The Fairy And The Hermit (A Magical short Story by Judy)

The Fairy And The Hermit

Of all the fairies of Lunar, at the time of young Rosebud, the most remembered is the Hermit.

He was old even by fairy standards. It was said he was around at the Time before Time, when fairies lived on the earth.

No one knew his name, he was just …. Just the Hermit. He lived in a cave all by himself, and you could tell he was around by the smell.

But, whenever there is a problem he would turn up, everyone listened to him. The King and his council would stop meetings just to hear him, and listen to his advice. Then he would say something cryptic or swear, then vanish.

It was just after the winter solstice, when the Queen called her daughter to her one day, just after “magic and spell” classes. “My daughter” her mother said, while they were walking in the garden.

This worried Rosebud. Her mother was so serious. “One day you will be Queen “she said.

And for this reason it is important you understand all the world and its elements. “So starting tomorrow you will spend two days out in the forest” Rosebud felt the world take off, an adventure! Her mother held both her hands, your teacher will be the Hermit.

The world fell in on Rosebud, but all she could manage was “Oh! Mum, he smells and he is dirty”

“Can Green Ivy come too?” Rosebud hung her head, as her mother shook hers.

“There are some lessons you must learn because…”

“I know” put in Rosebud “someday I will be Queen”.

Time goes forward at the same pace, and no matter how we hate and fear what is to come, it still comes around at the same steady pace.

For Rosebud, the new day rushed to a start, then dragged. After breakfast Rosebud was sitting on a seat in the garden waiting for the Hermit.

Even Green Ivy was not allowed to come with her. Green Ivy tried to cheer her up. “It could be fun!” she said.

It did not help. Rosebud was looking at the grass and flowers, when a shadow rested in front of her, she did not have to look up to know it was the Hermit.

“Good you’re on time, ready!” he said. Rosebud answered with a weak “yes” but she knew it was not a question but an order. They made their way to the gate near the palace.

Now gates let fairies travel between places at the speed of a wink of the eye. With a little help from a spell.

“Stand beside me” ordered the Hermit, and he then started to say a spell.

“By the power of the elements, Fire, Water, Earth and Air, and by fairy magic, and by the authority of the King. Take us to the West Forest”. Rosebud was just about to ask how he could use a King’s Power, when mist came and the Hermit ordered her “Step inside”.

When the mist cleared she found trees everywhere, birds singing and her heart took flight. All fairies love trees, it makes them sing from the heart, and it brought a smile to Rosebud. The Hermit looked down at her. “Not so bad“. This made Rosebud drop her smile, but brought one to the Hermit.

“Now! Said the Hermit. We are here so you can learn to be in tune with all living and growing things. And to help them, as laid down in the beginning of the time before time, by he who created all.”

Rosebud looked at the Hermit intently, he smiled at her. “First some flying practice. We are going to the centre of the forest”. He said.

With that the Hermit took off, with Rosebud following. Shouting, to him “slow down!” Rosebud had got a lot better with flying, and even the landings were not so bad. After about half an hour the Hermit landed in the middle of a clearing and Rosebud landed beside him. Well in fact she crashed landed out of breath against a tree.

“You’re getting better” came the retort from the smiling Hermit. The Hermit sat in the middle of the clearing, and pointed to Rosebud to sit beside him. “Now!” started the Hermit “it is our task to help all life that is living and growing! But you must be in tune with life”.

Rosebud nodded, boring, boring she thought.

“Now” started the Hermit, “let your mind go blank, then reach out to the world about you, feel it, see life through their eyes”.

Rosebud felt her eyes get heavy, suddenly a jab in the ribs. “Blank, not asleep” the Hermit said.

Rosebud settled again, slowly her mind pushed towards the sun, then a flower close by, then turning towards the sun again. There was a bee visiting flowers nearby, she transferred to it. The bee went from flower to flower and Rosebud with it. Then high in the sky a hawk, hunting, hovering, hung in the sky, and Rosebud with it. Suddenly a rabbit broke cover, Rosebud dived with the hawk, she sensed the need to kill, a scream, then blood trickling down the hawk, and then Rosebud screamed and fell into blackness.

Then spots as she came round, the Hermit looking over her, he smiled, “well done, very well done”!

That Hawk killed that rabbit, The Hermit put his arm around her. “It is the circle of life! You, we, must not try to stop it, life and death are part of the circle of life”. “But how do we know when to help” asked Rosebud. “That”, answered the Hermit, “is the one thing you must learn, and time will help with that.” “Now...” the Hermit sprung up “time for something to eat”, Rosebud, broke into a wide smile for about two seconds, when the Hermit added “come on I’ll show you what berries to eat”.

An hour later Rosebud had enough to eat, but the day seemed to drag on, with the Hermit saying “it’s time to make a shelter for the night.” “We will use that Oak Tree” said the Hermit pointing to the other side of the clearing.

What the Hermit meant, Rosebud found out, was that he would tell and she would do. Making a shelter and beds out of the moss, twigs and leaves high in the tree. The stars were out, when an exhausted Rosebud fell on her bed. Looking at the stars she felt herself, become part of the night, flying silently on the wind, like a bat.

Then almost without warning, the Hermit’s voice broke in, “come on time for breakfast”. Rosebud raised her head, let me guess “berries”. “Come on”, came the answer. An hour and half later, full with berries, and washed in a stream, the Hermit then took off with a “come on Rosebud, don’t lag behind”.

Rosebud followed on for about half an hour, till suddenly the Hermit came to a halt. In front of him was a fox with a badly cut leg. Rosebud landed beside him, with one question “How did you know?” The Hermit just smiled.

“One with all living, and growing things. Now put your hands over the cut.” Rosebud nodded. “Now draw down the power from the sun, to use this strength to heal the leg and the cut”. Rosebud concentrated and felt the power come to her. “Then place into the leg of the fox”. The fox raised her head. Rosebud smiled “its ok!” Slowly the cut closed and the fur grew over it. Rosebud suddenly felt the strength leave her.

The fox got up, looked back at the Fairies and headed into the woods, going back to her cubs. Rosebud was about to ask! But finished her own question.

“One with everything living and growing”.

“Now you’ve got it”, added a smiling Hermit.

The Hermit and Rosebud slowly made their way back to the Gate.

The Hermit pointing out things as they went. It was mid to late afternoon when they arrived back at the Palace, and without even a goodbye the Hermit vanished. The King and Queen came up to Rosebud, “well” asked the Queen?

Rosebud did not stop talking for about three hours, but one question kept on coming out with no answer, “Who is the Hermit?” The King smiled at his daughter, “a special being, never judge anyone by the way they look”!

Rosebud smiled and nodded, she still did not know who the Hermit was, but she knew they would see a lot of each other in the time ahead. It was to be many years before the Hermit, and his role in the Time Before Time was known, and what a Hero he was to everyone but himself.