Mary Anne and the Fairy

Mary Anne and the Fairy

By Dave Gore

Mary Anne was walking through the woods that backed onto the small cottage that she lived in with her mother and father, she liked to go into the woods so she could pick some of the different coloured flowers that grew only in this woods, she would enjoy sitting on the logs that lay around and watch all the animals that lived there as they played, her favourite animals were the rabbits they were always playing, and this made her laugh.

One day as Mary was watching two rabbits jumping up at each other she noticed something shinning in the long grass nearby, Mary stood up and walked across to the grass, lying there on the floor was a very small silver pendant, it was smaller than the finger nail on her little finger, on it she could just make out a picture of a very small fairy and on the back there was some writing again it was to small to read, maybe it was a name Mary thought but I would need a magnifying glass to read that she said.

As the time was getting on and it would soon be lunch time, Mary put the pendant in her pocket and started back to the cottage; she picked a few flowers on the way back to give to her mother and soon was soon sitting at the kitchen table eating her lunch.

As soon as Mary had finished her lunch she told her mother that she was going up to her room for a while and of she went up the stairs and into her room, she took the pendant out of her pocket and lay it on her bedside table, she then went across to the draw where she kept her pens, pencils and other things and took out a magnifying glass.

She went back to and sat on the edge of her bed and picked up the pendant, even with the magnifying glass it was hard to read the word on the back of the pendant, but slowly she managed to make out that the word said Snowdrop, Mary turned the pendant over and looked at the fairy picture through the magnifying glass, she saw that the fairy was dressed in a purple dress and her wings were a mixture of all the colours of the rainbow.

“I wonder who lost this” she said to herself ““they must be sad that they have lost such a beautiful pendant”, “but whoever owns this must be very small, if I was to put it around my neck you would hardly see it”, “that is if you could ever get a chain small enough to hold it”, “why you might just get one of my hairs through the hole. I have never seen a pendant so small”.

Mary put the pendant in a small box and put the box into one of her draws, I think I will go back to where I found the pendant and see if anyone is around or looking for it.

Soon she was back to where she had found the pendant; the rabbits were no longer there.

“I suppose they have gone back into their burrow” she thought.

Mary looked around and called “hello has anyone lost a pendant”, but she could see no-one and nobody called back.

Mary decided that she would have a look around and walked further into the woods, she walked for a while then realised that she had gone deeper into the woods than she ever had before and now she was lost, she had left the path that led back to the cottage and she wasn’t even sure which way she had walked.

“What am I going to do” she said to herself “I think that if I just walk back in a straight line I might get back to the path”.

So off she went walking as straight as she could, but that seemed to take her further into the woods, the trees thickened out and the sunlight was only just visible through the branches on the trees

Now Mary was getting really worried would she ever find her way home, or would anyone ever find her if they came looking for her, she turned around in circles trying to decide which way was the best to go, but everywhere she looked all she could see was tall trees and not a path in site.

Then Mary had an idea, in the afternoon the sun always down went over the top of the cottage and towards the fields at the back, she looked up and could just see the sun peeping through the branches behind her, that must be the way home she said and stared walking towards the sun, a couple of times a cloud would cover the sun and Mary would stop until the cloud had passed by the sun, she didn’t want to go a wrong way again.

Ahead Mary could see a wisp of smoke through the trees as they got thinner, soon she was back on the path and she could see the cottage in the distance, that was scary she thought I must be more careful next time I’m in these woods.

Nearby the rabbits were out playing again and she could hear a woodpecker tapping on the side of a nearby tree, a mouse was running towards the longer grass that stood at the side of the path, following it were three smaller mice, they must be a family said Mary and watched as they disappeared into the long grass.

The sun was now starting to go down and the night was starting to draw in so Mary decided that she would go home and look for whoever had lost the pendant the next day, but this time she would be more careful when walking thought the woods.

Soon Mary was home and relaxing by the fire, it was staring to get chilli at night and being curled up beside the fire while watching the television was what Mary liked, soon mother would call her for her dinner and after helping her mother to clear up after dinner, Mary would join her mother and father on the settee and either watch television if there was anything on that they liked, or they would just listen to music or play card games if not.

The evening soon passed and it was time for Mary to go to bed, she said goodnight to her mother and father and made her way upstairs to her bedroom.

She was soon fast asleep and dreaming of all the things she liked to do, some dreams she could remember when she woke in the morning, but most of them had disappeared just like the night, she thought that was strange, why can you remember some dreams and not the rest, and she always said, I must ask mother when I go down, but she never did ask mother, by the time she had showered and dressed the thought had left her mind.

It was now Saturday and the weather looked good outside the sun was way up in the sky and there was not a cloud in the sky to be seen, and it was already getting warm.

Mary’s mother and father were going into town to get some groceries they asked Mary if she was going to come with them but Mary didn’t want to go, I have some homework that I need to finish before I have to go back to school after the holidays, I will get that finished and then just play in the garden or watch the rabbits in the woods.

It didn’t take Mary long to finish the little homework that she had to do, she went up to her room and took the box which held the pendant out of the draw and put it into her pocket, just in case I meet the person that lost it she said to herself.

Soon Mary was back in the woods again, she called out and looked around to see if anybody had heard her or was nearby but again the only things she saw or heard were the animals and the birds that lived in the woods.

After a short while Mary saw a baby deer eating some leaves of off a nearby bush, quietly Mary walked towards the deer, the deer looked up at Mary as she got closer, but it didn’t turn and run as she thought it would, it just turned back and carried on eating the leaves.

After a short while the deer stopped eating turned it’s head towards Mary, then turned and started walking away into the woods.

Mary started to follow the deer but this time making sure that she knew which way was home.

She hadn’t gone very far when she came upon a clearing in the woods, “I can’t remember seeing this before” she said to herself, she forgot all about following the deer while she looked around, for there in the clearing must have been every flower that had ever grown, so many different colours that even the best rainbow ever would never look as beautiful as this clearing looked and the perfume that the flowers gave off was the best smell that Mary had ever smelt in the world, even better than the apple pies her mother made and they smelt really good.

There were so many different flowers, that Mary didn’t know which ones to pick, to take home for her mother, where do I start she said.

While she was deciding which ones to pick Mary looked around and noticed that right on the edge of the clearing, the edge over by the stream that she had also never seen before, was what looked like a small house but it was shaped like a mushroom, and a little bit further along was another house and then she saw another, why there were lots of small mushroom shaped houses, and what was that in the stream, why it looked like a very, very small boat.

Carefully Mary crept around the edge of the clearing, all the while keeping her eyes on the small houses, soon she was within a couple of feet from the nearest mushroom house, she lay down on her stomach so that she could have a good look, yes they were defiantly houses, but who would build and live in such small houses.

Then she hear a sound like the wind blowing through the grass, not a loud or strong sound, but just a whisper of a sound, a sound that she had never heard before, so quiet, the sort of sound you would here if an ant was to ever sneeze, that is if ants do ever sneeze.

Then she heard a song being sung very, very softly, and then right in front of her eyes was a fairy hovering just above the ground, sprinkling powder onto the flowers, the fairy hadn’t noticed Mary lying there and carried on sprinkling the powder onto the flowers while singing.

Well some of the powder landed on Mary’s nose and although she tried and tried not to, all of a sudden she had to sneeze, it wasn’t a big sneeze just a little achoo, but the poor fairy, was right in front of Mary and when Mary sneezed it blew the fairy across the clearing and right into a large spiders web that had been built.

Well the fairy was stuck, her wings were caught in the web and she wasn’t moving, luckily for the fairy the spider had gone to build another web somewhere else or other wise the spider would have surely have had her for dinner.

Mary stood up and carefully walked across to the spiders web where the fairy was stuck, she lay down in front of the web and carefully took the fairy of off the web, I am sorry she said as she was removing the fairy, but the fairy had it’s eyes closed, it didn’t move, it didn’t say anything and when Mary put the fairy on the ground it didn’t even try to fly away.

“Oh I’ve killed it” she thought she carefully picked the fairy back up and lay it in the palm of her hand, “I didn’t mean to do that to you or kill you” said Mary and started to cry, then she felt something move in her hand, she looked down and saw that the fairy was starting to move, “are you alright” Mary asked, the fairy, the fairy slowly opened her eyes and tried to fly off when it saw Mary, but it was to tired and could hardly move it’s wings, “don’t be afraid I wont hurt you” said Mary.

Slowly the fairy came around and soon it had recovered it quickly flew of off Mary’s hand and off towards the woods, but then it stopped, turned around and hovered while looking at Mary.

The Fairy and Mary stared at each other neither of them moving, the fairy was thinking, “how could she have seen me or touched me, I have my magic necklace on” and just to make sure she felt around her neck, yes the necklace was still there” she said to herself.

“I am sorry” said Mary “I didn’t mean to scare you or to hurt you some of the dust you were sprinkling on the flowers got on my nose and made me sneeze”,” I wont hurt you I promise”.

The fairy came closer to Mary, “how can you see” me said the fairy, “what do you mean” said Mary, “your not invisible and I heard you singing, I thought you had a nice voice”, “but I’m wearing my magic necklace” said the fairy, “so you’re not suppose to be able to see me or even touch me”, “well I can see you and I did touch you, so your magic necklace can’t be working” said Mary, “anyhow I said I was sorry I was just looking at the small houses by the lake when I heard you”.

“But all fairy houses and palaces are invisible to humans, and fairies are as well now that we wear the magic necklaces” said the fairy, “well like I said can see you and I can see the houses and if we keep this up we will be saying the same thing for the rest of the day” said Mary, “so please stop and tell me your name”.

The fairy thought for a second then said “yes I suppose you’re right, but it still doesn’t make any sense, my name is Snowdrop, what is yours” , “My name is Mary Anne Elizebeth and I live in the cottage at the farm with my mother and father just outside of the woods” said Mary, “I come into the woods often to watch the animals and birds play, but I have never seen this area before, or seen such beautiful flowers, how long have they been like this”.

“It has always been like this” said Snowdrop,” it’s just that, luckily humans can’t see it, for if they did I am sure that they would destroy it all”.

“Why can I see it then” asked Mary, “I don’t know perhaps you are special” said Snowdrop, “but yes it is strange”?

Mary then heard her mother calling her home for lunch, “I had better get going or she will come searching for me, I am sorry for hurting you, I hope that you are ok now” said Mary.

“I’m fine now but will you promise not to tell anyone about this place, not even your mother” asked Snowdrop.

“Of course I won’t tell anyone, but can I come back and see you again” asked Mary.

“Well if you come back later in the day all the fairies will be here and if you can see us I can’t very well say no now can I”, said Snowdrop.

“OK” said Mary and ran back to the cottage.

“Have you finished all you home work” asked Mary’s mother when Mary came into the cottage, “yes it’s all done and ready for when I go back to school” said Mary.

Mary was excited and couldn’t wait to get back to the clearing to see if all the fairies were there, it would be magic.

“By the way” Mary’s mother said, “we have been invited to the party being held this afternoon at Mrs Bakers for the grand opening of her new store, so we had better get a move on”. “But mum I”, “no buts we are all going” said Mary’s mum “so come on”.

The afternoon soon passed, the party was good and everyone said what a nice time they had, it was now starting to get dark, so Mary knew that her mother wouldn’t let her go out again tonight when they got home, “I will have to wait until tomorrow to see the fairies now” she thought, “I hope that they will still be there and not have moved away”.

They arrived home and soon were sitting down in front of a warm fire watching one of their favourite programs on television, later on they played a board game and then Mary said that she was getting tired and was going to go to bed.

As Mary was getting ready for bed she realised that she still had the small box with the pendant in her pocket, she removed it and put it back in the draw.

Mary woke on Sunday morning around 8.30, got out of bed and looked out of the window, “good it’s not raining that means I can go back into the woods and find the fairies” she said and quickly washed and dressed.

Soon she was sitting at the breakfast table eating here breakfast very fast, “you must be hungry eating your food that fast”, Mary’s mother said, “yes but I’m full now, so I think I will go out for a bit” said Mary, “not so fast” said Mary’s mother, “first you need to clear the table and you still have your room to tidy up before you go out”.

Mary had soon cleared the table and then ran up to her room and had it all cleared up within 5 minuets, she quickly ran back down and asked her mother if it was ok to go out now, Mary’s mother said she could but she needed to be back by 11, “Ok” said Mary and then she was gone.

She quickly made her way back towards the woods to go to the clearing and find the fairy again.

Mary went in the direction that she had walked yesterday but couldn’t find the clearing, “I was sure it was this way” she said.

Mary walked around in all directions but no mater where she went there was no clearing in the woods no mushroom houses and no stream.

“I cant understand, it was all here yesterday, I know I wasn’t dreaming” she said and started looking again, going back to everywhere that she had been earlier, but it was still the same, no fairy, no mushroom houses and no clearing with all the beautiful flowers in it.

Mary was now upset “I’m sure I wasn’t dreaming, I wonder if the fairies have moved because I found out where they lived, but it can’t have been that because the clearing in the woods would still be there”.

Disappointed Mary made her way back home, “you’re back quick” said Mary’s mother.

“Yes I thought I’d play indoors today” said Mary, not that she really wanted to, but she was too disappointed to stay outside now.

The day and evening passed slowly for Mary she watched some television and played cards with her mother and father before going to bed, but she didn’t really enjoy it, she was always wondering why the fairy was no longer in the woods.

Soon she was in bed tucked up under the covers and had almost fallen asleep when she suddenly jumped up in bed, she turned her bedside light on and went to the draw, she picked up the small box and took the pendant out and looked at it, something was annoying her but she couldn’t work out what it was.

Mary took the magnifying glass out of the draw, she looked closely at the fairy on the pendant, then it struck her, the fairy on the pendant was Snowdrop, she looked exactly the same as Mary had seen her that morning and of course her name was on the back.

Right tomorrow I will go back to the woods and I won’t give up until I can find the clearing, it has to be there somewhere, she put the pendant back into the box and put it and the magnifying glass on her bedside table.

It took Mary a while to get to sleep because she kept on thinking about Snowdrop and why she wasn’t there today, but soon tiredness overtook her and she drifted off to sleep.

It was raining when Mary woke in the morning so she knew that it was no point rushing to get out because her mother wouldn’t let her go out while it rained, “you will catch a cold” she always said, so Mary took her time to shower and dress and was still in her room when her mother called her down for breakfast.

After Mary had finished her breakfast she looked outside and saw that the rain had eased off and the sun was starting to come through the clouds, “can I go out and play if it clears up” she asked her mother, “yes but first I need you to help me change the beds” said her mother.

When Mary had finished helping her mother she saw that it had stopped raining and the clouds had now cleared from the sky, the sun was out and quickly warming up the ground causing a mist to rise as the sun dried up the rain.

“Look at the time” said Mary’s mother “its ten o’clock already and I haven’t even started the baking yet”, “Off with you now out of my way and don’t be to late home”.

Mary went to her room and picked up the box with the pendant in and put it in her pocket she then made her way back into the woods.

She went to where she was sure the clearing was, even though it was not there yesterday, but today there right in front of her was the clearing with all the flowers, the mushroom houses and the stream, “why wasn’t it here yesterday” she said.

Mary lay down on the now dry grass at the side of the clearing, and called quietly, “Snowdrop are you here”.

Mary heard a fluttering noise and then right in front of her was Snowdrop.

“Why wasn’t the clearing and you here yesterday, I looked everywhere and couldn’t find you” asked Mary, “The clearing, me and all the other fairies were here yesterday and always have been we saw you but for some reason you couldn’t see us” said Snowdrop.

Mary looked around and saw that there were lots of fairies around now, most of them were by the mushroom houses just looking towards Mary and Snowdrop, some of the fairies were very young and were being held my their mothers others were playing just like human children do, but the only difference was they all were flying.

“Did you loose a pendant with your name and picture on it” asked Mary, “why” asked Snowdrop, “well the other day I found this pendant” and Mary took the pendant out of her pocket and held it in the palm of her hand, “it looks like you and it has Snowdrop on the back” said Mary.

“Yes I did loose it and yes it is mine that explains how you can see us” said Snowdrop.

“What do you mean” said Mary.

“Well we all have a pendant with our picture and name on and sometimes we allow certain humans to see us and join us, like Peter Pan and the children could see Tinkerbell, but first we must leave them, or give them a pendant so that they can see us, did you have the pendant with you yesterday when you came looking for us”.

“No I didn’t I forgot to take it out of my draw” said Mary.

“That was why then” said Snowdrop.

“So if I give you back your pendant does that mean that I wont be able to see you anymore then” said Mary”.

“Yes that’s true but we could give you your own pendant, but you would have to promise never to tell anyone or give it to anyone else to wear or it will just disappear” said Snowdrop.

“Stay there while I go and get you yours” said Snowdrop and off she flew.

Snowdrop was soon back in front of Mary, she opened a small silver box and took a pendant out, she then pulled a strand of her long golden hair and used it as a chain to tie the pendant to; she gave it to Mary and said” here put this over your head”.

“That will never go over my head” said Mary, “I would be lucky to get it over one of my fingers”, “trust me” said Snowdrop, “hold the piece of hair like you would a chain on a necklace and put it over your head”.

“Ok” said Mary and lifted the pendant over her head, “Now lower it over your head” said Snowdrop.

Mary slowly lowered the pendant over the top of her head, as she lowered the pendant Mary started to get smaller and smaller until she was the same size as Snowdrop, the pendant was now hanging around Mary’s neck.

“What happened” said Mary.

“Don’t worry when you remove it you will grow back to your own size” said Snowdrop, “we fairies have magic don’t forget, and now could I have my pendant back please”

Mary gave snowdrop her pendant and Snowdrop pulled another strand of her long hair out tied it to her pendant and placed it back over her head.

“Right let me show you around and introduce you to some of the other fairies” said Snowdrop; she then took Mary towards the mushroom shaped houses.

By the time Snowdrop and Mary had reached the mushroom houses Mary was feeling quite tired and her legs were aching “I didn’t realise how far we had to walk” said Mary “it didn’t look to far when I was my normal size”.

Snowdrop laughed and said” there will be a lot of things you will have to get use to when you are this small, especially as you don’t have any wings like us”.

After what seemed hours, Mary had been introduced to most of the fairies and shown around their village, “This is just a small part of our kingdom” said Snowdrop “the great palaces and larger buildings are to far away to show you today”.

Mary said that she had better be going home, as it would soon be lunch or even tea time, she was in such a hurry coming out that she forgot to put her wristwatch on and she didn’t know what time it was.

“I’m sorry but we can’t help” said Snowdrop “we don’t need things to tell us the time, for time is only where you are now and not where you will be a second later”, Mary didn’t understand what Snowdrop said but nodded politely.

Mary took hold of the pendant and slowly started to remove it and as she raised it above her head she was back to her real size.

Mary placed the pendant into the silver box that Snowdrop had given her and put it in her pocket, she lay down on the grass and said “thank you for trusting me and showing me around, is it alright if I visit you later today or tomorrow”.

Snowdrop said yes but she would not always be there to show Mary around, but there would always be other fairies that could.

“Ok and thank you again” said Mary.

When Mary walked into the kitchen her mother said “changed your mind then”, Mary said “what do you mean”, “well you only went out ten minuets ago”, said her mother as she started to cut out the biscuit shapes ready to put in the oven.

Mary looked up at the clock on the wall, the hands read ten past ten, yes she had only been gone ten minuets but that couldn’t be right, she was so tired from all the walking and she was sure that she had been with the fairies for most of the day, how could she have done all that in ten minuets?

“I’m going up to my room to play on my computer” Mary said and off she went up to her room.

Mary took the silver box which held the pendant out of her pocket and put it into the draw and sat on the edge of her bed, “I am sure I was out most of the day” she said to herself again and picked up her watch, she put the watch around her wrist and looked down at the face, the watch hands read twenty past ten.

Mary woke with a start as she heard her mother call for her to come down for lunch, “I must have dozed off”, Mary said, was I really that tired.

When Mary reached the kitchen she noticed that it was raining again, “well I wont be able to go back out to see the fairies this afternoon” she said to herself, “sorry what did you say” said Mary’s mother, “nothing mum, just talking to myself” said Mary and sat down at the table.

It rained for the rest of the day so Mary spent time in her room playing on her computer, listening to CD’s and watching television, she was disappointed that she couldn’t go out to see Snowdrop and the rest of the fairies but there would always be another day.

When Mary woke on Tuesday she looked out of the window to see a beautiful sunny and cloudless day, great I have to go back to school tomorrow, so I will try and spend as much time as I can with the fairies.

After breakfast Mary asked her mother if she could have a little picnic as she would like to spend most of the day watching and sketching the animals in the woods and it would save her having to come in for her lunch, Mary’s mother agreed and packed a lunch for her, “now don’t be to late back, remember your back at school tomorrow so an early night for a change”, “Ok mum” said Mary and started of into the woods, she was just crossing the path which led towards town when she stopped,” I forgot to pick up the pendant” she said and made her way back to the cottage.

“Back already, said Mary’s mother, it’s only twenty past nine and you have only been gone thirty seconds: she said laughing, “No I forgot my sketch pad” said Mary and ran up to her room she picked up her sketch pad and some pencils then took the silver box which held the pendant out of her draw and put it in her pocket.

Mary was soon back into the woods and made her way to the clearing, “yes it’s still here” she cried, she took the pendant out of the box and lowered the pendant over her head and as she did she started to get smaller just like before.

When Mary had stopped shrinking she walked towards the mushroom houses, on the way she passed some of the younger fairies who were playing a game of air ball on a triangular pitch, they stopped playing and waved to Mary as she passed, Mary waved back and continued towards the mushroom houses.

Then she heard Snowdrop calling her “where are you” said Mary and looked around to try and see where Snowdrop was, Snowdrop was just above Mary and said “I’m here” and fluttered down in front of Mary.

Mary said that she was sorry that she couldn’t come back yesterday but because of the rain she had to stop in, “what is rain?” asked Snowdrop, “what do you mean, what is rain, it’s the water that comes down from the clouds and when it’s really cold the rain turns into snow and turns everything white” said Mary, “well it never rains or snows here” said Snowdrop, “the sun is always shining and why would we want rain or snow that wouldn’t be very enjoyable it would stop us having fun”.

“But how can it not rain here, I saw it from the window and it was raining everywhere” said Mary, “Did you see any fairies, or step on any fairies or any of our houses the other day when you couldn’t find us” asked Snowdrop “I hope not, but I’m sure that I came this way when I forgot the pendant” said Mary.

“Yes you did, but you live in a human world and we live in our world and although you might think that you walked on top of us you were never really here”. “I don’t understand” said Mary “how can I not really be here when I am here”.

“Trust me, said Snowdrop “when you are here like now, you are here because you are like us, but without the wings, and when you are your normal size you’re not here, you are in your world, the only way that you saw our world and us, was because of the pendant you found and you would only see a fairy in your world if she or he were to venture into it”.

“Well I don’t understand but if you say that is why ok” said Mary.

Because they had been talking Mary hadn’t realised that she had now reached the fairy town and she wasn’t tired.

“Would you like to go with us to the dance in the magic meadow” asked Peaches a pretty fairy who had come out of one of the mushroom houses to greet Mary and Snowdrop “It should have started by now and you will be able to meet my friends and some of the elves who also come” “Yes please said Mary, “But I’m not very good at dancing so I might just watch”, “I’m sure that you will be all right” said Snowdrop “and so we can get you there quickly and without you being tired we have made something for you to wear”.

Peaches held out two multi coloured silk like wings they were attached to a harness, “you won’t be able to fly like us but we will hold your hands and when you fly with us, the wind will get under the wings and keep you up without us getting tired”.

The wings were soon sticking up on Mary’s back with the harness tied tight.

Mary looked in the mirror and thought that she looked just like one of the fairy herself now.

Peaches and Snowdrop took hold of Mary’s hands and the next thing Mary knew she was up in the air, the wind was blowing under her wings and a couple of times Snowdrop and Peaches let go of Mary’s hand just to show her how well the wings worked and Mary floated like a glider on the wind.

Right we are going down now said Peaches the magic meadow is right below us and slowly down they went the fairies and elves already in the magic field all stopped dancing and clapped as they saw Mary gently land in the meadow.

The music was being played by a mixture of fairies and elves and everyone was dancing including Mary, “I could never dance like this before” said Mary to the elf that she was dancing with, “That’s why this is called the magic meadow” said the elf “you can do any dance, sing any song or play any instrument while you are here”.

Mary danced and danced, every elf must have asked her for a dance and there were even dances that Mary had never seen or heard of before, where everyone danced together, she ate buttercup cakes and drank dandelion juice, she even managed to draw some of the fairies, she promised to tell anyone who saw them, that she used her imagination to draw them, not that they would have believed that she really had seen and was drawing real fairies.

Soon it was time for everyone to pack up and return to their homes, the elves said that they still had lots to do before the next moon rose and the fairies still had to colour some of the flowers that had started to fade under the sunlight.

Snowdrop and Peaches took hold of Mary’s hands and off they went soaring into the sky, they laughed and sang songs all the way back to fairy town and when they landed outside Peaches mushroom house they were still laughing.

“Thank you for such a wonderful day” said Mary “I’ve really enjoyed it, I will miss not being able to come back here until the weekend, I have to start back at school tomorrow”, “That’s ok” said Snowdrop, “make sure that you learn a lot”.

Mary removed the wings and handed them to Peaches to look after, until she came back to see them again, she said goodbye and then took hold of the pendant and raised it over her head and as she did she returned back to her normal size.

Mary made her way back to the cottage and as she walked she whistled some of the tunes that she had heard at the dance, as she came into the kitchen she glanced up at the clock, she had only been gone for half an hour, how could that have been, she must have danced for at least two hours and then there was all the eating and the talking and the flying to the dance and back, but the clock was right the hands showed ten to ten.

The rest of the day Mary spent getting all her things ready for going back to school and spent some time with her friend Lily who had come to the cottage to play with Mary.

Mary wanted to tell Lily all about the fairies, but remembered what she had been told.

The day soon passed and it was time for Mary to go to bed, she was looking forward to going back to school and meeting up with all her friends, but she would miss visiting the fairies every day, but there was always the weekend and other holidays.

I am sure that I will have a lot more adventures with the fairies but that will be another story Mary said as she dropped off to sleep.

The End