The Fairy Kiss

Deep within the haunted wood, beside the magic brook,
far away from harm or hurt, where humans never look.
A meeting, there, was being held, for something was amiss.
For someone had, indeed, crept in and stole a fairy kiss.
The one so bold to do this deed, stole power from the fae.
She couldn’t lift or move her wings, she couldn’t fly away.

The water nymphs and woodland elves were gathered round the fae.
The selkie and siren sat with pixies in the glade.
The unicorns, were also there, for they had heard it too.
The whole Enchanted Forest would decide on what to do.
The stealing of a fairy kiss was very bad indeed.
For that upsets the balance that the forest creatures need.

“Will this meeting come to order!” said the Elder of the Wood.
“We must decide on how to find the culprit, if we could!
Who dared to kiss this fairy child? Step forth, and show your face!”
But not one creature dared come forth, revealing his disgrace.
The fairy child, Athelwine, which means ‘The Friend of Elves,
was listening to the Elder speak, thought quickly to herself.

She wasn’t sure she understood why everyone was mad,
she couldn’t fly or use her dust, is that why they were sad?
Should she tell the Elder that she gave the kiss away?
That no thief roamed the Wood this night or any other day?
Then just as Athelwine stepped forth, a husky voice spoke up,
 
“Please, Elder, sir, may I approach and add my thoughts on this?
Twas I who caused all this distress, twas I received the kiss.”

The speaker was a goblin boy, as ugly as could be.
With eyes too small and feet too big, and hairy, knobby knees.
He loved the fairy, Athelwine, would never do her harm.
He thought of her as lucky, like a lovely, little charm.
His bulbous nose was sniffling, and his body shook with fright.
Whatever would they do to him, to set this wrong to right?

The Elder looked in outrage at the ugly Goblin child.
He stuttered and he stammered, and his eyes grew big and wild.
“How dare you kiss the fairy girl, you should be locked in chains!
You’ve broke the law within the Wood, by all that is ordained!
How many here agree that we should banish him for good?
We have no need for foolish deeds and thieves within the Wood.”

Athelwine stepped forward then, too overwhelmed with guilt.

“Stop!” she cried. “Please, let him be! ‘Twas not the Goblins fault!
I gave the kiss away to him, he didn’t steal a thing.
I gave it to him freely just to hear the Goblin sing!
If you could only hear him, sir, you’d see just for yourself.
His voice is something magical, just ask the woodland elves!”

“His voice was like an angel’s sigh,” Athelwine explained,
“his voice so pure and beautiful, like rainbows through the rain.
He even made the flowers grow, so perfect was his song.
I gave the kiss away to him, he has done nothing wrong!”

The Elder, shocked to silence, scratched his head in disbelief.
For if the kiss was given freely, he could not call him a thief.
He pondered for a moment, thinking, ‘I don’t have a clue’.
When suddenly, it came to him, he know what he should do!

“Come forth!”, he called the Goblin boy, “come forward, if you may.
For I have come to a conclusion that will save the flightless Fae.
Since the kiss was freely given, and the Fae was not attacked,
the answer here is obvious, just give the kiss right back!”

The Goblin boy looked up and grinned, and clapped his hands with joy,
and Athelwine stepped up to him, “Now kiss me, Goblin boy”.
He reached up very tenderly, and kissed her satin cheek,
her eyes so blue and beautiful, it made his knees go weak.

Her wings unfolding gracefully as everybody stood,
the fairy flew above the trees and all around the Wood.
The unicorns and sirens, the selkie and the fae,
all cheered and laughed in sheer delight, on such a happy day.

The Elder looked upon the creatures, dancing with delight,
and melted back into the Wood, while whispering,”Goodnight”.