Hairy, Scary, but Mostly Merry Fairies!. Renee Simmons Raney

      Fairy Houses

      I realized that once fairy folk are discovered they are swift to move on to hide themselves from humans. The chipmunk den where I had seen the little brown fairy—my first—was vacated soon after my encounter with him. I knew this from paying close attention and observing the area. The entrance became overgrown with unkempt weeds. A spider built her web over the opening and this let me know that there was no coming to or going from that place.

      Nonnie said they wouldn’t have moved very far from that location; just far enough to become invisible again. She said that the best thing we could do was to build some fairy houses in the area to let them know that we were friends and not invaders. She also warned me not to bring too many other humans around the area. Fairies tend to leave if too many humans are aware of a natural space and less desirable creatures like trolls and gnurls (gnomes gone bad) show up, causing all sorts of chaos.

      I learned that fairy houses are traditional in Ireland, Scotland, and England. In Cottingley, England, two young girls (Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths) built fairy houses and photographed their fairy friends in a secret forest near their home. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (you may remember him as the author of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) believed Elsie’s and Frances’s stories. He wrote an article for The Strand newspaper in November 1920, with two of the fairy photos printed for the world to view.

      Some believed in these fairies and others did not. I have heard that too many human visitors explored the area searching for evidence. This offended the fairies who departed on wing, foot, and leaf boats. The enchanted forest became “just another woodland” until the fairies felt it was safe to return.

      This has been on my mind as I write this book. What if too many people read it and cause problems for the fairies? But I plan to seek permission from the Prince of Fairies before I publish this manuscript. I truly believe that he will place just enough fairy glamour on this book to ensure that only the RIGHT kind of people read it—those who will have respect for the enchanted world and who will not cause any problems for the fairy folk.

      Besides, the Prince has told me countless times that the fairies need more fairy houses . . . many of them. The natural places are not as abundant as they once were, so restful little dens of habitation make life much easier on the fairies, especially those who work daily to help trees and animals.

      Anyone can build a fairy house. The main tool needed is imagination. Pretend that you are only about three inches tall. This would be the same size as your pointy finger. Where would you like to live? What would you want to see from your house? What might attract you to a special location? Is it near a creek? Are mushrooms or mosses or partridge berry vines growing there?