I'm 17 and love things having to do with old eras. Check out my story " Journey to the Sea". I have tried my best to create an accurate portrait of Light House keeping in 1928. Enjoy! My other blog is OldFashionGirl where I write poetry to God. Please check it out! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:20:00 -0500 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:20:00 -0500 Books for the fairytale Princess in us all! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/698185/ Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:20:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/698185/ I love these fairy dolls; they remind of dancing sprites that can be imagined skipping secretly in a forbidden garden. Imagine...them swirling...twirling, close your eyes now... Open and ENJOY! (My Friend got me this doll!) Order HERE Have a great day! Your Fairy blogger, Lexi http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/694509/ Sun, 31 May 2009 19:11:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/694509/ There is a new Flower Fairy book that has just come out. I love Fairyoplyis and all the Cicila Mary Barker fairy books, but this new one is the best! the boo has many pop ups and fun things! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/677863/ Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:36:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/677863/                 Marie Antoinette was born in Austria in 1755. She married crown prince Louis the 16th of France in 1770 and became Queen of France in 1774.     While her extravagence and and carelessness is exaggerated today (as it was in her day) Marie Antoinette did spend more than her due from the royal treasury in her royal days. She also gambled and went to MANY balls. She hated court life though, as well as the duties of Queen. And while she did ignore these things and spend, spend, spend, once the Revolution turned for the worse, she became a very strong woman. Although it was too late, and her indulgence was her best known attribute to the peasents, she cut spending and helped her unprepared husband during the heated revolt. Yes. she was a compulsive spender in her early days, but I believe she matured as the times grew hard. When she was put on trial, the same year after her husband was executed, she defended herself very well as she was charged with horrid things she didn't do.   I really liked this youtube video from the movie with Kirsten Dunce! Enjoy! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/645550/ Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:42:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/645550/ Mint Melody For the Common Cold in Winter Time 1. Get a tall glass and fill with ice. 2. Get mug and put mint tea-bag inside. 3. Boil water and pour into mug. 4. Let steep FOR 20 Minutes--til extremely strong. 5. Remove tea bag. Reheat in microwave 1/2 min. 6. Mix three TSP of honey into hot tea. 7. Stir until dissolved. 8. Pour strong, sweetened tea onto ice, wait til cold. Add candy cane into glass. ENJOY! The mint will help soothe throat and make you feel 'clearer.' ENJOY! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/642543/ Wed, 7 Jan 2009 16:47:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/642543/    I am extatic! I found a website where you can purchase the pieces, and literally build your own FAIRY GARDEN in the corner of your yard or flower patch! Now I, being me, have always been fascinated by Wee-FolK gardens and this is by far  the coolest way to do it. ALL PHOTOS COME FROM THE FAIRYS GARDEN If interested go there.     ENJOY! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/637993/ Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:55:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/637993/     Ooops! I posted a TEA POT picture-story on my poetry blog instead of here! Please follow this link to my other blog to view it. Lots of love-Lexi OFG http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/637632/ Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:44:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/637632/             It is Christmas time in Olden Land. The fire is cracking and the tree all lite up. And perched beneath the holiday tree is a little girl, no more than 9 years old. Her frock is pink calico and her golden hair done in ringlets. The only thing she is thinking about now, however, is those toys from Saint Nicolas. Shall we see what she got? 1. A doll. No girl should go without one of these. 2. A Sewing bird. This little song-bird makes no music in the morning. Made of brass, he helps semetresses of all ages by attaching to a work table and holding hems or material by the beak while they sew. 3. Oranges. Children usuaslly received small fruits in their stockings 4. Material for a dress 5. A muff. Muffs were soft and acted sort of like gloves or mittens. Very handy for winter. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/636809/ Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:36:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/636809/ Sorry I haven't posted lately. Normally blogging will rebegin right now! To make up, here are 4! parts to my story, Found Among The Fairies. Yes, this is the finished story! Yeah! Found Among the Fairies Part 7, 8, 9 and 10 Part the Seventh:            About the time Sun-beam finally realized she had entered the human-world, Liam Ronald decided he would get nothing from the fairies for his hard-ships. “Nell, we ain’t keeping her any longer!” Liam stated one night. Nell gasped and protested frantically to her husband while mending socks. “Oh no, you don’t mean it! Liam, she won’t live by herself!” Her husband grunted.“We won’t either if we keep feeding her. Listen, I say we give ‘it’ to her, along with enough bread for a day.” Mr. Ronald looked down to the ground and sighed. He didn’t like the strain his visitor was causing on his household pantry, but he didn’t welcome the thought of her ‘weaving a spell with that gibberish” again. Nell looked at her husband curiously. “Think it would help? It might be valuable-thought you’d want to keep it and pawn it off.” Her husband shrugged. “Sally needs it more.”         Sun-beam was told she must leave, and to their surprise, the Ronald’s found she agreed with them. “I am sure now that I am not in the fairy-world after all.” She explained. “I’ve always known I was from your world Mr. Ronald, but I didn’t think I was here until yesterday.” She sighed. “I don’t know how to get home though. I have no recollection of what part of the moor I headed from last week. I do wish I had some-one or something to help me. You’ve been so nice! But…I just don’t know where to head!“ Nell glanced at Liam who nodded. “Shannon has some’ting for ye.” He commented gruffly. Nell shook her uncombed hair reprovingly at her husband as if to say, ‘be kinder.’ “Shannon has had so much fun playing with you, Sally, and hearing about your fairy friends.” Nell smiled. “Come here Shannon!” Mrs. Ronald called to the back of the house.         “What isssss it?” A small pointed-eared fairy clad in a green-reed sentinel outfit asked, mesmerized at a faded bud that was laying by the gate to the human-city Sun-beam was in. A stout, mature fairy lightly slapped the first, shaking his head with impatience. “That, Lt. Acorn, is one of our Princess’s flowers from one of her pretty wreathes she makes!” The younger fairy looked in awe at the flower for a moment, then asked, “What does it mean?” His commending Officer grunted and called loudly, “We’ve found a village Sun-beam has visited boys! Alert the other regiments to come quickly!” Within an hour, tiny fairies were flitting about, quietly searching the village for Sun-beam.        Meanwhile, Sun-beam had just missed her searching friends. She was now joyfully bounding across the meadow toward the mushroom ring. Shannon Ronald, a true play-mate, had given her an antique-looking, golden compass. “I found it at the market.” Liam had said roughly. “Thought it might help direct you home.” Sun-beam had tilted her head. “He means, this is a ‘compass’, an instrument used in locating direction.” Nell had explained patiently. Sun-beam nodded vaguely. “But I don’t remember the direction I came from.” She protested politely. All three Ronald’s had glanced knowingly at each-other. “It’s magic!” Whispered Shannon. “Mum figured that out! Tell it where you want to go---and it’ll take you there!”      Sun-beam had set off after many words of thanks, for she realized that in this strange land of her birth, things weren’t always as happy and carefree as in the fairy-world, and the gift was a very precious one from such a poor family. Once outside the town-gate, Sun-beam flipped open the compass lid, and murmured the words “Moon Stone Empire.” The compass needle spun wildly and suddenly stopped, showing the direction of the mushroom ring! Within moments she was gliding up the moor, with every intent of finding her fairy parents awaiting her arrival.         What a surprise she was in for! When Sun-beam stepped over the mushroom ring, and found herself transformed back into her paradise home, she also found that the city was empty and unguarded! “What has happened!” She cried. “Mother, Father, Twig, Olive!!!! Where are you?” Desperately, Sun-beam ran all about her meadow, where so many happy years had been passed, but all that she found was a very odd structure which had never been there before. Has someone invaded and killed everyone in my peaceful kingdom? She thought frantically. Maybe all the invaders are in this strange palace! Maybe I’m not safe in my home anymore! What’ll I do!?!         Part the Eighth           Two flashing blue eyes peeked into the Ronald’s window. In a snap, a whole fleet of eyes strained to see the going-ons in the shabby cottage. Mr. Ronald was crouched on a wooden bench, while Shannon and her mum where sewing on the floor. No fire was going, and no smell of hot dinner drifted through to the fairies. Four fleets of the little beings were anxiously peeping at the dreary little scene before them, for one quick little Sentinel had spotted dried flower-buds scattered about the living-room. As the fleet were gazing suspiciously at Shannon, (who was a lass very much like Sun-beam herself,) a sudden shrill went up from the inside room. The fairies had been spotted!         Liam Ronald rushed to window and pulled it open, so the panes swung inside the house and didn’t hurt the sprites. “Saints be praised! There are fairies in the world!” He cried, smiling happily for the first time in years. In a flash, Shannon and her mum, Nell, were by Liam’s side, staring in wonder. Meanwhile, the fairy army, so surprised, was poised in mid-flight. Suddenly, in a demanding tone, a fairy voice sounded, “Where is Princess Sun-beam?”           The floating fairies parted in respect, all bowing as King Aspen waltzed through the air toward the inside of the hut, where three ragged humans stood with wide eyes. In a second, Queen Moss appeared, seeming more gentle, but grave. “Humans of the Big-People World, we seek our adopted daughter, who has lived with us since she was an infant. We see her wreathe-blossoms scattered in your home and know she has been here, since you haven’t our variety of blooms in your world.” Queen Moss spoke elegantly, floating toward Shannon Ronald and smiling kindly. It was the poor Irish girl who spoke first. “Why yes, Sally…I mean Sun-beam, was here. She left a little while--” Shannon was cut off by an explosion of gasps from the fairies, still hanging in the chilly breeze. “You’ve kidnapped her!” One voice shrieked. A rustle of excitement swept over every fair head until it seemed like the fairies were buzzing! “Please, ‘highness,” spoke Mrs. Ronald kindly. “We didn’t do anything of that sort. Come in and we’ll tell you everything!” The thin woman directed her speech to Queen Moss, who nodded slightly.            Counted, there were 107 fairies fluttering around the Ronald’s home throughout the next hour while the human-family told the worried fairy parents about Sun-beam. “You have been faithful friends to us fairies, we are grateful.” King Aspen stated gracefully, standing up from his seat he had taken in a small cup on the table. “Yes indeed, most faithful!” Queen Moss exclaimed twirling in the air with delight. She spread her arms out wide, dancing nearer to Liam, and his enchanted wife. “When we get a hold of more of our magical dust, we will bless you with many things, luxurious and useful!” She said happily. “You see, we have had some trouble back in our Empire. Someone stole our precious fairy dust.” Liam and Nell nodded solemnly; they needed food badly, but were too stunned at the possibility of having much more than just that, to complain. “May I have a dress like Sally, I mean Sun-beam?” questioned Shannon who sat, watching the fairies, someway off. Queen Moss smiled. “Indeed my dear. But we don’t need dust for that! I promise I will weave you a fairy gown and bring it to you soon!” Liam frowned at the fairy’s remark. “Shannon may not need those fancy-” He was silenced by a stern look emanating from Nell’s face. “Of course she does Liam!” Nell gasped horrified, then turning to the fairy’s added, “You should send a scout to find Sun-beam, she was intent on seeing you!”         Sun-beam had hidden herself in a patch of tall Irises, crying herself wet, trying to decide what to do. “I’ll go back to the human world!” She sobbed aloud. Stretching herself to her full height, she gazed about her fairy-realm, than fled at full speed across the mushroom ring back into the human world, accidentally leaving the golden compass forgotten, amid the Irises. Once on the moor, a last glance showed her that the beautiful realm was now a small circle of grass. “Good-bye home.” She murmured sadly, turning back to the green fields. Suddenly she froze stiff, her eyes had adjusted away from the mushroom ring. Could it be? She thought wildly. It was! “Mother, Father!” Sun-beam screamed wildly jumping like a child. King Aspen and Queen Moss were gliding across the moor toward her, with their company of regiments in tow! In addition, all the search groups that had spread in different directions were floating happily from North, South, East and West, all heading toward the mushroom ring! “All Hail Sun-beam!” Thousands of fairy voices sang in unison! “What was lost has been found!” Added two high voices. Twig and Olive rushed forward to Sun-beam and started to tickle her!      Part the Ninth:       The whole host of fairies, along with over-joyed Sun-beam, returned to Moon Stone Empire happy to settle back into their normal life. However, things didn’t calm at once. Sun-beam was officially presented with her castles, which she found out was not an intruder’s home, but rather her own. Stories were related back and forth once the royal family was settled in the new palace. Princess Sun-beam realized that her beloved Kingdom was safe, the fairy population had only been absent because they were searching for her.       Over the next few days, amid settling back in, the fairies greeted sorrow a couple of times. When hunting for their Princess, some faithful fairy regiments had fallen into enemy (aka human) hands. Now, injured fairies came hobbling back to the kingdom, bruised and scarred from having been handled by the big-people. However, spirits soon revived as a consul meeting was held in Sun-beam’s gigantic palace, to decide what should be done to reward the Ronald Family. “They have to be lifted from poverty, that is sure.” Olive stated during the meeting. “But dear, we haven’t any dust left; after all, your Uncle Tangle-web stole all our supply.” (It should be told that Sun-beam had learned all about the mysterious entwining cord and who had been behind the prank.) Queen Moss sighed, shaking her elfish head. “But the Ronald’s have barely anything!” Gasped Sun-beam, positive that her new friends needed all the help the fairies could lend them. “Not anything?” King Aspen questioned in disbelief. “Well….” Sun-beam thought for a moment. “They gave me their only thing of value....called a…campuss?, composs?, compass, yes! A compass! The Ronald’s gave me a magical compass that pointed me in the direction of the mushroom ring!” Quickly Sun-beam related the specifics about the compass, which she had forgotten all about until at the meeting. “I wouldn’t have found the ring if it wasn’t for this instrument. In fact, I think I know where I left it! Come on!” All the fairy counsel members followed their princess from the palace to the flower-fields. Sun-beam rushed toward the Irises and plopped down, fingering through the earth. “Here, this is it!” Sun-beam cried, and holding up the lovely golden instrument for them, the fairy host gasped. “Such a lovely thing!” Queen Moss stated, fluttering over to the object her daughter held and perching on top of it. “Aspen, I think I need this for a new throne!” The Queen laughed.      The antique object was carried ceremoniously into the castle by Sun-beam, since the fairies couldn’t lift it by themselves, for indeed it was just the right size to make a seat for them.     “This still doesn’t answer where to get more dust.” The King stated as the counsel dragged on. “I always heard that our forefathers first retrieved our fairy dust from in the center of Fire Orchids.” The advisor Hyssop put in.  “Yes, very well my good sir,” Olive piped up. “But we all know Fire Orchids don’t pop up very often. They’re what one calls a ‘rare species.’” The room heaved a sigh. Silence. Then, slowly, Twig started to mutter to himself. A light dawned in his eyes as he focused on his sister’s hand. Without warning, Sun-beam gasped, silently recognizing the plan whizzing through her fairy brother’s head. Lifting the palm of her hand above her head, Sun-beam announced, “This will lead us to the Fire Orchids!” In her hand lay the compass!        Next day at noon, Sun-beam had on an airy, blue gown that billowed around her bare feet. A crown of flowers swept ‘round her head as she stood in the meadow gazing intently at her hand. Hundred’s of fairy-folk were swinging along in the breeze, as they waited for the Fire Orchid hunt to begin. “Compass!” Sun-beam’s gentle voice commanded. “Lead us to the Fire Orchids here in Moon Stone Kingdom.” With sparkles leaping from the golden needle, the arrow spun around and around until it pointed behind her. “Follow me!” Exclaimed Sun-beam. The hunt lasted an hour. Yawns were echoing from mouth to mouth as the hunt lead all the way to a far corner of the kingdom, at the mushroom border. All that was there was a bare patch of dry brown dirt. Like the border near Sun-beam’s meadow, a patch of dusty earth stretched before the mushroom ring. “No flowers planted in this dirt!” Sun-beam exclaimed. She had noticed that behind her lay only normal spring blooms, no rare Fire buds. “We’re at a dead end!” Olive cried, he had tagged along for the hunt. ‘What just a second!” Queen Moss pushed her way next to Sun-beam through the crowd of onlookers. “Dear, look for a SEED! ” The queen urged. A swell of excitement rustled through Sun-beam’s body. “All right Mother!” No seed unveiled itself. “Just as well.” Sun-beam sighed. “A seed would have sprouted into a plant if it lay in the earth!” Queen Moss shook her head. “The earth is too dry!” The party turned to leave when the magic compass slipped from Sun-beam’s palm. “Ugh! I hope it’s not broken!” She cried. All the fairies swirled around and gazed at their princess while she picked up the instrument. She gasped loudly. “I found a pod-seed!” She cried!             Part the Tenth:           Queen Moss nearly swung through the breeze back to Sun-beam’s hand. Almost shaking, the Queen of the fairy folk perched on her adopted human-daughter’s hand. Carefully she examined the pod-seed that lay inside Sun-beam’s palm.         “The only way to know for sure that this is a Fire orchid seed, is to plant it.” Moss finally declared. Her human daughter nearly jumped, jostling the Queen back into the air. “Oh Mother!” Sun-beam cried, “How wonderful! It would be grand to reward the Ronald’s with plenty of food! If this is a Fire Orchid, we can gather the fairy dust by the end of the new moon!” With broad smiles the whole group of seed-hunting fairies swept back to the castle. King Aspen, who had stayed at the palace for particular reasons, greeted his wife and daughter warmly. Olive and Twig excused themselves so they could dismiss the hunting party back to their flower houses.          “My dear, I have to agree that this might very well be a Fire Orchid plant!” King Aspen smiled. Floating up the staircase in Sun-beam’s human-sized castle, the King led his wife and daughter to the balcony of the tippy-top-most tower. Once there, he outstretched his arms and leaned over the railing, chanting. “Take root deep within, Blossom until your end, Then please release forth, more seeds to take birth!” With this the King motioned for Sun-beam and the fair youth gently tossed the seed over the railing down, down, down to the soft earth that surrounded the castle.          It took only three weeks. The Fire Orchid plant grew steadily. From the beginning the plant took on a shape unlike any plant that grew commonly in the fairy ring. The wide realm had many species of lilies, hibiscus, roses and chrysanthemums, even kinds that the human-world didn’t have, but this plant was completely unique. The stems wound themselves into lace-like designs. The leaves had veins that formed pictures. However, there was one problem. The needed dust was to be gathered at the center of the orchid-blossom. But though the greenery grew, no bud appeared. It wasn’t until Sun-beam began to tend for the plant, that buds slowly started to unfold. “My dear,” The Queen said one morning. “You are truly the Sun-beam that this plant needed to unfurl.” It proved to be true. As Princess Sun-beam watered the plant and pruned it, so did it flourish.      One day, soon after the blossoms began to open on the orchid plant, King Aspen decided on a very serious matter. “The only human ever allowed in this realm, for the thousands of years of its existance, was our dear Sun-beam. But today, I motion that the Ronald Family be taken into the Moon-stone Empire for the ceremony of gathering the dust. After all, they are the ones to benefit from our magical plant.” A whole group of fairy advisors sat in the throne room, listening to the King. A few objected, but most agreed it should be like the king said, for the Ronald’s had helped Princess Sun-beam during her absence from the realm.          The Ronald Family, a dirty, poor group, was lead by a parade of fairies into the enchanted realm. The group was made invisible while coming from the Irish town, through the moor and into ring, as to avoid any unwanted humans from following. Once inside, the amazed family was clothed, just like Shannon Ronald had wished, in beautiful breezy garments, fit for royalty. Tiny sprites and pixies danced around the humans as they were led to the castle and out toward the Fire Orchid. Liam, who had more than once been rough and rude to Sun-beam, felt very ashamed of himself. However, it was very hard to remain sad when throngs of wee-folk were bounding about waving ribbons and hanging stars in the afternoon air.           Finally, after thousands of her citizens had crowded in the air and the humans were seated on crystal chairs, Queen Moss took her place beside the Orchid plant (which towered above her). Slowly, she peeled back the delicate petals of an orchid blossom, and leaned into the deep center, plunging half her body into it. “Ohhhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh…” The crowd murmured in suspense. It seemed a million years, but finally Queen Moss emerged, triumphant, her hands full of gold powder. Cheers filled the air!       After all the dust was gathered, the fairy crowd was dismissed and the Ronald’s were escorted by just the Royal family outside the borders of the realm back into the Irish moor. To the human family’s amazement, King Aspen began weaving magic with the newly gathered dust!        “My friends, the Ronald’s: Hear me clearly. You were true friends to my daughter Sun-beam in her time of trouble. We wish to repay you by making your abode beside our kingdom. You have entered into our Empire as forever friends. You are always welcome to come back in times of trouble and in times of peace.  As you have seen, my kingdom is extensive, but on the outside, it’s just a small ring of grass bordered by a mushroom circle. Once you step over the mushrooms however, you are in the fairy-world. Please come and go, eat and drink with us. Our home is yours.” King Aspen concluded his speech by powerfully raising his hands toward the Irish moor a few feet away and sprinkling fairy dust in that direction. POOF! Glitter flew in all directions, and slowly, a structure began rising from the grass. A red and white cottage formed! The attractive house grew quite large and a beautiful wooden perch formed with hanging plants and several chairs. Windows sprang up all around the house, trimmed with snow-white curtains and red sills. A beautiful bay window was set just below the pointed roof where the attic formed. Almost simultaneously smells began wavering from the open door and the Ronald Family felt hope for the first time in many years! They had a home and food! But most of all, they had friendship with the fairies!       In no time King Aspen added a perfect blacksmith workshop for Liam Ronald. His trade could flourish now with the proper tools and a healthy environment. Mrs. Nell Ronald had a glorious kitchen stalked with flour, sugar and dried fruit. A chicken barn was situated outside to the left of the house, along with a horse-filled stable! Queen Moss was sure to make her husband form a well and vegetable garden. All in all, the Ronald’s abode turned out to be a self-sustaining homestead! And not just that, but plenty of luxuries rested inside; a sewing machine, mahogany furniture, running water and a delicate set of china-ware!  Shannon and Nell were provided with many dresses made not from magic, but from the delicate hands of Queen Moss and Sun-beam. Though this was appreciated, all three Ronald’s like what sat on their new marble mantle the best. The magic compass and a painting of the Fire Orchid! The Ronald’s lived for the rest of their lives along side the fairies. And though their new homestead made a comfortable living for themselves, they all agreed that it was the friendship of the fairies that bound them as a close, happy family once and for all.                 And                     As                       It                         Must                             Be                                Said,            All lived Happily Ever After!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/636236/ Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:54:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/636236/      Found Among The Fairies Part 5&6 By Lexi   Part the Fifth:            Sun-beam awoke midday the next afternoon. Sitting dizzily on her knees, she gazed about confused. Not knowing where she was, (for the moor looked so different from her blossoming fairy-kingdom) she stood up, almost tipping over, for her legs shook unsteadily beneath her. “I must still be dreaming----never in my life have I been to this part of the kingdom It looks so unfamiliar.” She muttered to herself. Then glancing to the ground and spying an object, Sun-beam remembered what had happened  the night before. “This rope entangled me while I was waiting to be ushered to my party!” She gasped picking up a limp cord from beside the warm spot she had spent the night unconscious. “But it is life-less now.” She observed. Beautiful, Sun-beam, nearly grown, still arrayed in her light airy fairy gown,(and yes, still aglow with the light of sprites) stood in the middle of the human-world, not knowing it! Neither did she comprehend that the cord had been woven by her adopted fairy uncle in an attempt to capture her and now it had no power for it had crossed the mushroom ring with her into the dull, magic less world of Big-people, (or humans). I guess I should try to journey back to my part the Kingdom and seek mother and father. I guess I ran past the castle into the far East of the kingdom not knowing it. She thought. Turning on her bare-foot toes, the youthful princess made her way down the Irish moor, exactly opposite from the Fairy Ring, with high hopes that she would make it t the castle by nightfall!        It is likely the innocent princess did not recall the possibility of having crossed into her birth land, which, to their credit, her parents quite honestly told her about, because she never really thought about herself as coming from that world, but rather from the world of the fairies. Despite knowing her origin and that she wasn’t a true blood-fairy, she always felt she was. (Although it must be said she never knew how the sensation felt to grow wings.) So, it was that the unwary traveler was headed the exact opposite way she meant to go, toward the heart of the exact opposite kingdom she was intending to visit. It can be added that she didn’t head toward the ring because it was a plain circle of grass now that she was outside of it. The extensive kingdom was invisible from the outside, and only looked like a small patch of greenery with a mushroom ring about it. Since Sun-beam still thought she as inside the kingdom, there was no reason for her to look for the mushrooms outside the kingdom.         For a brief while, the trek across the cool moor was pleasant, but Sun-beam grew very grave when she arrived at the entrance to a city completely unlike any she had ever experienced.          “Good, Sir, can you tell me where the fairies are?” Sun-beam smiled sweetly at large, sweaty blacksmith, who worked under a tent a dozen yards from the city-gate. She had entered the city aware that something was terribly wrong because her parents had never mentioned any other people of her size dwelling in the fairy kingdom. The hulky man glanced from his work at the curiously dressed maiden and spat. “Why girly? Wondered from you play-pin? You’re too old for such games! Foolish gal!!!!!” Although thoroughly disgusted at this man’s reply, Sun-beam finally decided he didn’t understand. Maybe I should speak to him in the ancient instead of the common tongue. Quite sure this would get a direct answer on where to find her people, Sun-beam began again in a soft, fair dialect that was enchanting and beautiful to fairy ears, but rather imposing to ordinary humans. “The stars be warned! We have a witch on our hands!” The big man cried out alarmed. His demeanor had turned in such sped from cruel to frightened, that Sun-beam thought she had made another mistake on choosing a language. Before the man could speak again, Sun-beam started again in the first language, which seemed to calm the listener down and also bring about quicker, politer answers. “No Miss….I mean…no Ma’am, no fairies here….although do mind I have no problem with their kind….nor your kind…unless witches be the same as wee-folk!” The man had a look of controlled, but still apparent terror. Sun-beam, sad that she wasn’t near her family, but pleased to get a straight answer smiled and said, “I don’t know what ‘witches’ are, but no, I’m not a fairy, I’m a human, but I live with fairies.” She admitted, still with no thought that she had arrived in the world of her origin. The blacksmith, confused but with no intention of being rude to his caller again, nodded, “Ohhhhh.” Then hastily adding politely, he suggested, “Why don’t you stay the night at me home with me wife and me daughter Shannon. Pr’hps you might tell her some fairy tales.” It could be argued the man offered this partly out of fear, but at any rate it was told in common folk-lore that fairies often helped poor-folks, and the blacksmith was now thoroughly convinced that this girl had at least supernatural connections so he decided it might bring good fortune on his poor family by assisting her. Not knowing what else to do, Sun-beam accepted. The confused youth was led to a thatched hut in back of the work-tent and sent to bed by a kindly, but homely house-wife. So it came to pass that the Princess from another world became friends with Irish peasants. Rather for good or bad, she at least had a place to stay; even it wasn’t in her new castle which waited her arrival back in fairy-land.       Part the Sixth:           The Blacksmith who took Sun-beam into his household was named Liam Ronald. His wife Nell and daughter Shannon instantly took a kindly interest to the girl. They called her Sally, because they thought Sun-beam a queer name for a person to be found in such a filthy, unhappy village. The family was poor, and Liam was a gruff man, not as kind as his wife. Still, Liam managed to feed Sun-beam and told himself that someday soon he’d be blessed by having the record of housing and feeding the girl. Days went by and the Ronald’s food pantry had to stretch to feed not only just the family, but also Sun-beam. This human-world was so strange to the princess, for famine and poverty had never been an issue in her fairy-kingdom. However, Sun-beam was smarter than even kind Mrs. Nell Ronald’s gave her credit for, and she soon noticed that meals became fewer and smaller in proportion. Frankly, Sun-beam became frightened and finally, one bleak afternoon, she figured out all that had been confusing her.          Meanwhile, back in Moon Stone Kingdom, Lord Tangle-web and Lady Ivy were in the dudgeon. King Aspen had found out, rather disappointed but not quite surprised, that his brother had decided to kidnap the adopted human and lock her up in a magical tower. “You stole our store of Fairy Dust and Pixie Puffs to do so?!” Aspen had cried in disgust the day he and his trusted advisors had held court. “We have a barely a pinch left of magic dust now! Brother Tangle, you have always been a foolish Duke, but I thought you wouldn’t stoop that low!” It was known fairly common that Lord Tangle-web had an extensive criminal background, as did his wife and sons. “You know how much dust it requires to do ‘large’ projects, (especially large, ‘evil’ projects, Aspen) and your adopted daughter isn’t exactly our size!” Lord Tangle-web had sneered. “Anyway, you are just too…..well….fair, honest….niceeeeeeee! You would have let Sun-beam move from the kingdom and bring calamity on us all!” Aspen’s brother continued wickedly. The King gasped, shocked. “You are greedy enough to kidnap my daughter, so your fortune and luxuries wouldn’t be in danger!! I’ll bet you didn’t even care about everyone else who might suffer! You were willing to break the golden rule (and treat Sun-beam like a hostage if she wished to go back to her birth-land) to ensure your cozy, comfortably life wouldn’t be put in jeopardy!” At this point Queen Moss had to rush and restrain her husband from waving his scepter and turning his brother into something unnatural and painful. Seething mad, but maintaining control, King Aspen left the hall ordering his kinsman into the dungeon, which although not extravagant-was far more livable than any hutch to be found among the Irish peasants. Thorn and Thistle were likewise disposed of, and it might be added that they and their parents were the only fairies living in the dungeon at the time. (Usually the dungeon was used as a temporary ‘storage’ place for drunken fairies, who were unconscious and hadn’t any type of identification on themselves as to where they lived.”         King Aspen knew the thoughts of his people were inclined to think that disaster surly would come in the absence of Sun-beam, but he had never been able to reconcile holding her against her will in order to have a prosperous kingdom. She was a definite blessing to the kingdom however, and that the king would readily admit. Now the question entered his mind, where was Sun-beam? Could she be outside the Kingdom? What would really happen to the state of the Empire if she was beyond its borders? The kind Lord was in distress. Thorn and Thistle had been extremely peevish and snippy when questioned about their part in the proceedings during the celebration night, but it was learned that Princess Sun-beam had fled toward the direction of the bordering mushrooms. Plus, she had not turned up yet. Had the cord strangled her to death in a corner of the kingdom? Had she escaped alive outside the kingdom? If she had escaped, where was she now?         The citizens of Moon Stone Kingdom were in desperation when they heard what had happened. However, they were more upset that Lord tangle-web had been so cruel, than they were at the thought of perhaps losing their homes to calamity. (It should be told right here that there was no danger for the Empire if Sun-beam left, it was just a belief thoroughly fixed in the minds of the citizens)         Within one sunrise-sunset, a “Finding” party of brave fairy-folk had been arranged and setoff to search for Sun-beam. But search as they might, Sun-beam was not found in the kingdom. Reasoning with herself and her husband, Queen Moss came to the decision that a search-party should be sent into the human-world! “My dear Aspen, I doubt Sun-beam left the borders by her own choice. It was her birthday! She was such a good, faithful child. I doubt she meant to flee beyond the mushroom ring!”             Fifty dispatches of fairy sentinels set forth. Butterflies armed with poison-gases and gravel-slings, pollinated bees ready to plant gardens when cover needed, and frog look-outs, accompanied each group. Careful to be undiscovered by humans, the different armies set out to towns all across the moor, searching for their beloved Sun-beam. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/605374/ Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:54:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OldFashionPonderings/605374/