The Fairy Godmother
Copyright ©2012 by Nonno Vecchio
All Rights Reserved
Once upon a time, there lived a fairy godmother. She was wise and very old and she loved to grant wishes to those who deserved to have their wishes granted. Every night she flew all over the earth looking for someone good; someone who deserved to be heard.
One night, as she was flying through the Alps, she heard someone crying. She looked and looked and finally, way below the clouds, sitting in a clearing alone in the moonlight, she saw her. A pretty young woman sat alone on a log, her head buried in her hands.
The fairy godmother knew right away that this was a good person and someone who deserved to have her wishes granted. She knew also that the Fairy Godmother Guild required that all supplicants must be proved before any wishes could be granted. Wise in the ways of her craft, the fairy godmother thought and thought and thought some more until she knew how she would test the young woman.
Three Tests I Give
So, turning herself into a dove, she flew to a nearby tree and alighted on a branch near the young woman's shoulder. The woman, still sobbing, was startled when she heard, "Whatever is the matter that makes you cry so?"
"Wha-!?", the young woman exclaimed as she looked around to see who spoke.
"I said," said the dove, "what is wrong that has you in such tears?"
When the young woman realized it was the dove speaking, she fell back and gasped, "Gasp! What magic is this that allows you to talk so?"
"Magic, indeed" said the dove. "Now tell me why are you crying?"
And with that question all the young woman's grief came flooding back and she began crying anew. "My husband and I have been married for some time and, though we've been trying, I cannot give him any children!" And she blubbered and wiped her nose. "I'm afraid he will leave me for one of the young maidens in our village!"
"There, there now," said the dove. "If he loves you, he will not leave you no matter what. Take courage, child." And the dove flittered from the tree to the young woman's shoulder. "I can help you, dear. But you have to do something for me or you will never have any children."
The young woman stopped crying and said, "Oh, yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes! I will do whatever you ask me!" And she clapped her hands together in joy.
"Three tests I give. First," said the dove, "you must feed the stranger who comes to your door no matter whether you have sufficient supply for yourself and your husband." As she said this, the dove held up her wing with one feather extended.
"Two," and another feather went up, "you must give drink to the weary no matter the time day or night for I know you have a well with nice, cool water."
"And three," said the dove holding up yet another feather, "you must always carry a song in your heart and be kind to all you meet." The dove knew this last would be easy for the young woman to do for she knew it was in the young woman's nature to always be kind, gentle, and helpful to everyone. She knew also that, even though the young woman's heart was sad and heavy with grief, it always held a song of love and friendship just waiting to sing out.
The young woman stopped crying and looked at the dove with hope on her face. "Oh, yes! Yes, I can do all those things and more!" And without waiting, she leapt to her feet and ran off for home yelling, "Thank you, kind dove, thank you!"
The dove, once again taking her fairy godmother form, flew silently after the young woman to see what would transpire.
The Tests
The Stranger
Early in the morning the young woman arose and fixed a hearty breakfast for her husband who, knowing his wife had been moody, took note of the change. He hugged her to himself and nuzzled her neck and mumbled a quiet good morning before taking his place at the table. Once grace had been said over the meal, they ate their food quickly as she chattered on amiably.
Unexpectedly, there was a knock at the door.
"Who can that be at this early hour?" the young husband asked.
"No matter," said the young wife, "I'll see to it while you finish your meal." And with that she opened the door to find a tall stranger standing before her. At one time, his clothes were the epitome of high fashion but now they lay upon his frame dirty and tattered.
"Madam," said the stranger, doffing his cap, "I am afraid I have fallen on hard times and find myself in need of assistance. I have been traveling for days and have naught to eat but an apple rind I found in the dirt and a bit of lettuce growing wild near the road. Could I trouble you for a crust of bread and a bit of water with which to wash it down?" And as he asked this last, he bowed his head with the shame of having to beg. "I have to tell you, though. I was robbed three days back while traveling the highway and haven't any coin."
Without a moment's hesitation the young woman exclaimed, "Nonsense! You will come in and break your fast with my husband and me!" And before he knew what was happening, he was seated at the table and his meal placed before him.
As he ate, the young wife murmured something in her husband's ear. Her husband nodded his head once in agreement and he smiled broadly. "That's an excellent idea, wife!" He exclaimed and excused himself from the table.
A few moments later he returned with a pair of trousers, a white shirt, and a striped coat. "My wife reminded me," he said as he held out the clothes to the stranger, "that my old suit no longer fits me. We want you to have it as the one you wear now is rather threadbare."
Tears welled up in the stranger's eyes. "But I have nothing with which to pay!" He exclaimed.
"Nonsense," replied the husband and wife in unison. "We give this freely to one in need and ask nothing in return." And with this the stranger found himself at a loss for words for in his village such kindness was rare.
After the stranger had eaten, changed, and left, the husband showered his wife with kisses before leaving for work. The wife hummed happily to herself as she merrily washed the breakfast dishes and swept the house.
The Weary
Around midday the young woman heard a noise way off in the distance. As she prepared the noon meal, the noise grew louder and louder until she could make out the sounds of people straggling and cattle lowing. She went outside to see what was happening and what she found startled her.
Coming down the road was a caravan of people. Some were old, some were young, some were tall, and some were small. Men, women, and children and whatever livestock they could gather were all heading in her direction. As they drew near to her, she could see plainly how weary they were.
"Whatever is the matter?" She asked the leader of the group. "You all look so troubled and tired."
Sighing deeply the leader, a short, stout man of some years, answered. "Our village was attacked a week ago by a band of marauding bandits and burned to the ground. We lost everything we had and barely managed to escape with our lives, our families, and this meager amount of livestock. Our supplies are running low and our children thirst for we have run out of water. We saw your well and thought to ask if we could have just a cup of water to give our children. Then we will be on our way until we can some uninhabited land to claim and call our own."
The young woman looked around the small group and her heart went out to them. She ran to the well and hauled up the bucket. "Nonsense!" She exclaimed (she does a lot of exclaiming, doesn't she?). "You shall have all the water you need for my husband and I have been blessed by God!" And with that she ran the bucket up and down the well until the entire group and their livestock had had their fill of water.
While they were drinking and watering their cattle and livestock, the young woman sent word to her husband and told him of the need. Upon receiving his reply, she approached the leader of the group and pointed to the field across the road.
"My husband and I own the field you see just there and want you and your families to camp there and make it your home for as long as you need until you get back on your feet and can find a place to call your own. We ask only that you do not move your wagons into the fields over yonder as that where we grow our crops for the village."
The little band of refugees were moved by this young woman's offer and thanked her over and over again as they made camp within the field. Before the sun had set that evening, laughter and singing filled the camp as the vagabonds settled their children for the night.
When the husband had returned from his day of toil in the fields beyond the hill, he sent word to the village elders and soon the little group of evacuees had more than enough to eat as the husband and his friends shared whatever food they could.
A Song in Her Heart
By morning the young woman found her heart brimming over with the joy that comes from helping those in need. Everywhere she went through out her village she had a pleasant smile and kind word for everyone she met. Gone were her tears and her fear that her husband would leave her for one of the village maidens.
Of course, the fairy godmother had watched everything as it happened and was very proud of the young woman and the way in which she completed each task. That night, as the young woman lay asleep in her husband's arms, the fairy godmother sprinkled fairy dust upon the young couple and blessed them for their goodness. And in the morning when they awoke and shared their love, she conceived.
Nine months later, the villagers all gathered around her home. The young husband sat anxiously outside the house with the men of the village - original members and former vagabonds alike for they had become family - and waited word from the midwife.
For hours the men sat telling jokes and sharing stories of when their own wives had given birth. They playfully teased the young husband and told him his life would never be the same now that he was a father. Yet even as they teased him, none of the men would have traded the joys of fatherhood for anything else in the world.
Then it happened! A baby's wail broke the quiet and the house door flew open. There stood the ancient midwife who yelled, "It's a girl!" The camp erupted in cheer and merriment as the men slapped the young husband on the back and congratulated him on the birth of his daughter. Then the door closed again ominously.
A few minutes later another cry broke through the laughter and all the men looked back to the house in wonder. Again the door flew open and again there stood the ancient midwife. The crowd grew quiet as she solemnly surveyed it. Then, a smile creased her lips and her broken teeth shown through as she exclaimed, "It's a boy!" And closed the door once more.
Another roar of cheering erupted and climbed toward the sky. The fairy godmother, watching from the branches of a nearby tree, smiled to herself. "Well done, little one, well done!" Then she flew off to other lands to find others to help.
Naming the Children
Once the midwife and the women of the village had cleaned the young woman and her new born children, the men were allowed to enter the house to meet the new born babes. As the proud father looked upon his children for the first time, the village mayor grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. "John," the mayor said for that was the young husband's name, "what will you name the children?"
Beaming with pride as he gazed upon his young wife, John turned to the men and replied, "Alice," for that was his wife's name, "and I name them Hansel and Gretel!" And the village once again erupted in cheer!
Extended Blessings
But the story does not end with the naming of Hansel and Gretel for just a few months later a coach pulled by six white horses drew up outside the house. The horses were adorned with fancy plumes upon their heads and their tack was bejeweled with expensive gems. A doorman alighted from the coachmen's seat and placed a stool on the ground outside the carriage door. Soon the lone passenger knocked upon the house door.
From inside John could be heard to mumble, "I wonder who that could be at this early hour?" And Alice could be heard to reply, "No matter. I'll see to it while you finish your meal." And then the door opened and she once again stood face to face with the tall stranger.
"Madam," the stranger, now wearing the most expensive clothes in the land and doffing his cap, said, "I came to thank you and your husband for the kindness you showed me a year ago. You see, I was traveling home from university when my carriage was attacked by marauding bandits. All my men were killed and I barely escaped with my life. For weeks I walked the highway trying to reach my home. Thinking I was a beggar, I was kicked and scorned everywhere I went and made to sleep in trees out of reach of wolves and wild animals. I had nothing to eat or drink along the way except that bit of lettuce and the apple rind I found laying in the dirt. Then, when I had just about given up hope of making it home again alive, you and your husband showed me the kindness of a good meal and clothes with which to cover myself. With my spirit renewed, I found the strength to carry on and found my way home before the first snowfall."
As he spoke, John came up behind his wife to see who stood in the doorway. He too was surprised to see the stranger standing there. But where Alice could only see the stranger for he was tall and a bit broad in the shoulders, John could see the carriage behind him. And when he did, he fell to his knee and pulled his wife down with him.
"Your highness!" John exclaimed. "We beg your forgiveness! If we had known you were coming we would have called the village elders and prepared a feast for you!" It was only as Alice listened to her husband speak that she realized she was hostess to the king.
Taking Alice and John by the arms and lifting them up, the king smiled. "Nonsense! You did not know who I was when you took me in yet you did so with kindness and courtesy. I needed only sustenance and a decent suit, which you provided. I had no need of special courtesies then and I have no need now for I am with friends!"
And with that, John and Alice invited the king into their humble home. The king was delighted and happy to discover that his friends had been blessed with children. And, because of the kindness John and Alice had shown the king before they knew who he was, he blessed them with riches and lands and made John regent of the land!
And Alice and John and all of their friends and family lived happily ever after. Well, at least until Hansel and Gretel went wandering in the woods. But that's another story....
THE END