(no subject)
The Yule Faeries
Pagan children have few stories for this time of year to counteract
the flood of Christian material..this is a Pagan tale for children to
help them enjoy the Winter Solstice and it's beauty.
A group of little Faeries huddled in their home deep under the
roots of a giant oak tree. They were safe and snug in their tiny
underground cave lined with dandelion fluff, bird feathers, and dried
moss. Outside, the wind blew cold and the snow fell softly down to
cover the ground .
"I saw the Sun King today," the faery named Rose said as she
pulled her mossy cloak tighter about her. "He looked so old and
tired as he walked off through the forest. What is wrong with him?"
The great oak said he's dying" answered Daffodil.
Dying? Oh, what will we do now?" Little Meadow Grass started to
cry. "If the sun King dies, our little plant friends will not grow.
The Birds will not come and sing again. Everything will be winter
forever!"
Lilac, Dandelion and Elder Blossom tired to comfort their friend,
but they were all very sad. As they huddled together, there was a
knock on the tiny door.
"Open up, Faeries," called out a loud voice. "Why are you hiding
instead of joining us in our Solstice celebration?"
Rose opened the door and the little gnome Brown Knobby pushed
inside, shaking the glistening snowflakes off his brown coat and hat.
"We are too sad to celebrate," Daffodil said wiping her eyes, "the
Sun King is dying, haven't you heard?"
"He is dead you silly Faeries." Brown Knobby's round dark eyes
sparkled with laughter. "now hurry, or we'll be late for the
celebration!"
"How can you be happy and laughing?!" Elder Blossom stamped
her little foot and frowned at the gnome. "If the Sun King IS dead, it
will be winter always. We will never see the Sun again!"
"Silly little child-Faeries." Brown Knobby grabbed Dandelion by
the hand and pulled her to her feet. "There is a secret to the Winter
Solstice. Don't you want to know what it is?"
The Faeries looked at him in surprise. "Secret?" they all said.
"What secret? We are only new little Faeries, you silly gnome. We've
never been to a Solstice celebration before."
"Come and see. Come and see. Get your capes and come with me."
Brown Knobby danced and jigged around the room. "Hurry, Hurry,
don't be slow! To the sacred oak grove through the snow!" He
danced out of the door and disappeared.
"What did that gnome mean?" Rose asked as she gathered up her
cloak of dried rose petals held together with cobwebs and lined with
goose down.
"I don't know, but the Lady lives in the sacred grove."
MeadowGrass pulled on her hat. "Perhaps if we go to see the
Goddess, She can explain what Brown Knobby was talking about."
The Faeries left their snug little home and trudged off through the
snow toward the sacred oak grove. The forest was dark with only
the light of the Moon shining down through the thick fir branches
and bare limbs of maple and hawthorn. It was very difficult for them
to get through the snow because they were very, very small. As they
waded through the wet snow and shivered in the cold wind, they met
a fox.
"Where are you going, Faeries?" the fox asked.
"To the sacred grove," they answered, they were cold and
shivering.
"Climb on my back and I will take you there swiftly." The fox knelt
down so the Faeries could climb up. Then he raced off through the
dark.
"Listen!" Lilac said as they neared the grove of sacred trees.
"Someone is singing happy songs. A LOT of someones."
The beautiful music carried over the cold, still, moonlit air. It was
the most beautiful music the Faeries had ever heard. The fox carried
the Faeries right to the edge of the stone altar in the center of the
grove, then knelt down.
"Look!" said Elder Blossom as they slid to the snow covered
ground. "There is the Maiden and the Mother and the OLD Wise
One, And many other Little People. They are all smiling and happy."
"All the animals are here too," whispered Dandelion. "why are
they all looking at the Mother?"
The Faeries moved closer to the three Ladies seated on the altar
stone. The Mother held a bundle close in Her arms, smiling down at
it. The Maiden reached down and took the Faeries gently in her
Hands. She held them close to the Mother so they could see what
She held.
"A Baby!" the Faeries cried. " A new little Baby! Look how he
glows!" "He is the newborn Sun King," said the Maiden smiling.
But Brown Knobby and the old oak tree said the S Sun King was
dead," the Faeries answered her."How can this little baby be the Sun
King?"
"That is the secret of the Winter Solstice." The Old Wise One
touched the baby's cheek with her wrinkled hand."Every year the
Sun King must come to the sacred grove during the darkest days of
winter where he dies. I take his spirit to the Mother who gives him
new life again. This is the way for all creatures, not just t the Sun
King."
"You mean everything lives and dies and lives again? the Faeries
looked down in wonder at the baby Sun King, nestled in the arms of
the Mother.
"Yes Little Ones," answered the Old Wise One. "There is never
an end to life. This is the great mystical secret of the Winter
Solstice."
The Faeries laughed because they were so happy. "I think the little
Sun King should have gifts," said Rose. "I will show him where the
wild roses bloom in the early summer." "And, I will teach him to call
the birds and listen to the songs of the wind,"exclaimed Dandelion.
"When he is older and stronger, " said the Mother, "then the
flowers will bloom at his touch, the birds will return to sing their
songs, and the air will be warm from his breath, and winter will be
gone for a time. Then the Sun King will run and play with you in the
forest."
The little Faeries sang to the Baby Sun King, songs of the coming
spring, the sweet smelling flowers, the bumbling bees, and all the
secrets of the forest. And all the creatures within the sacred grove
sang with them.
Then the fox took them back to their snug home under the roots of
the giant oak tree where they dreamed wonderful dreams, waiting
for the warmth of spring and the fun they would have with the little
Sun King.
Pagan children have few stories for this time of year to counteract
the flood of Christian material..this is a Pagan tale for children to
help them enjoy the Winter Solstice and it's beauty.
A group of little Faeries huddled in their home deep under the
roots of a giant oak tree. They were safe and snug in their tiny
underground cave lined with dandelion fluff, bird feathers, and dried
moss. Outside, the wind blew cold and the snow fell softly down to
cover the ground .
"I saw the Sun King today," the faery named Rose said as she
pulled her mossy cloak tighter about her. "He looked so old and
tired as he walked off through the forest. What is wrong with him?"
The great oak said he's dying" answered Daffodil.
Dying? Oh, what will we do now?" Little Meadow Grass started to
cry. "If the sun King dies, our little plant friends will not grow.
The Birds will not come and sing again. Everything will be winter
forever!"
Lilac, Dandelion and Elder Blossom tired to comfort their friend,
but they were all very sad. As they huddled together, there was a
knock on the tiny door.
"Open up, Faeries," called out a loud voice. "Why are you hiding
instead of joining us in our Solstice celebration?"
Rose opened the door and the little gnome Brown Knobby pushed
inside, shaking the glistening snowflakes off his brown coat and hat.
"We are too sad to celebrate," Daffodil said wiping her eyes, "the
Sun King is dying, haven't you heard?"
"He is dead you silly Faeries." Brown Knobby's round dark eyes
sparkled with laughter. "now hurry, or we'll be late for the
celebration!"
"How can you be happy and laughing?!" Elder Blossom stamped
her little foot and frowned at the gnome. "If the Sun King IS dead, it
will be winter always. We will never see the Sun again!"
"Silly little child-Faeries." Brown Knobby grabbed Dandelion by
the hand and pulled her to her feet. "There is a secret to the Winter
Solstice. Don't you want to know what it is?"
The Faeries looked at him in surprise. "Secret?" they all said.
"What secret? We are only new little Faeries, you silly gnome. We've
never been to a Solstice celebration before."
"Come and see. Come and see. Get your capes and come with me."
Brown Knobby danced and jigged around the room. "Hurry, Hurry,
don't be slow! To the sacred oak grove through the snow!" He
danced out of the door and disappeared.
"What did that gnome mean?" Rose asked as she gathered up her
cloak of dried rose petals held together with cobwebs and lined with
goose down.
"I don't know, but the Lady lives in the sacred grove."
MeadowGrass pulled on her hat. "Perhaps if we go to see the
Goddess, She can explain what Brown Knobby was talking about."
The Faeries left their snug little home and trudged off through the
snow toward the sacred oak grove. The forest was dark with only
the light of the Moon shining down through the thick fir branches
and bare limbs of maple and hawthorn. It was very difficult for them
to get through the snow because they were very, very small. As they
waded through the wet snow and shivered in the cold wind, they met
a fox.
"Where are you going, Faeries?" the fox asked.
"To the sacred grove," they answered, they were cold and
shivering.
"Climb on my back and I will take you there swiftly." The fox knelt
down so the Faeries could climb up. Then he raced off through the
dark.
"Listen!" Lilac said as they neared the grove of sacred trees.
"Someone is singing happy songs. A LOT of someones."
The beautiful music carried over the cold, still, moonlit air. It was
the most beautiful music the Faeries had ever heard. The fox carried
the Faeries right to the edge of the stone altar in the center of the
grove, then knelt down.
"Look!" said Elder Blossom as they slid to the snow covered
ground. "There is the Maiden and the Mother and the OLD Wise
One, And many other Little People. They are all smiling and happy."
"All the animals are here too," whispered Dandelion. "why are
they all looking at the Mother?"
The Faeries moved closer to the three Ladies seated on the altar
stone. The Mother held a bundle close in Her arms, smiling down at
it. The Maiden reached down and took the Faeries gently in her
Hands. She held them close to the Mother so they could see what
She held.
"A Baby!" the Faeries cried. " A new little Baby! Look how he
glows!" "He is the newborn Sun King," said the Maiden smiling.
But Brown Knobby and the old oak tree said the S Sun King was
dead," the Faeries answered her."How can this little baby be the Sun
King?"
"That is the secret of the Winter Solstice." The Old Wise One
touched the baby's cheek with her wrinkled hand."Every year the
Sun King must come to the sacred grove during the darkest days of
winter where he dies. I take his spirit to the Mother who gives him
new life again. This is the way for all creatures, not just t the Sun
King."
"You mean everything lives and dies and lives again? the Faeries
looked down in wonder at the baby Sun King, nestled in the arms of
the Mother.
"Yes Little Ones," answered the Old Wise One. "There is never
an end to life. This is the great mystical secret of the Winter
Solstice."
The Faeries laughed because they were so happy. "I think the little
Sun King should have gifts," said Rose. "I will show him where the
wild roses bloom in the early summer." "And, I will teach him to call
the birds and listen to the songs of the wind,"exclaimed Dandelion.
"When he is older and stronger, " said the Mother, "then the
flowers will bloom at his touch, the birds will return to sing their
songs, and the air will be warm from his breath, and winter will be
gone for a time. Then the Sun King will run and play with you in the
forest."
The little Faeries sang to the Baby Sun King, songs of the coming
spring, the sweet smelling flowers, the bumbling bees, and all the
secrets of the forest. And all the creatures within the sacred grove
sang with them.
Then the fox took them back to their snug home under the roots of
the giant oak tree where they dreamed wonderful dreams, waiting
for the warmth of spring and the fun they would have with the little
Sun King.