Mouse
Strike.
There has been a strike in my old house,
it was started off by the family mouse,
They grumbled I did not give them enough cheese,
You know I really do my best them all to please.
They have food in the morning enough for them all,
food a plenty at dinner time when I do them all call.
Then they have lots more fresh cheese at night,
also jellied creams much to their great delight.
Now the fairies have joined in the strike you know,
whenever there is mischief they will always have a go.
Here in my old armchair I sit with a frown on my old face,
I just cannot keep feeding them all at this terrific pace.
I have a magic wand given to me by the Fairy Queen,
I use it mainly to keep my large old house fairly clean.
How can I give the mice more food each and every day?
they will all get fat and lazy and want no more to play.
The fairies I banished and sent quickly back to Fairyland,
the truth is they were getting completely out of hand.
I told the mice for its fresh milk I would buy them a cow,
They could make cheese and butter I have all the know-how.
Soon we had a nice going butter and cheese-making dairy,
The person in charge was a real grumpy retired old Fairy.
Now the unusual strike has come to a very happy end,
My relationships with the mice are nicely on the mend.
The fairies have all come back to play in my old house,
I sit in my comfortable old armchair with nary a grouse.
Fitting
Punishment.
The day is sunny and warm with a light breeze blowing from the west. In the woods were an elderly woman, a man and myself. The elderly woman and the man were not together and it seemed that the elderly woman was avoiding the man. I watched as the man crept near to the woman and then heard him shouting some very rude things to the elderly woman. The last I heard him say was that she; the woman was stealing the food that nature provides for all the creatures of the woods.
The woman protested that she only collected a few blackberries and wild strawberries and later on, some nuts and that she meant no harm. I wanted to say something in defence of the elderly woman but she needed no protection from me. Suddenly she picked up a twig that was lying on the ground and pointing it at the man she said, “Three months long will you observe all that goes on in these woods, I hope that you learn a lesson from this my punishment.” The man changed so quickly from a man into a small tree that if I had not have seen it myself I would not have believed it.
The elderly woman went on with plucking the wild strawberries and without looking at the tree she moved on out of my sight. I often saw the tree during the summer months and asked myself if what I saw was true. Like all summers we had rainy days and days of bright sunshine, I often saw the elderly woman going about her business. The blackberries ripened and she came to pick these she knew all about the different mushrooms and took many a basket home with her. On the rare occasions that we met, we exchanged greetings but nothing of the new tree in the woods.
The tree witnessed a fairy ball and from the way its branches and leaves shook it was excited. As a man, he had never seen anything like the dancing and singing. The fairy cakes that seemed to be coming from out of the air looked very inviting but as a tree he had no way of joining in the feast. The orchestra of Leprechauns playing music such as he had never heard before delighted his very being. Wild night animals came to see the Fairies having a good time this too was a surprise for the man now a tree. He began to regret his bad behaviour toward the elderly woman and to himself he made a vow that in future he would alter his ways.
Then it happened I was in the woods once more, this time I was collecting a few chestnuts. I saw the woman go to the tree and once more she picked up a twig from the floor and pointing it at the tree, she said something and the tree changed back into a man again. I was close enough to hear what she said to the man. “Have you learned your lesson? The fruits and nuts and other things to eat are for all the creatures of the wilds. Even we humans have the right to harvest what nature provides for us. I only take enough to make a meal or medicines for my own use. The animals also only take what they need to survive through the long winters.
The man mumbled that he was sorry and had learned much about the woods and its creatures. He even ended by thanking the woman for turning him into a tree he now knew more about the woods and animals than he would have learned in a lifetime. Now I often see them in the woods but they are respectful of each other and there is no disharmony anymore. The Fairies often came to the tree to play it was part of Fairyland this neither the man nor the elderly woman knew to them it was just part of the woods.
Wishing Wells.
Be careful when you make a wish at the wishing wells.
Witches and Sorcerers often cast some nasty spells.
A man once wished for diamonds to fill a large sack.
His wish was granted the heavy sack broke his back.
A silly woman wished for a large modern mansion to be built.
She had no furniture, no clothes or money, just an old quilt.
Simple wishes such as to wish for happiness and good health.
These wishes often bring the secrets of making great wealth.
The little folk of Fairyland know all about the wishing wells.
Also of the witches and sorcerers that cast the evil spells.
Some Leprechauns once wished for pots of yellow gold.
Their wishes came true but they soon grew quite old.
Pixies once wished for the same powers as the Queen.
They just disappeared and have never more been seen.
To be able to grow big wished the unsatisfied Trolls.
Now they are no bigger than the smallest of dolls.
I have no inclination to visit any of the wishing wells.
Nor do I want to be the fool of the witch and her spells.
Dragon’s
Tail.
Once upon a time, long, long, ago there lived a Dragon. The Dragon was young and rather silly. I have a tail but of what use is a tail to me? With my wings I can fly. With my legs I can run and walk. But a tail is so obviously useless. Why do I have this long thing dragging behind me? It slows me down and is more weight to carry when I fly.
One day a powerful Wizard came by and heard the Dragon lamenting over his tail. Listening to his moaning for a few minutes the Wizard made the Dragon this proposal. “If you give me your old scaly skin that I need for my magic spells I will cut off your tail and you will not have to carry it wherever you go.” The Dragon thought for a few minutes and agreed. Shedding his old skin with its many scales he gave it to the Wizard.
The Wizard kept his part of the bargain and cut off the Dragon’s tail. There was no blood the tail had been cut off with one wave of the Wizards magic wand. It was a strange feeling for the Dragon not to have a tail. First when he tried to fly he could not steer, his tail was the steering part of his body. When he walked or ran his tailless body fell from side to side. All in all he was in a very sorry state. He could not fly properly or even walk or run. What should he do? He could not grow a new tail and there was no one to help him.
The Dragon now lamented even more loudly complaining that he had no tail. A Fairy heard his loud cries and went to the Fairy Queen Feeana and told her about the poor Dragon that was so unhappy about not having a tail. Her Majesty looked in her magic mirror and saw all that had happened, the dragons lament about his tail, of the Wizard that wanted the scaly skin of the Dragon. The Queen thought about it for a while and then decided that the Dragon had been so silly to have his tail cut off by the Wizard that he should remain like it for a whole month. It might teach him a lesson.
Her Majesty kept an eye on the Dragon and after one whole month she went to see him. “I will give you a new tail if you can convince me that you need one.” said her Majesty. “Your Majesty I cannot walk or run like I used to be able to do, I cannot fly and I am having difficulty reaching for food in the branches of the high trees. I was so silly in getting the Wizard to cut off my tail and I would give anything to have my tail again.”
Her Majesty thought for a moment or two and said,” you shall have a new tail, on one condition. When I have given you your tail I will send you to another planet where all creatures that have been badly treated on this earth now live. There you will live in peace with many more of your kind and you will in future never again complain about your tail.” The Dragon on hearing Her Majesty’s words was very happy and promised that he would never more complain about his body.”
Her Majesty took out her magic wand and waved it. The Dragon was covered for a few seconds in a bright blue light. When the light was gone there stood the dragon with his new tail. He was delighted and thanked Her Majesty then with a leap he flew high into the air. Landing in a graceful dive he thanked Her Majesty again. Now he felt like a real Dragon again and was very happy.
True to her word, Her Majesty then sent the Dragon to another planet where it lived a long, long life and never once did it complain about its tail. In the country where it now lives there are no such things as Wizards that want the magic scales of the dragon’s scaly skin. So no other Dragons lament over a tail that is very necessary for Dragons.
Butterfly.
I
saw a lovely butterfly,
dancing an age-old dance.
Fluttering from flower to flower,
as if in permanent trance.
From buttercup to daisy on to sweet smelling rose,
I in my humility watching your each ecstatic pose.
Rising on high sinking so low,
Each nuance of colour a friendly glow.
You are not miserly your brilliance to show,
seeking sweet nectar from heavenly blooms.
Lifting me up high from out of my glooms,
Were you sent from heaven on high?
Descending through a warm summer sky.
Dainty but tireless in your earthly flight,
Where do you retire in the darkness of night?
At the break of dawn I will see you again,
Performing your dance of perpetual fame.
Delightful to see a treat for my eyes,
You heavenly visitor from out of the skies.
