Ang Fairy na Walang Fairy

On a cliff not too far away from here, you would find an old tree overlooking the great blue sea. And on one of its long and sturdy branches, the Little Fairy made its little home.

The Little fairy was a very cheerful creature. Her dress was made of fine silk, and was sparkling all over with different gems and crystals; her hair was gold and curly; her skin was soft and delicate, and was white as pearl; her eyes were bright and friendly; her voice was sweet and tender; and her blue wings glowed in such a lovely luster. During the day, she would play with the butterflies, and would sing for them, and would help them gather juice from the sweet-scented wild-flowers of the meadow. When the sun begins to set, she would bid her friends goodbye, and would fly as fast as she could to her branch. Then, she would sit comfortably on its end, and patiently wait for the Moon.

Every night, the Moon would tell the Little Fairy stories from the other side of the great blue sea, especially about men - for many humans lived there, but not on the side of the great blue sea where the Little Fairy lives.

The Moon greeted her friend with a gentle smile on her face: "Hello, Little Fairy."

The Little Fairy was so delighted to see the Moon. She replied: "Oh! Hello Moon. Look how lovely you are tonight!" The Moon blushed with her compliment. She was such a sweet little fairy.

The Moon asked: "What story would you love to hear tonight my dear little friend? The treasures of the world's great kingdoms? The beautiful princesses in their gowns of many colors? The little children who sing at the cathedrals? Tell me little friend, and you shall hear it."

The Little Fairy thought for a moment, and suddenly, sadness seemed to take over her countenance.

"Dear Moon, I know you have traveled far, and have seen much of this world, whether here in this side of the great blue sea, or the other side, which is to me a world of mystery. Now, dear Moon, there is something that troubles me, and I want this to leave me so I may go to bed at peace. May I ask you a question?"

This worried the Moon, and she replied: "Why, of course my dear, you may."

The Little Fairy's eyes went bright and enthusiasm sparkled in them:
"Are there any fairies at the other side of the great blue sea?"

The fairy's question surprised the Moon: "But Oh! Why would my Little Fairy ask such a needless question!" for she was afraid to tell her she hadn't seen any yet.

The Moon's reaction saddened the fairy all the more.

"This morning, I saw two butterflies in the field. They gathered juice together; drank together; played together; and the boy sang to the girl. Their playing and laughing seemed to irritate some of the butterflies, although many were also fond of it."

The Moon listened attentively to the Little Fairy's story, for butterflies had always caught her fancy. Butterflies often do not go out by night - moths do - and if the butterflies do go out, their colors are not as bright as they might have been during the day. Furthermore, butterflies seldom play at night so the story of the two butterflies really interested her. She never thought that butterflies also play like humans do especially at night when she glows beautifully against the dark star-filled sky.

The Little Fairy added:
"The girl blushed. Then, when they noticed we were watching them, they seemed to feel awkward, and left. I followed them because interestingly, watching them made me happy - and I do not know why." And the fairy bowed her head so the Moon wouldn't see her sadness.

In her softest voice, she added:
"They flew too fast for me to catch up." Then she gave a deep sigh.

There was pain in her that the Moon couldn't understand.

The fairy continued: "I only play with the butterflies. That's why. If a fairy, comes to play with me, eat with me, and sing to me, maybe I would know why the butterflies made me happy." Then the fairy became silent, and though she hid her face, the Moon felt her sadness nevertheless, and she also fell into a deep silence. And loneliness filled the air as her soft light shone bitterly all throughout the night.