Crispin lay there quietly observing the wee creature talking to the Daisy fairy before him. Crispin knew the fairy, Flavia, but Crispin was puzzled.
Humans in the village had no interaction with the fairies that lived all around them. Even Zovah failed to recognize the many fairies that lived in the yard and she was more attuned to the world of magic than most. However, the wee human was quite clearly having a conversation with Flavia. Crispin could clearly hear both sides of the conversation from where he lay.
“Good Morning Flavia.” Hermonia said. Crispin noticed that her voice was light and friendly.
“Morning Hermonia, how are you settling in here?” Flavia asked, her voice surprisingly husky for a fairy.
“I love living here. There is so much to do and see here. I’ve been learning about Buttercup. Did you know she was once a great and magnificent dragon?”
“I did. The fairies are friends with the dragons. In fact,” Flavia’s voice dropped to a mere whisper. “Did you knew there is a dragon watching us right now?”
Flavia winked at Crispin as she said this and Hermonia jumped up and clapped her hands together excitedly. “Where? I don’t see any dragons!” Her tone was excited and then wistful,.
“Don’t you see Crispin?” Flavia inquired. “He’s pretending to be sleeping ever so peacefully right here in the garden.”
Crispin cracked open an eye and glared at Flavia for giving away his presence but quickly snapped his eye closed when Hermonia swing herself in his direction.
“Are you sure Flavia? I don’t see any dragons and I saw the dragon walker the other day and those dragons were all big.” She was clearly pouting now.
Flavia smiled and fluttered up to sit on Hermonia’s left shoulder. Hermonia didn’t feel Flavia land on her shoulder but briefly felt the flutter of fairy wings brush her cheek as she landed.
“Flavia, all I see is a white cat napping under the rose bush and a the other fairies playing in the grass.”
“That’s all you see Hermonia, or is that all you are letting yourself see?”
Hermonia glanced down at her left shoulder, her three year old face clearly perplexed by the question. “What’s the difference?”
‘'”Well, you know that most people can’t see the fairies right but you can see us. Why can you see the fairies?”
Hermonia abruptly plunked down on the grass and Flavia was flapping her lemon yellow wings to stay on Hermonia’s shoulder. Settling back down, Flavia waited while Hermonia thought.
Crispin in the mean time was having to deal with the fairies who kept coming up and pestering him with requesting to move or could he please allow them to use him as stepping stone. Crispin grunted and grumbling softly in response to the constant questions but there was no anger or animosity in his voice.
Hermonia sighed, “I’m confused Flavia. I cannot solve the riddle.”
“Let me help, what do dragons look like?”
Hermonia perked up instantly, “Like Buttercup, big and pretty and they fly through the sky breathing fire.”
“You said you saw Zovah the dragon walker this week out walking the dragons, did any of those dragons look or act like that?”
“Oh!” Hermonia squeaked “Not one of those dragons looked anything like that! And I certainly don’t remember any of them breathing fire on Zovah.”
Flavia let her consider this for a while longer, waiting patiently for Hermonia to solve the riddle of the dragons. Her patience was rewarded fairly quickly, “Dragons can be anything or anywhere they want can’t they?” Hermonia’s voice held awe and wonder at the pronouncement.
Flavia nodded her head in agreement, “Now do you see the dragon Hermonia?”
Hermonia once again glanced around the yard, examining the various creatures and inhabitants of the garden carefully. It didn’t take long for her to spy all of the fairies around the sleeping cat and climbing up its tail.
Just then Crispin breathed out and his powerful wings unfurled ever so slightly from his body. “There! I see him Flavia. The cat is really a dragon! I’m going right over there!” The unabashed joy in her voice was evident to all in the garden.
Before Flavia could issue a warning, Hermonia was on her feet dashing toward Crispin as fast as her little feet would carry her. Reaching him, she scooped him into her arms and buried her face in his soft, fluffy white fur.
Flavia was fluttering just out of Crispin’s reach, his temper was legendary. The fairies all held their collective breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion of indignant from Crispin…
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