Author Information
Winter Nuts.
Folder:
Bern's Fairy Tales.
- Winter Nuts.
- It has been a long week with plenty of work around the house. I have missed my daily walks in the woods. Today, Sunday, I am determined to take a long walk through the woods to see how nature is doing. The autumn is drawing nigh and the nuts must be about ready for collecting and taking home for the long winter months to come. Not only do I like to eat nuts myself I also place nuts out on ledges for the birds to eat in the winter months. I also get from my butchers the kidney fat and hang that on the bushes and trees for the birds.
- I quickly filled my rucksack with walnuts and turned on the path to go home when I heard sounds as if a group or more, were trying to play an unknown instrument. Going towards the sounds of music (If one could call it that) I came across thirty or more Fairies who each had a strange instrument in the hand, it looked like a Pan flute. None of the Fairies could play it and the noise they made was terrible. Then I saw the Leprechaun Shamus it was he that had made the Pan flutes and it seemed as if he had found an old piece of parchment with a drawing of the flute.
- I asked him to make me such a flute and he with his very agile fingers soon had an instrument for me ready to play. Taking the flute in my hands I tried to blow but all I got was a terrible sound. Shamus called to me to try sucking the air instead of blowing it. This I tried and then all of the Fairies went very quiet. I was without knowing it playing a very old Fairy melody on my Pan flute. I must have been playing for five minutes when Her Majesty Queen Feeana came by to see who was playing one of the old instruments That had long since been forgotten by the Fairies.
- Seeing me with the Pan flute in my hand and standing by me Shamus who nearly had another of the flutes ready, Her Majesty waited until Shamus was finished and asked him for the flute. Together Her Majesty and I played a strange melody that is still ringing in my ears. Then Her Majesty spoke and this is what she said, “These old flutes went out of fashion when the violin came into the Fairies hands for the first time.” “Nobody went to the trouble to make any more of the once so popular instruments and they slowly went from the Fairies memories.”
- Her Majesty then asked Shamus where he had come across the idea to make such instruments. Shamus showed her his piece of parchment with the drawings of the old instruments. On seeing the Parchment Her Majesty went quite white in her face. “Where did you get the parchment from she asked.” Shamus reached into his rucksack and quickly found what was left of a very old book. The drawings I took from this book, Your Majesty came Shamus’s reply.
- Her Majesty took the book and quickly read a few words then she asked Shamus if he had been able to read the book. “No Your Majesty you know that I cannot read. If it had not been for the drawings in the book I would not have bought it at the Human’s jumble sale.” “May I have the book to keep?” asked Her Majesty. “Yes Indeed Your Majesty you know that all I posses is yours for the asking.” Said Shamus rather shyly I thought. Soon the Fairies had found out that the flutes would only give a tone when one sucked not when one blew. Soon a most lovely melody filled the forest air. It was as if a hundred winds were blowing in tune to a softly beating drum that I soon realized was the beating of my heart.
- Taking me to one side Her Majesty told me that this book that Shamus had bought from a jumble sale was one of the very first books on magic ever printed it was thousands of years old and anyone who could read it would be a master of all things magical. I then asked Her Majesty why of all people, I could play such an instrument and get such a delightful melody from it.” “You have been granted many powers by myself and even from the wise old Fairies many of whom respect you very much for your knowledge and way of treating nature.” “ This is why you have the power to look in the magic mirror and to use magic dust and then the magic wand was specially made for you.” “All of this knowledge has been given to you for your help given to the Fairies all of these years.”
- With this knowledge I went on my way back home where I cleaned the walnuts and prepared my rucksack for the next day. On the next day I would go into the woods to collect the wild Hazel nuts that I like so much. You too are invited to come with me if you have the time. There are nuts for all both the humans and the wild animals. Who knows we may even hear the delightful old melodies that the Fairies play on the Pan flutes.
