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The Guardian Fairy and the Bear

A Guardian Fairy, who watched over a hive of bees that provided honey for many fairy families, brought out the fairy families three or four times by crying out, "Bear! Bear!" and when they came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The Bear, however, did truly come at last. The Guardian Fairy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help me, The Bear is destroying the hive"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Bear, having no cause for fear, at his leisure consumed all the honey and destroyed the bee hive.

The Miser and the Fairy

A Miser sold all that she had and bought a lump of gold, which she buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily. One of her servants observed her frequent visits to the spot and decided to watch her movements. She soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it. The Miser, on her next visit, found the hole empty and began to tear her hair and to make loud lamentations. A passing Fairy, seeing her overcome with grief and learning the cause, said, "Pray do not grieve so, but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the gold is still lying there. It will do you quite the same service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the slightest use of it."

The Astronomer and the Fairy

An Astronomer used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well. While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a Fairy flew to the well, and learning what had happened said: "Hark ye, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth?"

The Bears and the Bees

"Why should there always be this fear and slaughter between us?" said the Bears to the Bees. "Those evil-disposed Fairies have much to answer for. They always sound the alarm whenever we approach you and drive us off before we have done any harm. If you would only dismiss them from your side, there might soon be treaties of peace and reconciliation between us." The Bees, poor silly creatures, were easily beguiled and dismissed the Fairies, whereupon the Bears destroyed the unguarded hive at their own pleasure.

The Fairy and the Gemstone

A Fairy, searching for food for herself and her family, found a Gemstone and exclaimed: "If a human had found thee, and not I, he would have taken you and given you a place of honor; but I have for thee no purpose. I would rather have one drop of honey than all the Gemstones in the world."

The Wolf and the Fairy

A Wolf who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Fairy to enter his mouth and draw out the bone. When the Fairy extracted the bone and asked for payment, the wolf smiled and exclaimed: "Why, you surely already have sufficient reward, in having been permitted to draw out in safety from the mouth of a wolf."

The Fairy quickly flew away thinking: "In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your efforts."

The Merchant and the Fairy

A Merchant was driving along a country road, when a wheel got stuck in the mud. The Merchant, stupefied and aghast, stood looking at the wheel, and did nothing but utter cries for help. Finally a Fairy came to the Merchant and said: "Self-help is the best help. Try and fix the wheel yourself, and do not ask for aid until you have done your best. Only then will your cries not be in vain."

Manny's Fables is copyright 1998-2001 by Manuel Revilla, all rights reserved.
Twilight Realms is copyright 1999-2003 by Manuel Revilla, all rights reserved.