The Real Wing

There was a terrible collision between a storm cloud from the north and a storm cloud from the south. When the two storms met they swirled and beat at each other fiercely.

"You're in my way!" the north storm cried.

"I'm not in your way, you are in mine!" the south storm bellowed.

As the two storms rumbled and fought, the land, trees and many creatures below were blown about. The land became a tangled mess and all living hoped the fighting storms would stop soon.

Indigo C. Beacon - Copyright 2015

While the wind blew, a lovely butterfly with wings like stained glass was taken in a gust far away from her home which was on a bush by a riverbank. While the wind blew more, a graceful fairy with wings also like stained glass was swept away from a daisy field where she slept. These two poor creatures tossed and tumbled high in the air and feared for their lives.

The north storm and the south storm fought until their strength was gone and they began to slide past each other hiding their heads. They were both too proud to admit that all their fighting had worn them out.

When the winds slowed, the fairy and the butterfly began drifting back to earth where they landed a short distance apart on a rocky mound. They rested there until each could regain her strength.

The fairy was the first to sit up and look around. She was lost. She missed her daisy field and other fairy friends. Then she saw the wings of the butterfly and mistook her for another fairy. She gently touched the butterfly's wings and asked if she was alright.

The butterfly slowly turned to face this stranger. Both the butterfly and the fairy were surprised to see each other. They could not believe their eyes.

"My head must still be in a daze," said the butterfly. "My eyes tell me I see a fairy, but that can't be true. Fairies are not real."

"But I am real," said the fairy. "I have never seen a real butterfly before either. I thought butterflies were imaginary creatures."

The beautiful pair gazed at each other and admired their detailed wings and strange bodies. How similar they both looked. 

The butterfly said, "In my land there are no fairies, but there are giant creatures called people. We have always heard stories about fairies that are small, mysterious people with butterfly wings." 

"That's funny. In my land there are no butterflies," said the fairy. "But we have always told stories about butterflies that were creatures with bodies like a wasp and wings like a fairy."

The colorful pair were glad to meet and they felt so special to finally learn that the stories they were told were true. But they could not stay on the rocky mound for long. It was sunny and hot. Although the fairy and the butterfly were happy to become friends, they knew they needed to return to their homes.

The fairy told the butterfly that fairies don't travel very far. They hide in the tall grasses, tree branches, bushes and thick flower beds.  She explained that fairies are very shy and good at hiding, but they are not very good at finding their way.

The butterfly said she may be able to help because she travels many miles with masses of butterflies from north to south and then south to north every year. She called this migration and said how she loved to travel.

The fairy was delighted and grateful that the butterfly could be a guide.

"We will need to fly high to see the land," said the butterfly. "Will you trust me to help you find your way?" The butterfly held out one of her legs prompting the fairy to hold on.

The fairy felt a flutter in her tummy and was a bit nervous, but then she took hold of the butterfly's leg. "I'm ready," said the fairy.

Artwork courtesy of Jochabel Reese - Copyright 2014

They both ascended high over the land to see where they were. The butterfly saw a river cutting through a great forest. She knew there was a wide open daisy field on the far edge of the forest. She also knew if she followed the river, she would find her way home to the bush.

They had to hurry because the sun was setting and they would find themselves in danger when the bats and owls came out to eat at night. The butterfly told the fairy she would fly her to the daisy field and then travel home to her bush on the riverbed.

Once they reached the daisy field the fairy exclaimed, "That's my daisy patch right there!"

Her poor daisy patch was weather beaten and the fairy could see other fairies trying to help the flowers stand tall again. The graceful fairy hugged the butterfly in the air and thanked her for bringing her home. The fairy flew down to her friends and began to work in the sunset.

The butterfly waved her wings with tears in her eyes and saw the sun setting. She flew as fast as she could back to her home. The fairy friends saw the butterfly high in the sky and asked how that fairy helped the graceful fairy get home. The fairy told them all about the butterfly.

When the butterfly arrived at her bush, the bush was tattered and weak. It was still her home and the home of many other butterflies who found their way back. She told them her story, but she was very tired and could not stay awake long enough for her friends to respond. That night she dreamed of when she could see the graceful fairy again and meet her family, but she never woke up. The butterfly slipped quietly away in death.

The graceful fairy missed her butterfly friend but she never went out to find her. She was too afraid of losing her way. She cherished the memory of meeting the butterfly that windy day and grateful the butterfly helped save her life.

None of the other butterflies believed that the lovely butterfly really saw a fairy. None of the other fairies believed that the graceful fairy really saw a butterfly. Both the butterflies and the fairies continued to pass on tales about the legendary butterflies and the mysterious fairies for generations. Then on occasion, there would be an encounter where one came across the other and their stories were still considered just fairy tales.