A Fairy Christmas Carol

A Fairy Christmas Carol

“Please Mr Smudge, magic dust is so hard to find and your workforce of elves seem to have collected it all and left none for us. Could you not find it in your heart to share some of yours, after all you have not spread any magic for years” pleaded the fairies.

  “In a word, no,” growled Smudge.  “Sprite, show these fairies out of my Hallow”

 “Could we not spread some fairy-dust on the children especially for Christmas,” pleaded, Sprite.

“No, Sprite, human children today do not deserve any of our magic as they have proved time and again to show no imagination and rely on technology to keep them occupied.  I intend to keep my hoard of fairy-dust in my vault, under lock and key,” growled Smudge. “Sprite, I want you here by 7 sharp tomorrow: I wish to do a stock take.”

 “But sir it’s Christmas Day tomorrow.”

Back in Sacred Stump Hollow Smudge made himself a cup of broth and stared gloomily into the fire. He must have fallen asleep as he woke up with a start to see a very colourful pixie with such an odd assortment of clothes that she must have got dressed in the dark.

 “What do you think you are doing here” screeched Smudge hiding the key to the fairy-dust vault down the chair.  The pixie put her finger to her lips and grabbing Smudge’s hand, pulled him through the window. 

Smudge found himself looking at his younger self and his sister, Tinker, as they watched children eating a picnic by the stream on a beautiful sunny day. When the children finished eating they left some special treats behind for the animals and of course the fairies.

 “Those children are so thoughtful we will have to reward them with some of our dust, Smudge,” said Tinker. Hiding above the children in the trees they sprinkled their dust and watched again as the children’s imagination soared and they were transported to a time of princesses, knights and dragons. 

Smudge remembered being happy then. He was reluctant when the colourful pixie pulled him by the hand again to a different scene. This time he and Tinker were older.  They were again watching children but this time the children were not playing together. They sat apart from each other and stared down at lumps of plastic, poking and prodding at it with their fingers. The children did not even seem aware of where they were and used no imagination in their play.  They left no treats for the fairies that day.

 “I’m taking my dust home with me Tink, those children deserve no magic dust”

 “Please Smudge leave a little magic for them, or it will get worse” said Tinker.

 The scene faded and Smudge found himself back inside his home. He turned to say something to the Pixie but she had gone. He must have been dreaming! Exhausted, Smudge dozed off only to be awoken by a very grey looking fairy.

 “Oh for goodness sake what now”

The Fairy wagged her finger at him “Smudge, do you not realise that to do nothing will make us fade away forever”. She grabbed his arm and he found himself looking in at Sprite, his wife Spangle and all the little sprites.  They were enjoying their meal together laughing and joking but he could not help but notice their measly meal and the tiniest sprite, Twinkle, seemed to give off hardly any light.

He looked at the grey fairy with distress but before he could say anything he found himself looking into a child’s bedroom. The child was staring at a screen but she soon pushed it aside looking very board. She picked up a fairy doll and started to chat to it “I wish you would come back and play with me, I am so lonely. We used to have such fun playing games. If I make you a warm home will you please come and visit?”

All of a sudden Smudge was back home again. He suddenly felt very cold and a shiver crept right up to the tips of his wings. Standing in front of him was a huge elf (well huge for an elf) in a swirling black cloak “Come with me, and see how your actions have put us all at risk”

Smudge found himself standing in the fairy glen. Sprite and Spangle were there sobbing as little Twinkle was lying on a leaf on the stream, her light extinguished. All the fairies seemed a little dimmer as if their lights were fading.  As he travelled through the woods there were no children at play at all.  The Elf turned to Smudge “don’t you see that the children need your magic dust, their belief in us is what keeps our lights turned on and in turn it’s what keeps the children’s imagination working”.

The light was fading fast and the fairy glen was black with ash “No no” sobbed Smudge “What can I do?”

 The Elf faded away.

Smudge woke up to find snowflakes fluttering down across the fairy glen. The fairies were chattering happily wishing each other a Merry Christmas.  A wave of relief crept over him. Quickly running to his chair he pulled the key out from where he had hidden it and run to the vault. Grabbing loads of bottles of magic fairy-dust he run to Spite’s house.

 “Sorry sir I know I am late for work, but it is Christmas Day”

 Smudge frowned at Sprite, then he couldn’t help himself as he broke out into a fit of giggles “Don’t be silly I have come to give Twinkle a present” and he immediately give her a massive bottle of fairy dust. Sprite looked on in amazement as Smudge flew around passing a bottle to every fairy saying “Go quickly and find some children and let them use their imagination to bring light back into this world. Merry Fairy Christmas one and all.”