The Rain Fairies
By
Angela Hope
Copyright 1995 by Angela Hope
* * * * *
Amy looked out of her bedroom window wanting to go out to play. Instead she watched the large rain drops splashing down onto the wet ground and the lilac tree being blown furiously by the wind.
With a cup of hot chocolate in her hand Amy’s mummy came and stood beside her.
“I think it is time for me to tell you a secret about the rain Amy, so drink your chocolate and I will begin.
If you look very carefully at that puddle below your window you will see the rain jump as it hits the ground. It is really the rain fairies dancing. They are invisible to most people but not to me, I can tell you all about them.
They are small with lovely long flowing hair. Their wings are as thin and pretty as a spider’s web. Their dresses all of the colours in a rainbow are spun from the finest silk.
The fairy in yellow is called Primrose and the one in blue, Isabella. Marigold is in orange and Petal is in pink.
There are only four rain fairies here today. You may not be able to see them but believe me they are there!”
Amy watched the puddle and imagined the fairies dancing. She felt so much happier now.
When the rain stopped, Amy put on her wellington boots and went outside to the puddle below her window.
“Bye bye rain fairies,” she said. “I’ll be watching for you the next time it rains.”
*****
Amy had been waiting for another rainy day so that she could imagine the fairies dancing in the puddles. This morning she was lucky. Before she had opened her eyes she could hear the rain tapping against her window. The sound no longer made her feel sad. She jumped out of bed and opened her curtains letting in the morning light.
“Mummy come quickly it’s raining!” called Amy. “Are the fairies outside yet?”
Mummy walked into the room. “Yes I’m sure they are, you have been a good girl and the fairies know that. They never bother to visit naughty children.
Today I’ll tell you another secret.”
Amy’s face lit up, she was eager to hear her mother’s story.
“It is the secret of the rainbow!
When the sun shines on the rain a rainbow will appear. All of the fairies join hands and gracefully fly up together, the colours of their dresses making an arch in the sky.
Pixies climb to the middle of the rainbow and slide down with a splash. People have always said there is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow but it is really the golden bells on the pixie’s hats as they slide into the puddle below.”
Amy stood in amazement and couldn’t wait for the next rainbow to appear. It wasn’t long before she was putting on her mackintosh and wellington boots. If she looked hard enough she might be able to see the fairies and pixies having a wonderful time.
Meanwhile.
Sitting on a fluffy white cloud were four of the seven rain fairies. Isabella was combing her hair with a golden comb, while Marigold brushed her hair with a silver handled brush. Primrose fanned herself gently with her wings and Petal played with some magic fairy dust.
They were waiting for the rain so that they could go dancing but the sun was shining and they had to find something else to do.
“I think it’s time to make ourselves some new dresses.” said Isabella putting her comb down beside her.
Petal picked up her magic fairy dust and sprinkled it onto the fluffy white cloud as Isabella waved her wand.
There in front of them lay a roll of the finest silk, all the colours of a rainbow.
Primrose picked up a corner of the silk that was yellow and Marigold held a piece of orange. Petal took the pink and Isabella the blue. They loved their own colours and would never change them. With their wings opening and closing they caused enough of a breeze to lift the silk into the air. As it fell, pretty dresses floated down onto its own fairy.
The remaining silk turned into beautiful coloured flowers that scattered themselves over the cloud.
They were happy on the fluffy white cloud but they were happier dancing and playing in the rain. Perhaps it would rain tomorrow.
Sitting in their castle Isabella and Trixie waited patiently for their friends. It was raining and they were ready to go dancing. Holly had forgotten her magic wand but finally she was ready to go. They gracefully flapped their wings and rose into the air leaving the castle through a window instead of the door.
The rain was falling quite heavily and the wind was a bit too strong, so Primrose called to the wind. She asked politely if he would calm down a little. It was difficult for them to fly to Amy’s garden, when he was so strong.”
The wind waited for them to land before he carried on through the trees, going over the top of the fairies so that they could dance and play without being bothered by him.
Primrose looked up and saw the little girl standing at her window.
“Amy is watching for us, we should let her know we are here.” she said.
They held hands and danced in a circle splashing and jumping as high as they could.
Amy did know they were there she had been waiting for them, even though she could only see them clearly in her imagination.
Holly picked up her magic wand and waved it in the air, and at that moment Amy saw the rain fairies for the very first time.
She saw Isabella in her blue dress, Petal in pink, Marigold in orange and Primrose in yellow. There were three fairies Amy didn’t know about. One wore a green dress, one in a red dress, and the other in purple. Then they were gone.
Amy was so excited she could hardly speak. “Mummy, Mummy! I have just seen the Rain Fairies really I did. I saw the fairies that you have told me about and there were three more. They were dancing in the puddle under my window and they waved to me. Do you know the other three names Mummy?”
Smiling she took Amy’s hand. “Yes I know their names.” she said.
“The fairy in green is Holly; the one in red is Trixie and finally Moonshine wears Purple. All of the fairies make up the colours of the rainbow. Red, Yellow, Pink, Green, Orange, Purple, Blue.
“How do you know all of their names?” asked Amy.
“Well that’s another story.” said Mummy with a smile.
*****
It was getting dark in rain fairy land. Moonshine and Primrose heard a distant voice calling to them. As they flew towards the cries they found Holly in distress.
“Oh Holly, what has happened to you?” they asked.
“I was dancing alone in a puddle when I lost my balance and fell onto a rose bush. It had sharp thorns that tore my green dress and hurt my wing.”
“We had better get you to Mrs. Spider! She will make you a new pair of wings.”
Moonshine and Primrose almost carried Holly to Mrs. Spider who was spinning a new wing for a dragon fly.
She could make the most delicate wings in no time at all.
“Can you make a new pair of wings for Holly please?” said Moonshine.
“It would be no trouble,” said Mrs. Spider. “I’ve almost finished here so I’ll not be long.”
The fairies watched as she set to work. Making a beautiful pair of wings for Holly.
Pleased with her new wings, Holly thanked Mrs. Spider and flew off with her friends back to their castle in the sky.
Petal scattered the fairy dust and waved her magic wand. A roll of silk appeared the seven colours of the rainbow. Holly picked up a piece of green that immediately turned into a pretty new dress. She felt so much better now.
It had been a long day and the fairies were very tired. “I will go dancing again tomorrow, but this time I will be more careful.” said Holly sleepily.
*****
&nbs
p; Amy couldn’t sleep; the storm was keeping her awake. She was so afraid of the thunder and lightning she hid herself under the bed covers. It wasn’t long before her mother was sitting on the bed beside her.
“I think it’s time for another secret don’t you Amy? Snuggle down and close your eyes, listen to me and not the thunder.”
Amy cuddled her doll and closed her eyes so that she wouldn’t see the lightning.
In a soft voice her mother began.
“Before a thunder storm the rain fairies call to the planet of the white unicorns. The unicorns arrive at the fairy’s castle where they are washed and brushed until they are beautifully white and sparkling clean.
The pixies and elves bring their drums and sit in a circle, a piece of soft white cloud in their ears to protect them from the noise they are going to make. When it is time for the thunder they say “Ready Steady Go!” and beat their drums as hard as they can. The fairies wait for them to stop, and then ride the unicorns in single file through the sky waving their magic wands.
As they are so far away from the ground it looks like a flash of light in the sky. We both know the truth now don’t we Amy?”
Amy was fast asleep but she had heard every word her mummy had said.
*****
After spending some time dancing in a puddle, the rain fairies needed to clean themselves. Some puddles made them very dirty.
Primrose sat herself down onto a rose petal and waited for it to fill with rain before taking a bath. Marigold sat on a leaf and washed her long blonde hair, while Trixie Moonshine and Holly cleaned each other’s wings. Isabella and Petal had great fun tipping the rain water from the leaves with their wands. Showering this way was great fun.
The sun started to shine. “Come on everyone, it’s time for a rainbow.” said Isabella.
They held hands and floated up from the ground making a beautifully coloured arch coming to land where the elves and pixies were waiting for them.
The golden bells on the pixie’s hats shone brightly as they scampered onto the rainbow running up one side and sliding down the other, taking care not to get in the way of the fairies as they danced.
As the last of the pixies splashed into the puddle, Isabella called to her friend the wind to take them home. The fairies waved goodbye to the pixies and elves as they were gently carried home on a breeze.
Amy had seen the rainbow. She wished and wished for the magic of the rain fairies to work so that she could see them again. It didn’t happen today but perhaps she would see them the next time it rained.
*****
It had been another lovely sunny day and Amy was feeling sad. She wanted the magic of the rain fairies. Lying on her bed she couldn’t help the sadness she felt.
She didn’t see the little bird sitting on the window ledge watching her. He flew away up into the clouds and went to tell the rain fairies how unhappy Amy was.
“We must do something!” said Marigold and all of the fairies agreed that the time had come to go and show themselves to Amy.
Isabella waved her magic wand and the rain started to fall but it only fell in Amy’s garden.
Hearing the rain tapping on her window Amy ran to look outside.
It wasn’t raining very hard so she opened the window wide to see the puddle below.
Isabella, Marigold, Petal, Holly, Trixie, Primrose and Moonshine threw some fairy dust onto the ground and waved their magic wands.
Amy could see them all clearly and thought she would burst with excitement.
She pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
The rain fairies held hands and floated up from the ground leaving a rainbow of colours behind them and landed on the window ledge in front of Amy.
Petal threw some more dust and waved her wand and from out of the darkness three white unicorns appeared each carrying a pixie.
They floated in through the open window past Amy and around her bed leaving a cloud of silver fairy dust trailing behind them.
Circling the room one last time they waved goodbye and disappeared out of the window.
As if in slow motion the rain fairies landed on Amy before waving goodbye and gracefully floating out of the window into the darkness.
As her mother walked into the room, Amy found it hard to speak. She was trying to tell her what had just happened.
“You do believe me don’t you?” said Amy.
Smiling, her mother bent down and picked something up from the floor.
“I think this is yours Amy.” she said as she opened her hand revealing a golden bell.
“It must have fallen from a pixie’s hat!”
“No,” said Mummy. “It has been left especially for you.”
Amy sat up against her pillow, she had been promised another secret and wondered what it could be. Her mother tucked in her covers and sat on the bed.
“It all started when I was a baby,” she said. “It was a stormy night. The window in my room was open just enough to let in the fresh air. The rain fairies were playing in a puddle below when they heard strange noises coming from my bedroom. They flew up to the window ledge and peeped in.
“The noise is coming from over there,” said Petal as they flew in through the open window and landed on the side of my cot.
“Oh you poor little thing,” said Marigold. “You have the hiccups so badly.”
She waved her magic wand and my hiccups disappeared.
They played with me for a while, making me giggle a bit too loudly.
“Someone’s coming!” said Holly “We must hide quickly.” They hid themselves between the soft toys that surrounded my cot as the door opened and Mummy came in.
“You are a happy little baby tonight.” she said as she bent over to kiss me on the cheek. She walked to the window and closed it tightly. The door closing behind her.
“Oh dear,” said Isabella. “The window is closed!” “Don’t worry I have some magic fairy dust left.” said Holly.
“All of the fairies gave me a kiss and said they would be back the next time it rained.
Holly threw the fairy dust into the air and with a wave of their magic wands they all disappeared.
They kept their promise and as I grew up I learnt their names. Trixie in red, Marigold in orange, Primrose in yellow, Holly in green, Isabella in blue, Moonshine in purple and Petal in pink.
I was a very lucky baby to have such friends. There aren’t many children that have the chance to see them as clearly as we do.
Now you know the whole story. Goodnight Amy and goodnight boys and girls.”
The End.