The Fairy Chimneys (Short fiction for young children)

It was early on a Tuesday - half past eight, to be exact - when Laura met the fairy.  She was was on her way to school when she saw him, hiding behind a road sign.  The fairy was a small fellow, no more than a few inches tall.  He didn't look like the kind of fairy you see on TV or in other stories.  Rather than a wand or wings, he had tanned skin, long hair and a small pointed hat.

When he realised that Laura could see him, the fairy tried to run away.  But he wasn't very fast or nimble, and he tripped over his own feet.  When she got closer, Laura could see him sitting down, looking quite upset.

'Hello,' Laura said.  'It's okay, you don't have to run.  I'm not a scary person.'

The fairy said.  'Are you sure you're not scary?'

Laura knelt down next to him.  'Quite sure.  Are you okay?'

'I scraped my knee,' the fairy said.  'But I'll be alright.  So, if you're not scary, what are you?'

Laura wasn't sure how to answer that question, but she did the best she could.  'My name's Laura and I'm a human being.'

The fairy rubbed his chin and said, 'I've heard of human beings, but I've never met one before.'

'That's strange.  Human beings are everywhere.'  Laura looked around for other people, but it was a quiet morning in her small village and just now, no-one else was around.  'Well, most of the time they are.'

The fairy nodded.  'Well, that's nice for you.  It's good to have lots of friends!'

Laura did have lots of friends at school, and her mum and dad had lots of friends of their own.  She liked to meet new people.

'I should probably be going,' the fairy said, picking up his hat.  'I have to get home.  It's already morning and I'm very late.'

'Oh.  I'm sorry for keeping you,' Laura said.  But she was too curious not to ask one more question.  'Before you go, can you tell me where fairies come from, please?'

'Fairies come from Turkey.  Everyone knows that.'

'Really?'  Laura had never been to Turkey but she knew it was another country far away, across the sea.

'Yes.  We all live in houses underground.  Our fairy chimneys poke through the surface.  I'm told that human beings come to Turkey to see them.'

'That's nice,' Laura said.  'Perhaps I'll come to see them one day.'

'You should,' the fairy said.  'And now I have to go.  Bye!'  Laura watched him run over to the verge and begin to dig quickly with his hands.  In no time at all, he had disappeared beneath the earth and only a small mound of soil was left to show he had ever been there at all.

Laura was about to finish her journey to school when she looked at the mound of soil and saw a small gem on top of it.  It was a sapphire, as blue as the sky.  It sparkled in the light like a star.  Laura realised that the fairy must have dropped it when he was leaving.

Quickly, Laura bent down to pick up the sapphire and put it safely in her pocket.  She had to go to school now, but when she got home later, she spoke to her mum, who agreed they had to visit the fairy chimneys straightaway and return the gem to its rightful owner.

Fortunately, the next day was Saturday and Laura didn't have to go to school.  Her mum had already been online to book flights, so they were able to leave straightaway.  It was a very exciting day for Laura.  First, they got a train to the airport, and when they got there, Laura had fun exploring all the different shops.  Then they caught a plane to Turkey. 

It was very hot and sunny when they landed.  Laura's mum made sure she had a hat to wear so that she didn't get too hot, and then bought them both sweets as a treat.

Laura slept through the last part of the journey, which was a taxi ride to the chimneys.  When they arrived, the sun was going down and Laura knew that she had to find the fairy and return his gem before it got dark.


She saw a guide standing near one of the chimneys and asked him, 'Where are the fairies?'

The guide looked around but couldn't see any movement.  'They're a little bit nervous of humans.  I think they must all be hiding from us underground.'

Laura was disappointed that she couldn't see her new friend, but she knew what she had to do.  She went to the nearest chimney and placed the sapphire on the ground there.


'Hello,' she called out, feeling a little nervous herself.  'I met one of you yesterday, and he left this behind by accident as he was leaving.  Perhaps someone could return it to him, if that's okay.'

As Laura watched, the ground opened up underneath the gem and it vanished beneath the surface.  She couldn't see him, but she got the new feeling that her new fairy friend was grateful.  She held her mum's hand, waved at the chimney and got back in the car to leave.  As they were driving away, she watched until all of the chimneys had disappeared into the distance.

When all was silent and it was dark outside, the fairy popped his head up from a hole, holding his sapphire carefully so he didn't lose it again.

'Thank you Laura, that was really kind,' he said, and even though she couldn't see him, he knew she would know that he was waving back at her.

The Munificent Lmao

When I was a younger man, I took a trip, you see

I crossed the ocean, walked for weeks through a desolate valley.

I was in search of something fine, a way to live, a how

Everyone had pointed me to the Munificent Lmao!

Ruler of a distant land, more power than a king,

And yet, revered for gentleness, and knowing many things.

Industrious, her country was, her people were all wealthy

Their skins were bright, their minds afire, their appetites were healthy.

Yet even then, with all their help, I was still prone to bungle

In searching for her palace, I got lost within the jungle.

I fought typhoops and mabeljacks and swarms of killer bees

Until I found her palace, lying low beneath the trees.

Crowds of people waited there, curiosity a feature

The Lmao rode out to meet me, astride a fearsome creature!

Her malefelant stood ten feet tall with skin that was jet black

Fifteen eyes and thirty tusks, yet she rode upon its back.

Regarding me with caution, she called out, 'Ho there, stranger!'

And yet she was amused by me, and could see I was no danger.

The Lmao stepped down with sparkling eyes, and though she wasn't tall‌,

She moved with the grace of fifty cats, and in no time at all

She stood beside me, looked me over, judged me to be bleary

'Fetch water, food and strongest ale – this traveller is weary!'

In time when I had rested, I had chance to look upon her

She could have been of any age; it was for me to ponder.

Her cloak comprised of golden cloth, her buttons tiny rubies

Her smile was wide enough for three; she gestured over to me.

'Come and sit with me,' she said, 'and share the shade awhile.'

'Grateful, ma'am, I am,' I said, 'for I have walked these many miles

'Specifically to speak to you, if you will give me license

 For of all the folk in all the world, they say you are the wisest!'

She rubbed her chin with calloused hand and squinted at the sun.

'There are many folk with wisdom, and I am only one.'

'Still, travelling is no mean feat and takes courage to do

 Since you have made the effort, I will share my thoughts with you.

'You should talk and listen, be yourself, laugh and sing and dance

 Clean your teeth and comb your hair and change your underpants.

'Get lots of sleep. Read a book - this will expand your mind

 And above all other advice I give, remember this - be kind.

'For while we travel in this life in ones, or sometimes, twos

 I cannot hope to know your fight, or walk within your shoes.

'So look within, and look without, and watch the skies above

 Take every opportunity to be with those you love.'

Her sermon done, the Lmao did stand and stretch herself awhile

I knew my trip of many weeks had been at last worthwhile.

She walked back to her malefelant and bid me a good day

So choked I was with her advice, I knew not what to say.

For surely there are many things that I have learned, and how -

Yet no-one else has wisdom like the Munificent Lmao!

A Notepad and a Dream - Olivia Kiernan

 
In a series I'm calling 'A Notepad and a Dream', I'll be interviewing up-and-coming authors about their books, their writing process and their future plans.  If you have a book shortly due for release and would like to take part, or know someone else who would, please let me know via the 'Contact Me' page above.

In the latest 'A Notepad and a Dream' episode, Olivia Kiernan discusses the projects that keep her on her toes.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your novel?

First off, I write under two names. Clearly, one illustrious writing career is not enough for me. Kidding. I write for adults under my real name: Olivia Kiernan and under Olivia Bright for Teens and Children. My books for adults typically take me a couple of years to write, they tend to have complicated plots that link the past and present and therefore require quite a bit of research. My books for Young Adults tend to be the kind of books I wanted to read when I was younger. 'Becoming Lady Beth' is one such novel. It’s a romantic comedy that tells the story of a modern seventeen year old girl who is transported back in time to Regency England and finds friendship, humility and love.

Did it present a particular challenge to place a contemporary character in a historical setting?

The biggest challenge was achieving the right tone in the authorial voice. I really wanted to capture a wit and irony similar to that of (Jane) Austen’s prose but a narrator that sounded like it harked from Regency England would have jarred too much with the opening contemporary scenes and Beth’s voice would have been too far from the narrator’s. It took quite a bit of rewriting to achieve the right balance.

What would you say are your main influence?

For this novel: a mixture of the character Cher Horowitz of the movie & novel 'Clueless', and author, Jane Austen’s novels. Which is funny as 'Clueless' was based on Austen’s novel, 'Emma'. Otherwise, my muse is stirred into action by anything from Diana Gabaldon’s fiction to Booker-shortlisted Sebastian Barry. I try to consume a varied literary diet.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always had a bit of an obsession with writing and putting stories together. I was the English student that would submit all three essay choices for my homework, instead of choosing just one. But I thought becoming a writer was something other people got to do. It never occurred to me that I could become a writer until I was well into adulthood.

What would you say is your particular strength as an author?

Definitely coming up with new ideas. The same imagination that got me into trouble at school is now proving itself useful. I never seem to have a shortage of ideas for story but more importantly, I have the determination to see those ideas through.

What are your future plans?

I have recently finished an adventure novel for middle grade readers (9-11 year olds) and am working on another for that age group. I am also researching for my next adult novel, which I hope to complete in the coming year.

I have also just begun a ‘World of Writing’ series of blog posts on my website.  These are writer resource posts which tackle the big conversations in writing and are running monthly.  I continue to blog about my experiences in writing for Teens and Children at www.OliviaBright.com. And have a YouTube channel to keep updated with helpful ‘how to’ videos and vlogs for readers and writers.  There are always plenty of projects to keep me busy.
 
Olivia Kiernan is a writer and novelist.  She writes for children and young adults under the pseudonym Olivia Bright.  Her novel for teens, BECOMING LADY BETH can be found at: Amazon, Kobo and Barnes & Noble.


Follow her on Twitter: @LivKiernan
On Facebook: Olivia Kiernan (Author)

Greek Parents Forced to Abandon Children due to Financial Crisis

You work hard. You sweat, you toil, you put in long hours. You tell yourself that it's worth the sacrifice because then you can provide what's best for your family.

Then, there comes a financial crisis, the like of which the world has never seen. It is a crisis that topples dictators and opens the eyes of millions around the world to the ways in which they are being exploited.

But while the turmoil brings awakening and freedom for many, there are casualties in every crisis, and you are among the hardest hit. Your entire country is bankrupt. How does a country go bankrupt? What does it mean for people? What does it mean for you? Will everybody starve? This is a prosperous, sun-soaked corner of one the richest continents in the world, not a third-world dictatorship. How has this been allowed to happen? Was no-one paying attention?

Your government changes from one democratically elected to one imposed upon you to enforce a neoliberal agenda. You campaign and demonstrate but you are no longer master of your own destiny. Prices skyrocket. Self-interest proliferates. Everyone looks to one another for a solution.

Finally, you lose your job. Alone, a single parent in a suburb of Athens, how are you supposed to support your family? Maybe if you lived somewhere wealthier, you could tighten your belt and get through it. Perhaps you'd give up your car, or your satellite television. Here, in modern day Greece, you might have absolutely no other option than to give up your children.

How heartbreaking must it be to love your children so much that you feel that they would be better off without you? In a country where the welfare state has been devastated, most people in financial need are forced to turn to charities for assistance. However, charity donations have naturally plummetted as a result of the crisis. The sudden increase in need is shocking a country where family ties are strong, and failure to look after children is socially unacceptable.

International charity SOS Children has received 800 requests in Greece alone in the last calendar year for assistance with supporting children, and many of these cases are requests from parents to have the children taken into care. This number is an explosion from previous years and is almost 100% attributable to the financial crisis.