Long ago and far away in a primeval forest, a pristine lake glistened. In the middle of the lake was an island far from the shores of a forest that surrounded it. And on this island was the realm of the faeries. The Fae that lived there had a king and queen who ruled their land with fairness to all. This made the faeries that lived there very happy with their king and queen. But no Fae ever left the island, and why should they, when they only knew happiness on their isle, in the middle of a lake deep in a primeval forest.
One day the queen gave birth to a beautiful fairy prince. The child was doted on by all the faeries in the realm for he was the most beautiful and fairest of the Fae. The king and queen were so proud of their prince and watched over him as he grew, teaching him the ways of the Fae and the use of magic spells. But as the child grew he became curious of the land around lake and what lay beyond.
He went to his mother. "Who has gone across the water and beyond the forest?" He asked her one day while they watched a procession of carp parading in a brook.
His mother asked her faerie hand maiden if she might know or someone she knew might know, but hard as they tried, none of them knew of any fairy that went beyond the water let alone on the other side of the forest.
He asked his father, "Do you know what is beyond the forest on the edge of the lake?"
"No," his father replied, "No one has wanted to go there. And why should they, isn't life good here my son?"
"There is nothing to compare it with." He answered.
"Aren't you happy here?" He asked.
"I am, but I can't help wonder what is out there."
His father feared he might leave their island and never return, or worse vanish into the unknown.
As faeries live for a very long time, the story of the their clan, and how they first came about on their island was steeped in lore. The prince asked who among them was the oldest faerie. And as they talked among themselves, who the oldest would be, decided after some consideration that a faerie on far side of the island would be the one, her name was, Tiertonia.
So the faerie prince went to see Tiertonia, and found her near the water's edge in a very dear home of driftwood and moss. She had placed moonbeams in a lantern that glowed next to her door. He knocked on the door and waited. Soon Tiertonia answered.
"Hello Prince Sarton. What brings you to the far side of our island?" Teirtonia said as she bowed.
"I came to ask if you knew what lies beyond the forest on the other side of the lake."
She opened the door wider and said, "Come in dear prince and I'll tell you what I know."
The prince walked in and took a seat on a sunflower while Tiertonia brought him nectar tea. She then sat down herself and took a sip of the tea before she talked.
"I heard the story from my father who had heard it from his father. We have not always lived here, but came to this isle to escape from humans."
"What are humans?" He asked.
"They are a breed of animal that are very cunning. My father was told that we found them amusing at first because they valued gold so much and were always delighted when one of the Fey offered them some. But they always wanted more. They wanted more of everything, nothing would satisfy them because it was never enough for them. They like to kill and dominate all others. When the Fae of our tribe would not give them more gold, they began to hunt us. When they could not catch us, they burnt our forests to the ground. We lost our sacred grove and fled far enough that no man could follow us here to this island."
The prince pondered what Tiertonia told him while he sipped his nectar tea. Then he gave the old faerie a blessing and thanked her before he left. He went back to his parents and told them the story of how the Fey came to the island.
"You see son," his parents said, "It's better to live here for we have fortified our island with magic spells so no living thing can see our beautiful paradise. This is where you belong."
But the young faerie prince could not shake his yearning to see more of the world and decided to leave the sacred island of the Fey. He built a boat of Sycamore leaves to sail across the water. On the day of his departure all the faeries came to bid him farewell and a speedy return to their magic kingdom. His mother and father kissed him goodbye before he set out on the waters.
Prince Sarton sailed to the other side and stepped out of his boat. He looked backed toward the island but could not see where it was, so he made a magical mark and stowed his ship on shore should he decide to return before he flew deep into the forest.
Years went by and everyday his parents looked toward the far side of the lake hoping to see their son. They gave a royal proclamation for a magic crystal to be fashioned that would make a light for the young prince to see the isle of the Fae and hung it in a lantern made from an acorn where they placed it in the highest oak tree near where the young prince left on his journey.
After many more years, the king and queen were now old, even for faeries and very sad, afraid they would never see their son again. But one day a sycamore leaf boat came to shore guided by the crystal in the lantern that still hung in the great oak tree.
Prince Sarton stepped out and flew to his parent's castle, Eroinia in the middle of the island. His wings were a bit worn and tarnished. The princely dress slightly tattered and he looked weary, something the Fae on the isle never knew.
The faeries in the main square where a fountain played and water lilies bloomed, blinked their eyes, not sure of the stranger in their midst. Then, when Prince Sarton bowed and said, "I'm home," they knew.
All the Fae gathered around the Prince before his parents came, parting a way through to their son. Everyone was so happy that the faeries glowed with brilliant colors.
"Our son has returned." Proclaimed the king and queen. "Every faery dress in your finest and bring your favorite dish to the banquet hall this evening. We'll have a feast worth remembering."
That night, with the faerie castle all aglow in moon rays and crystal lamps. The great hall covered in ferns, orchids and lotus blossoms. The table filled with a variety of flower nectar, and honeyed fruit, the Fae rejoiced for the return of their Prince. When all had ate their fill the king rose for a toast to Prince Sarton.
When the blessing of the faeries was finished, the prince rose, his wings strong and light, his cloths of the finest spider gossamer. "I missed all of you so very much. But I had to see the world. It is beautiful and frightful. There are only a few faeries left in the world, tucked away in what forest humans have left. Mankind has dominated the whole earth and use it for their own means. They no longer recognize our work done before they arrived here to make the world a special place, and scar the land in their quest for more and more."
The Fae talked among themselves, nodding in astonishment.
"There is hope for our world. The children of humans can see us. They delight in our presence. That's why the faeries that are left have stayed. They are teaching the children, while their innocence is intake, to heal the world for all mother earth's creatures."
Prince Sarton raised his goblet, "A toast! If any of you want to help this noble cause, let them come to me and we'll talk. To Mother Earth!"
All the Fae joined him in the toast.
As time passed, a faerie or two would go to see good Prince Sarton and ask about the mission to heal the earth. They would talk, after which some of the faeries did leave to whisper in the ear of giggling children, how to heal our mother--Mother Earth.
It is with this hope for the future that the work of faeries will one day be rewarded with our mother healed so that all her creatures can live in peace and harmony.
In dedication to the baby whisperers.
