Chloe and Annabelle

The young girl picked up the strange-looking insect. At first, she thought it was a butterfly but was surprised at what she saw after a closer look. 

She ran inside her house and up to her room. Grabbing a magnifying glass, she studied the tiny creature. Now, she could confirm, what she was looking at was indeed a fairy.

The fairy’s wings were iridescent green and, by all appearances, looked as if someone had picked her up and dipped the tips of her wings in a can of fluorescent yellow paint. Both the greens and yellows blended into a beautiful blue, splattered with orange and black dots. Her wings were translucent and glittered as they caught the sun’s rays. The small fairy wore a cloth that looked to be made from cotton; she had a sash around her waist, and attached to that was a knife. Compared to the fairy, the blade was rather large.

On top of her head was an acorn cap with a strap running under her chin. As Chloe stared at the fairy, she realized how beautiful she was. Her long black hair flowed over her shoulders. The strands were tied together with clover leaves, knotted securely.

Chloe studied the small creature; suddenly, the fairy opened her eyes. She stared back at the large eye hovering above her. The magnifying glass made Chloe’s eye larger than normal.

The fairy rubbed her face and sat upright. Chloe spoke softly, “It’s alright, I’m taking care of you.”

The fairy rubbed her face once more. “What happened to me,” she asked?

“I don’t know, I found you on the ground,” said Chloe.

The fairy shook her head. “We shouldn’t let humans see us,” she said. “It’s forbidden.”

“It’s OK,” said Chloe, “I won’t tell anyone.” Chloe stared at the tiny creature. “My name is Chloe. Do you have a name?”

“Yes, my name is Annabelle,” she gazed at Chloe.

Annabelle spoke softly, “You shouldn’t have picked me up. You should have left me alone, humans know about us, but we are nothing but a myth to them. Something they read about in fairytales.”

“I wanted to help,” said Chloe. “I thought you were a butterfly.”

“Well, I’m not,” snapped Annabelle; she became irritated. “And now we have a problem. We fairies are much prettier than butterflies, and we are better fliers. If anyone knew you saw me, they would come for you. They would torment you.”

Chloe stared at Annabelle, “Why,” she asked.

“Because you are different from us, and you have captured me,” said Annabelle. “They won’t let that go unpunished. You can’t capture one of Mother Nature’s helpers.”

“Oh, but I haven’t captured you,” said Chloe, “You are free to leave.”

“I can’t,” said Annabelle, “Once you touched me, I smell like a human; my kind will know. We have an excellent sense of smell, you know.”

“I’ll give you a bath,” said Chloe.

“A bath, I think not,” snapped Annabelle. “Fairy’s don’t take baths.”

“How do you keep clean,” asked Chloe?

“We take our clothes off and fly around in the rain,” Annabelle said, giggling. “It’s quite refreshing.”

Chloe eyed the little fairy, “I’ll wash you off and put some of my dad’s scent-be-gone on you. He uses it when he hunts…” Chloe stopped, “What I meant to say, he uses it when he goes into the woods.”

Annabelle stared at Chloe, “Do you think that will work?”

“I’m sure of it,” said Chloe. She picked up Annabelle, took her into the bathroom, put on a pair of gloves, and filled the basin with water. The little fairy removed her clothes and washed. Chloe washed Annabelle’s clothes with her father’s scent-be-gone and dried them with a hairdryer.  

Annabelle dressed. “Ah,” she said, “My clothes don’t smell like a human. I can dart in and out of the roses, and I’ll smell great. That was a good idea,” said Annabelle.

Chloe was careful not to touch the fairy and watched as Annabelle flew to the window ledge. “Thank you for saving me. I always heard humans were mean and would pull my wings off if captured. It’s nice to know you are not like that.”

Chloe smiled and spoke softly, “Yes, all humans are not alike. Some are mean, unbearable, and detestable. They pretend to be helpful, but deep in their hearts, they are greedy and selfish. Chloe laughed, “But in reality, most humans you will meet are kind and caring. We love and care for each other, lifting one another’s spirits when we are down. We love our waters, woods, and skies. We try to protect them and the creatures that live within.”

Annabelle smiled at the young girl, “We do the same,” she said. “We are known as Mother Nature’s helpers. We live in the woods, and we take care of many things.”

“Like what,” Asked Chloe?

“We help pollinate flowers and plants. We care for all of the animals when they need us, and believe me, my clan is always helping. Do you know how many plants and animals live in these woods?”

“No, I’ve never given it much thought,” said Chloe. “I assume many.”

“Oh, yes,” said Annabelle, “There are hundreds, maybe thousands. I’m still too young to know everything about Mother Nature, but I’m learning.” She giggled. “As I told you, we are known as Mother Nature’s helpers.”

“How old are you,” asked Chloe?

“I’m three,” said Annabelle.

“Three,” said Chloe, “Wow, three years old, that’s not old at all.”

“Oh, I’m not three years old, I’m three hundred years old,” Annabelle laughed, “Three hundred years old in your years.”

Chloe stared at the little creature. “How long do you live?”

“We can live up to 1500 years,” said the little fairy. She smiled at Chloe, “Maybe longer.”

“Wow,” said Chloe, “So what do you do all day?”

Annabelle placed her hands on her hips and stared at Chloe; once more, she became irritated. “Were you not listening? I told you, we tend to Mother Nature’s family. We do all kinds of things for her. We are always nurturing her animals, plants, and trees.”  

“Oh,” laughed Chloe, “I was listening.”

“Mom says I have a mercurial temperament at times; I don’t know what she means by that,” said the little fairy. “I guess it means I’m sweet.” Annabelle laughed as she ran her fingers through her thick hair. “What do you think it means?”

“It means your mood is subject to sudden or unpredictable changes,” said Chloe. “Humans are like that too. Some humans can be really mean.”

 “What do these mean people look like,” asked Annabelle? “I don’t want to run into any of them.”

Chloe smiled, “They look just like the rest of us, but their actions tell a different story. They choose a different path. However, most humans are happy and content with their lives; they love their families, friends, and this beautiful world in which we live. We care and help each other.”

Annabelle stared at her new friend. “I like the humans like you, Chloe. Thank you again for saving me.” Annabelle fluttered her wings and hovered in front of Chloe, “You are a good person, Chloe; I’m glad I met you.”

“Will you come back and visit with me,” asked Chloe?

“Maybe,” said Annabelle, she dropped her eyes, clasped her hands, and spoke shyly, “I might if someone placed some milk with honey in a small bowl.” She looked at Chloe and grinned, “I also like sweet butter and honey cakes.”

 Chloe nodded.