Bothersome Fairy

Esmerelda was lost in her work at the loom.  The dress was coming along nicely but it was still missing something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.  As she pondered the dress, the sounds of the beautiful spring day outside her little tree cottage drifted through her door.  Birds chirped, and insects buzzed in the welcomed sunlight.  It was then she noticed an odd tearing noise and an occasional stomp.  Esmerelda peeked around the open door, and suddenly realized what the dress was missing.

A unicorn foal stood in the meadow below grazing the tender spring grass.  His pure white coat shimmered in the sunlight.  Unicorns were the rarest and most beautiful creatures in all the forest, especially the foals.  They had the softest hair.  All she needed for her little dress were a few of his long hairs.  If only she could quietly flit in behind him and pluck just a couple, he would probably never notice.

Esmerelda got in position behind the flower nearest his back leg.  She was just a tiny thing, surely, he would mistake her for one of the butterflies.  As quiet as she could, she flew towards his tail and positioned herself just above it.  As she was about to grab the hairs she needed, she noticed the tearing noise had stopped.  Esmerelda turned around and came face to face with the little unicorn foal.  Suddenly, she found herself hurtling through the air as the unicorn’s tail had swatted her from behind.

Esmerelda landed upside down with a thump in a pile of soft grass.  She peeked out from under the hem of her dress and heard a chuckle.  Too her surprise, the unicorn’s pink nose was close to her, and he asked, “why are you being a bothersome fairy?”