“Every time a child says, ‘I don’t believe in fairies,’ there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.” — James Matthew Barrie, Peter Pan.
“We call them fairy. We don’t believe in them. Our loss.” — Charles de Lint
For two days, once a month, a child who does believe works her magic on me. As our one daughter lives a couple of hours away, we have arranged to bring her two sweet little ones to stay with us one weekend a month. It ensures they know Grandma and Papa’s house, that Mom and Dad get a break, and that my husband and I can see life once again through the eyes of a child. With them, particularly the 2 1/2-year-old elder, our staid adult life is left behind and imagination soars.
One of the favourite times during these visits comes at the end of a busy day, when a weary Grandma gets to curl up with a book for a bedtime story. This past visit the focus for this ritual was on enchanted castles, princesses and fairies, the last of which provided much entertainment and provoked many questions from our ‘Missy’. The charming characters, dainty girls all pink and perky with sparkling wings, captivated her.
So much so that my imagination took flight and the idea for a ‘fairy’-tale of my own began to take shape. Having already completed a book for her, I know there’s no need to be an illustrator as you can find all the images you need online. Here are some fantastic collections:
