The Harvest Moon

Once again the Harvest moon caught me by surprise. It doesn't feel like October at all, although the cold front we are expecting next week will help with that. For the past three years we have celebrated the appearance of the beautiful Harvest Moon.

I wrote this story for Grace when she was five years old. The Harvest Moon was early then, just like this year.

Once upon a time, there were three little fairies. They lived with their family underneath a mushroom cap, in an enchanted garden. They loved to play in the dark, after the humans went to bed. They bounced on spider webs, slid down fern leaves and hid among the snapdragons.

One night, something so mysterious appeared in the night sky, it made their wings tremble. The fairies spoke in hushed whispers, "It's huge! It's so orange!" Their parents told them it was the Harvest Moon, there to announce the harvest season. It was time to celebrate the charms of Autumn once again.

Moon
Originally uploaded by pwinn.

But instead of being happy, their parents were worried. "It has come too early this year. We haven't had any time to prepare for the upcoming winter."

There would be no playing that night, and the fairy children were whisked off to bed. As the mommy fairy tucked them in, they shivered, for the leaf blankets were still on the trees. One tiny tear fell down the cheek of the littlest fairy. "What shall we eat for breakfast? she asked. Their acorn baskets were empty and they had no seeds hidden away. "Shhh...go to sleep little one," her mommy whispered.

The wind began to blow harder and it called out, "Autumn has come! Autumn has come!" It carried all of the summer flowers away.

The Harvest Moon rose high in the sky and suddenly quiet giggles could be heard throughout the garden. All of the fairies were fast asleep, except for the little one, peeking through the ivy. She wondered what the humans were doing. They appeared to be leaping from one end of the garden to the other, reaching down around the garden paths.

Kids
Originally uploaded by pwinn.

Their shadows disappeared as quickly as they had come and the small fairy slowly tiptoed out of her hiding place. She looked around and found herself surrounded by soft leaves, acorns, pinecones and dried flowers.

Basket
Originally uploaded by pwinn.

Pinecones
Originally uploaded by pwinn.

She cried out with joy! How lovely of the human children to rememember their fairy friends during their own Harvest Moon celebration!

The fairy skipped back to bed and snuggled up between her brother and sister. The moon may have come too early, but she couldn't wait to tell her family they would have a harvest celebration afterall!

Moon
Originally uploaded by pwinn.

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