The Fairy Garden
View(s):Once, in a kingdom faraway, there was a little fairy who had the loveliest garden in all the land. Lofty trees waved their boughs and whispered to each other in the wind, flowers turned their faces to the sunshine and laughed, fountains bubbled and tinkled and rose creepers wound their way around fences and over walls. There was something so magical and beautiful about this garden that people came from near and far to see it, and the King of the land, who once visited in his golden chariot, claimed that it was even more enchanting than the royal gardens at the palace. All praised the little fairy and her garden, until she became quite conceited about it.
“I do it all by myself,” she sang, after the King had departed, dancing among her daffodils. “I’m the greatest gardener ever!”
“All by yourself?” said the Sun in surprise. “Have you forgotten me, the mighty Sun? It is I who shine down on your garden and give it life, who makes your leaves green and your grass grow. I too help your garden become beautiful.”
“And what about me?” asked the Wind as it blew past. “It is I who whisper to your trees the secrets of growing tall and strong. I make the flowers dance and keep the garden cool. I too help your garden become beautiful.”
“And what about me?” said the Rain. “It is I who sends down water when your plants are thirsty, and I who fill your fountains and streams. Without me, your garden will be dry and barren, and your flowers will fade and your great trees will droop. I too help your garden become beautiful.”
“Pooh,” said the proud little fairy. “This is my garden! I don’t need your silly help. My plants and trees flourish because of me. I do it all by myself.” The Sun, the Rain and the Wind were very angry. “Very well then,” they said. “We shall not help you anymore Fairy.”
“Well, go away then,” said the fairy rudely, and she skipped off. Time passed. The garden began to change. The Sun no longer shone on the green grass. The Wind stopped whispering and rustling through the branches of the trees. The Rain took away her clouds and no longer fell down to feed the hungry plants. The fairy was worried. She weeded and watered and dug and planted, but it was no use.
The people of the kingdom too began to notice the change. “Little Fairy’s garden doesn’t look the same,” they said to each other. “Little Fairy’s garden is fading.” And they soon stopped coming. “Why don’t you dance?” the fairy begged the flowers. “Why don’t you laugh?” she asked the fountains.
But it was no use. The flowers drooped. The streams dried up. The grass became coarse and brown.
Then one day, when the last rose bush gave a little sigh and died, the awful realization of what she had done came upon the little fairy. It was because of her vanity, her silly pride that everything was ruined. She sat down in the middle of her fading garden and wept.
“Dear Sun!” she cried. “Dear Wind! Dear Rain! Please forgive me!
I have been vain and proud. My garden cannot live without you. It is ruined. Please punish me, if you wish, but don’t punish my garden! Bring it back to life, and I will be so, so grateful!”
The little fairy felt a warm
sun-beam fall across her and looked up.
“There is no need to punish you anymore, Little Fairy,” said the kind-hearted Sun. “You have brought about your own punishment. I shall shine on your garden once more.”
And he filled the garden with his warm rays.
“I forgive you,” sighed the Wind.
“Watch your flowers dance again.”
And she filled the garden with her cool breezes.
“Don’t cry Little Fairy,” said the Rain.
“I will feed your thirsty plants and fill up your streams again.”
And at once, the fairy felt cool kisses of rain drops fall on her skin.
The little fairy dried her eyes and got to her feet. She looked around at her little garden. “Thank you,” she said, humbly.
“I did not realize how much you did for my garden. I shall tell everyone how it is you, Sun, Rain, and Wind, who really help it look beautiful.”
“And you, Little Fairy,” said the Sun. “We cannot dig and weed and plant like you. It is together that we manage to bring such a lovely garden to life.”
“I’ll remember that,” said the fairy.
And so, the fairy garden burst into bloom once more. The flowers raised their heads again, the fountains laughed and bubbled, the grass grew greener than ever, and everyone said that it looked more beautiful than it had ever been. As for the little fairy, she is still there to this day, tending to her precious garden with the help of her friends, the Sun, the Wind and the Rain.
R.R.