Fairy spotting

When October air is just cold enough and you can see between yellow before it turns red, it's time to walk the fairy pathways of the forest. If you are quiet enough and stealthy enough, you can often find a nest or two.

I happened upon this sweet little home this afternoon and you can see the family gathered inside. They are about to celebrate the flitterday of the youngest fairy child. Fairies are not born with the ability to fly, just as humans are not born with the ability to walk. The fairy child must outrun its baby fat, must wait until its ears have grown to a point allowing it to hear humans before they make a noise, and must wait for its wings to straighten and stiffen.

Once the wings have firmed and the characteristic scales (which we refer to as dust and is similar to the scales of the butterfly wing) have begun to form, the fairy family begins to plan the flitterday party. Fairy cakes are served, not those silly things humans call fairy cakes, but real for sure fairy cakes made with honeysuckle flower flour and honey. A home brew fermented from acorns and oakleaf dew, a sort of fairy Poitín is served to the adults while the young ones must be content with raspberry leaf tea.

There are toasts all around and songs and teasing and then the family takes to the air together with the young flitter candidate in the middle. All in all its a very merry-making day.

You've outrun your tummy
   and grown into your ears
Your wings have unfurled
   and you've lost all your fears
You're all grown up now
   For you there's three cheers
Hey ho! Hey ho! Hey ho!
   Up you go!