“Have you ever seen one Grandmother?”
“Only once when I was a small girl, a snow fairy hurt her wing in a storm, and landed on my window sill. I could tell it was a fairy and not a snowflake because she sparkled like a star at midnight.”
“My friend the Blue Fairy would help them if they’re hurt.”
“Yes dear, but remember she must stay in her cave to guard the jewels that make rainbows. She doesn’t venture out often during the winter to make a rainbow.”
“Oh yes,” sighed Princess Brittney, “I forgot.”
“You will see her again in spring and until then you will be able to play in the snow. You should get ready for bed now, dear.”
“I will, Grandmother. Now I can’t wait for the snow.”
Princess Brittney went to sleep and dreamed of fairies.
* * * *
It was very dark when Princess Brittney woke from her dream. Sitting up in bed, she could see the snow against her window. Thinking she was still dreaming, she saw a tiny sparkle of light on her window sill.
“I wonder what that is?” thought Princess Brittney.
She climbed out of bed and walked to her window. She could still see the tiny flickering light and opened her window for a closer look. The north wind blew hard and snowflakes fluttered all around her room. Quickly shutting the window, she looked for the tiny light. It was gone.
Running from her room to her grandmother’s she said, “Grandmother, please wake up.”
“What is it dear?”
“I think I saw a snow fairy, but I opened my window and the snow flew in. Now, I can’t find the fairy.”
“Perhaps she saw you and flew away. They like to stay hidden.”
“No Grandmother, I saw her flicker when the snow blew in my window and then she was gone. There is snow all over my room.”
“Let’s see if we can find anything.”
“Thank you, Grandmother.”
“Be very careful where you step,” said Grandmother. “The fairies are very tiny.”
Princess Brittney and her grandmother stood in the doorway and looked into her dark bedroom. They hoped to see the fairy’s sparkle.
“I don’t see anything dear,” said grandmother.
“Look, there on my bed side table. A tiny little light, could it be?”
“Maybe Brittney, but still be careful where you step until we’re sure.”
Princess Brittney followed her grandmother into the bedroom. Princess Brittney’s eyes grew wide with excitement when she saw the tiny little light on her bed side table.
“Oh Grandmother, is it a fairy?”
“Yes dear, but I think she may have been hurt by the gust of wind.”
“Oh no, what can we do?”
Grandmother tried to comfort Princess Brittney.
“Fairies have their own healing magic, but need a quiet place to rest while they heal.”
“My room is a quiet place and I’ll be sure to keep my brother from bothering her. No one will know she’s here.”
“Let me speak to her and be sure she’s not frightened.”
Princess Brittney stood very still while her grandmother walked to the bed side table. In a very quiet voice she told the fairy who she was and she was safe here. Grandmother told Princess Brittney the fairy needed to rest and she should also go back to sleep. They would talk to the fairy in the morning.
* * * *
Princess Brittney woke early and saw the tiny fairy was still sleep. She ran to her grandmother’s bedroom.
“Grandmother,” she whispered, “Are you awake?”
“Yes, dear, how was your night?”
“I slept very well, thank you, and the little fairy is still sleep.”
“We should let her sleep and have breakfast. Maybe she will be awake after we eat.”
Princess Brittney hurried to her room and gathered her clothes. She returned to her grandmother’s room to be sure she didn’t wake the sleeping fairy. Once she was dressed she and her grandmother went to the dining hall for breakfast.
Her parents were elsewhere in the castle, but her brother, Prince Benjamin, was sitting at the long table.
“You slept late my sweet sister, were you dreaming of faraway lands again?”
“No, I dreamt of fairies.”
“The fairies are hiding from the snow, but if you would like we can go out and play in the snow today. It’s beautiful and there is enough for a snowman or a snow fort.”
“Let’s make a snowman; the last time we built a snow fort you hit me with a snowball. That wasn’t nice.”
“I promise not to throw snow balls at you if we build the fort.”
“Okay,” answered Princess Brittney, “maybe we can make both. It sounds like fun.”
Princess Brittney and Prince Benjamin went out to play in the snow. Grandmother promised to watch over the fairy while she played with her brother.
The children played in the snow until lunchtime. Shaking off the loose snow from their clothes they sat in the kitchen with their grandmother to eat lunch. The cook had made their favorite vegetable soup and biscuits with jam.
After lunch Prince Benjamin went back outside to play in his snow fort. Princess Brittney and her Grandmother went to her room to talk to the tiny fairy.
Princess Brittney could barely hear the tiny voice. The tiny fairy said her name was Lasli. She hurt her wing when the wind blew her against the window.
“How are you feeling now, Lasli?” asked Grandmother.
“I’m doing much better, thank you. I think I’ll be able to leave tomorrow morning. It was kind of you to give me a warm, safe place to heal.”
“You are very welcome, Lasli.”
“Hi Lasli,” Princess Brittney whispered, “Is there anything I can do for you now?”
“I’ll be fine, but you can promise to play in the snow all winter. We always find the best snowflakes for your castle.”
“My Grandmother told me how hard you work.”
“It’s a work of love. Your family is very kind and we all love you.”
“I love you, too and promise to play in the snow all winter.”
“That will be wonderful,” giggled Lasli.
Grandmother said, “We’ll let you rest and Princess Brittney will sleep in here again tonight to keep you company.”
“I’ll see you later,” said a sleepy Lasli as she closed her eyes.
She was still sleeping when Princess Brittney climbed into her bed for the night.
* * * *
It was the middle of the night and very dark when a bright light woke Princess Brittney. She saw her entire window was lit up by tiny lights. She hurried to her grandmother’s room.
“Grandmother, come quickly. I think all the fairies are outside my window.”
“Yes, those are fairies and they might be looking for Lasli. If we open the window, they might be hurt. I’ll open my window and talk to them. Wait here, dear.”
Grandmother opened her window and one fairy flew near enough to speak to her. They were very worried about Lasli and were using their magic to help her heal. Grandmother told the fairy that Lasli said she would be well enough to leave in the morning. The little fairy was very happy to hear that and flew back to the others.
When she returned to Princess Brittney’s room, she and Princess Brittney watched all the tiny lights glow brighter and twinkle. They saw Lasli grow brighter and twinkly, too.
“What are they doing, Grandmother?”
“I think they’re helping Lasli heal.”
“How wonderful, she’ll be better by morning.”
Suddenly all the lights grew dim and disappeared. The window was completely dark.
“Where did they go, Grandmother?”
“I do not know dear.”
They could hear a tiny whisper. It was Lasli.
She said,” I’m almost strong. They helped me and left. After a little sleep I’ll be able to leave.”
Grandmother helped Princess Bri
ttney get back into bed so everyone could sleep until morning.
* * * *
The sunshine woke Princess Brittney. She saw Lasli was waking, too. Grandmother came in to see how the two girls had slept.
“I slept wonderfully.”
“I did, too,” said Lasli. “I feel very well. I can go home now.”
Lasli fluttered to the window and thanked Princess Brittney and Grandmother for all their help.
Princess Brittney said she would miss Lasli.
Lasli told Princess Brittney, “When it’s snowing and very dark outside just look out your window. If you look very hard you will see the tiny sparkles in the snow as it falls. That will be me or one of my sisters. We are always close to snow. Your friends can see us, too if they look closely.”
“Do you have a brother like I do?”
“Yes, I have many, but they are busy picking the perfect snowflakes and we make sure they fall to the ground undamaged.”
Princess Brittney opened her window and Lasli flew out. She knew she would see her again some dark night when the snowflakes blow in the wind.
© Marianne Spitzer, September 2011
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Princess Brittney Stories Page 2