Christmas Shorts

The Woodcutter and the fairy

The Woodcutter and the fairy

A long time ago there was a woodcutter who lived with his wife in a simple cabin in the woods. Every day when he went into the forest to chop lumber, his wife made him a simple lunch of bread and cheese, with a flagon of water. At the end of a certain year, the couple was able to save enough money for a special lunch. The woodcutter's wife packed him the luxurious food on the morning of Christmas Eve, and he went on his way. Seven grain bread, aged cranberry and almond cheese, and Honey Rosewater sat snugly in the woodcutter's satchel, as he made his way into the forest to go about his daily business.

After several hours of chopping trees with his ax, he came across an amazing sight: sitting on the branch of a tree was a lady only six inches high, with delicate, translucent wings. The man stared in awe, and thought to himself, "This must be one of the fairies of legend!"

The tiny woman greeted him cheerfully. "Hello good sir! I hope you are well. In the spirit of Christmas Eve, kind woodcutter, do you have any food to spare? I am extremely famished, and the fruit trees that usually provide my meals are picked clean."

The woodcutter became excited in that instant, remembering the childhood stories of fairies who granted wishes for those who helped them.

"As a matter of fact," said the man. "Here is some bread you can eat."

The winged lady brightened, and the man handed her the entire piece of seven grain bread. It was enormous compared to the diminutive woman, but she tore into it with ravenous purpose.

"Eat the whole thing, if you wish," said the man, putting a not so subtle emphasis on his last word. The woman's eyes widened with delight, and she devoured the whole slice, despite her tiny stomach.

"That was extraordinary," sighed the lady. "Thank you so much!"

The man grinned. "Ah, but your meal is not finished!" He ceremoniously pulled out the aged cranberry and almond cheese, and laid it on the branch, beside the woman.

She cried, "So kind of you!"

The man nodded vigorously, and as she blissfully ate the delicacy, the man envisioned his "wish" as an equation of sorts. The more he gave o this "fairy," the larger his wish would be.

"Eat all of this as well," the man said jovially. The woman didn't need second bidding, and miraculously consumed the whole cheese block.

Next, the man presented the flagon of honey Rosewater, and said, "Please, don't be shy! Top off your meal with this drink made for kings."

"Don't mind if I do!"

The man's eyes sparkled in anticipation, as the woman tipped the flagon over her mouth, and gulped with relish. The woodcutter envisioned his wish growing larger and larger in strength with each drop she drank. When the liquid was gone, the lady gave a humble bow, and said, "I will be eternally grateful for your kindness. You have helped me tremendously."

The man's heart pounded with excitement, waiting for her to offer the wish.

But she simply sat there, smiling at him, a look of pure thankfulness on her face. The woodcutter cleared his throat. "Now, about my wish..."

The lady blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You are a fairy, are you not? Don't you grant wishes to people?"

The tiny lady laughed heartily, almost falling off her branch in the process. "Everyone knows there is no such thing as fairies! I'm a sprite – a small person with wings. I have no more power to grant wishes than the chipmunks."

The man folded his arms, thinking maybe she was testing his belief in the legend. "You must grant me a wish! A pot of gold, a government job, bars made of silver...something!!! I gave you all my food. So, as a fairy, you must return the favor."

"I told you, I'm not a fairy," she replied.

"You can't even mend my shoes?"

"You're thinking of the elves. I don't know how to do that."

The man tossed up his arms in exasperation.

The lady then told him, "Some people have said one of the greatest gifts is a true smile of a sprite." She gave him one of her winning smiles, and said, "Thank you again for your kindness. It has helped me greatly."

The man turned assay, disheartened, and continued his work in the forest. Throughout the rest of the day, he hoped to come across some miraculous fortune, for he refused to give up his belief in the "fairy." But there was no silver or gold, no rich lords offering high-brow jobs, and no shoes being suddenly mended. When the man went home, he hoped that maybe his house had been transformed into a mansion...he had heard a legend about that too. But alas, his simple yet ample cabin was unchanged. When his wife greeted him, he asked her if anything unusual had happened that day.

She replied, "No – just a quiet Christmas Eve. Come inside now, I have a bowl of hot porridge for you."

The man eyed the bowl of plain food; a far cry from a princes meal, but he was extremely hungry from the day.

He checked every inch of his cabin to see If anything had changed, but everything was just as he left it.

The man then sat and ate his porridge in silence.