Carol Stirling

My Encounter with Fairies

Near where I live, there is a glen called Morag’s Fairy Glen. It has winding staircases all the way up the glen with footbridges to cross. I find this glen a very mystical glen, with loads to see. The wild life rushes through and, sometimes, you will see the odd fairy. The first time I went, I was very curious to see if I would see a fairy for myself. I never saw a fairy on my first visit and was very disheartened. But that was to change.

Years later, I took my children to explore the glen. The children whizzed up the stairs and explored every path they could find, looking for the fairies. My daughter stopped and stared at me and told me,

“Mum, you’re very silly! To make friends with anyone, you must talk to them.”

That was my first encounter with the fairies at Morag’s Fairy Glen. We have been back to play with them and found them to be very intelligent. We have noticed that, when the fairies wish their privacy, they create landslides to prevent people from intruding. So, if you do go and the glen is shut up, that’s because the mischievous fairies choose it to be so.

I looked at her innocence and agreed with her that she had a point. She then went into her pocket and said to the fairies,

“I have some sweets for you, if you would like to come and get them.”

My daughter was only six years old at the time and I had always encouraged my children to use their imagination. She then started to chant a wee rhyme which I had never heard before:

“Fairies come and play,

 Come and play with me today,

 I will stay to play,

With you today.”

After she had said her rhyme for the third time, I heard a whizzing sound, similar to that of a bumble bee but louder, passing my ear. I looked and saw what, at a first glance, looked like a bird, but it was a small woodland fairy. My heart melted and my voice dried up. I could not speak and my heart had a warm feeling inside which made me watch with astonishment. My daughter stood smiling, as if she had known the fairies all her life.

I watched this female fairy pick up two sweeties and fly off. No sooner had she gone when another came by. The second one was glowing this time, as if the sun was beating through her. She also lifted two sweeties and flew off. As the third one swooped in, he had something to say.

“My name is Spittle, and my sisters are Brittle and Myrtle. I would like to play today but have loads to do. Please come back again.”

He was not very clear in his speech but it was as if I could understand him, all the same. He soon whizzed off, leaving me standing in some sort of stunned shock. After I gathered my thoughts of what I seen, my daughter said,

“I told you, Mummy! You need to talk to the fairies.”