls grow up quicklytoo  into women, but on an over-downcast day, Moonchild’s friend Eleanor became sick and went away. Moonchild searched for Eleanor and expected her to come out to play any day now, but she didn’t see her again. Moonchild’s illumination fell faint without her forever friend. Soon afterward Fairemaidenchild visited Moonchild to lend advice.

 “A fairy’s forever friendship is the most astonishing affair. It gives energy to many possible alternatives we cannot control, and there is always the grand manipulative power greater than any earthbound entity. I’ve studied the archives; if your friendship was truly forever and your heart is true to the matter, a virtuous outcome will spring.”

Moonchild nodded knowing some of this, “But what will the good results bring me? Eleanor back?”

Fairemaidenchild shook her head slowly, “we can never be sure, but my crystal fount mentioned an appeal to Dawn’s Sunchild that comes from the east with the rising sun. I know no more. Be strong my daughter, for your situation will grow worse in the near future.”

            Moonchild’s fairy illumination had always sprung from the generations of children’s joy and vigor as they frolicked behind the farmhouse�"her realm, but she had been luminous around Eleanor. Time had indeed held a consequence that even the fairies weren’t prepared for though almost enough time passed to allow the fairy princess to mend a broken heart. There were always children to watchgrand white  at the farmhouse even though they weren’t forever friends, but later on adding grief to heartache, all the children grew up and as grownups they no longer came out to play.  

 

Sitting along the eaves of the old farmhouse now with faded peeling paint, Moonchild sighed and whispered up to the moon, stars, and planets pleading for the promised arrival of Dawn’s Sunchild. Crystal tears dropped�"ticking down the pitch of the old gray shingles. She flipped her wings that no longer glimmered or levitated her as distant and lofty. Moonchild’s fairy realm fell into disarray; the fountain grew algae and weeds grew in her moondial; but she didn’t seem to care.

People came to the house and wandered about. Moonchild was fascinated and enthralled to see any people, and she shadowed them knowing she was invisible to them, but they all came and went in short order. Over time, one woman returned now and then with different people; this Guide Woman would lead the people around. She’d talk about the family now gone, and the house’s Victorian features like the tower spire, stained glass windows, circular porch, and huge ornate staircase. Moonchild didn’t understand such words, but the people showed interest in these crafted features. They always shook their heads and said something about repairs and updates. Invariably if there was a man, he would go into the damp cellar peering about with a handheld light to see the noisy mechanical contrivances that resided below; those things made Moonchild shudder.

One day, a bright sun-filled day, a child came with a man and woman led by the Guide Woman. Moonchild was captivated anytime a child visited the big empty house, but this child was singular in innocence and charisma. As usual, Moonchild followed the group from echoic room to the next, flitting from corner to corner, hovering behind an abandoned cobweb, blending into bright sunbeams on a window sill, or diffusing her weak glow beneath a carved baluster as the visitors stepped up the creaky stairs. She was drawn to the girl-child and ventured closer and closer. The child glanced her way several times, but Moonchild paid no attention until the child tugged on the mother’s blouse and pointed.

“Look, a shiny butterfly!” The child said.

Shocked, Moonchild back-flittered away into a corner and calmed her brightening glow. Of course, the mother had seen nothing, but the child? Did she actually see her? It had been so long�".

The child slowly crept toward the corner where Moonchild hid and pointedly asked, “Who might you be little lady?”

Moonchild, terrified by the strange child addressing her, gained her potency and flew out full-speed�"beeline. Excited and frightened, Moonchild zoomed down the hall, banked around the stair landing, nose-dived down the circular stairs and out through her secret portal, but the child’s attention had reignited a spark and she stopped�"hovering, flittering back and forth slowly on the porch. She peeked into the window and looked upstairs�"she back-flittered again upon seeing the child’s face staring down from between the upstairs balusters. Moonchild took off slowly backwards, lackadaisically floating back to the fountain and sat�"and thought. She remembered her forever friend, wondering if another child could see into her fairy realm. Could it be? She had once, long ago thought Eleanor impossible.

Moonchild regained her flagging courage and strength. Cautiously, she sensed the location of the humans without revealing herself; they were slowly descending the stairs, talking and discussing the house. Moonchild flitted to a window and looked in. The child looked back and forth, through the stair’s balusters, down the stairs and to each window individually. When the child’s glance turned aside, Moonchild zoomed into the lower room and dove into a mouse’s hole beneath the stairs. She waited patiently as the humans descended; the stairs creaked above her.

“Go slow Sunny,” her Mommy said.

Moonchild heard the child speak, “Mommy, now I remember this room.”

Mommy laughed at Sunny. “You haven’t been near this house before, how can you remember? Maybe you saw a picture of a house like this in Daddy’s magazines.”

They rounded the bottom the stairs. From her hole, Moonchild saw Sunny run into the middle of the room, stop with finger to her cheek in thought, and then run to the far wall opposite the grand entrance. Moonchild perked with excitement and chills.

“See right here Mommy,” Sunny said, standing up on her toes and reaching up with her hands. “The grandpa clock was right here.”

 “Oh, come Sunny,” said Daddy. “You don’t know that.”

“But it was here,” Sunny said, making edges up and down with her hands. Moonchild gasped, peering out from the mouse’s hole.

“Oh my, I didn’t notice before,” said Guide Woman. “Look�"the paint is lightly faded in an outline right around your little girl. How could she notice that?”

Daddy walked over and gently rested his hand on Sunny’s shoulder. “You are mighty observant my little sunshine.”

“No, not observant, Daddy. I remember.”

“Really, it seems so,” Mommy said. “So what else do you remember?”

Sunny put the finger to her cheek, and said, “A friend in the backyard.” Now Moonchild remembered and was sure from long ago.

“Oh really? Who was your friend?”

“A fairy princess!” The three grown humans laughed and Daddy said,

“Of course, what was her name?”

“Ah, I can’t say, it’s a secret from grownups but, but there is a fountain and a moondial with pretty stones and a river and a seaweed tree and, and, and�" “

“A moondial?” Mommy said. “Let’s go see.” Moonchild saw the grownups look at one another, lift their eyebrows, and shoulders. As Sunny stepped away from the wall, she quickly bent down with her hands on the floor near the mouse hole and looked inside. Moonchild scrunched farther back into hole, attempting with difficulty to restrain her new brilliance. Mommy told Sunny to get off the dusty floor.

While the humans went out the back door, Moonchild’s brilliance peeked out of the hole, and she caught the little girl peering back at her. With so many emotions and huge expectations, Moonchild flew like the windblown bee back to her garden, flying close to the ground and circumnavigating the humans. Dandelions gone to seed released their fluff in her wake creating a summertime fluffstorm. The light wispy fluff floated across the weed-grown lawn as Sunny dragged Mommy and Daddy to the back yard. Moonchild skittered from vantage point to another, spying on the foursome going across the weedy lawn.

“See, see the fountain,” Sunny exclaimed. Moonchild smiled to herself, as Mommy told Sunny it was just a birdbath. Daddy looked in the algae-clogged top,

“Well, maybe a fountain too or at least was at one time.” Mommy looked at Daddy and said, “Neal, I’m a little concerned now.”

“Oh, come on, what harm�",” said Daddy/Neal with Sunny pressing them onward. “Here, here! Look, oh its weedy but look, the moondial!” Sunny pointed out.

“Yes, I guess it could be that,” Daddy said. “What else, Sunny?” Sunny skipped a little ahead and pointed, “See the tree, it’s bigger, so much bigger now, but the river and the tree has seaweed in it.”

Sunny ran over the glade to beneath the willow tree.

“Sunny, Sunny! Don’t get out of sight,” Mommy shouted. Sunny sat on a stone along the tiny brook that trickled along as the willow branches laced its branch tips into the water.

“Oh, sure,” Daddy/Neal said, “The brochure mentioned there was a spring-fed stream on the property and look Dawn, the willow does kind of looks like seaweed.”

Little Sunny sighed and grinned back at her parents, “Mommy, Daddy this is where the fairy princess plays in the water.”

“Where honey?” Mommy/Dawn said.

“Right here, in these shallows.” Sunny looked up and scrunched her face pleading, “Oh, I must live here, I belong here�"Mommy, Daddy can we?”

“Well,” Daddy/Neal said, “it’s a little high for what it is, and it needs a lot of work.”

“But Daddy, you can do the work.”

“Yes, I s’pose so,” Neal said. “Dawn, what do you think?”

“Well,” Mommy/Dawn gazed about. “I can imagine the old house with new paint, cleaned up, and it could be beautiful�"enchanting.”

Mommy/Dawn laid a hand on Daddy/Neal’s arm and nodded, smiling at Sunny. The Guide Woman had been standing away from the family, but overheard and stepped near.

“After the litigation, they decided to sell instead of keeping it in the family,” she said. “The owner’s children have their own families and all agreed to sell, but they have bittersweet memories of this place. They felt this place was special for a young family to love. You can make a reasonable offer and see what they think.”

 Moonchild jumped from a lower tree branch to a daisy closer to Sunny.

“Please, please Daddy, Mommy we must live here�"oh look, the fairy princess.” Imitating Moonchild, Sunny put a finger to her lips to shush herself and bent down close to the bright bold daisy.

Sunny’s parents were charmed but a little confused watching her whisper to the wiggling flower.

“I knew, oh I just knew you were here!” Sunny whispered.

Moonchild illuminated lustrous again. “I am so happy to have a big person friend again!”

 

Reviews

[wondering]

Cute story, thinking of writing some childrens books