[Editor: This short story for children, by Eva Oakley, was published in Real Australian Fairy Stories (1945).]
The Fairy’s thimble bed
There was once a charming lady, and she did a great deal of sewing, for she was very poor, and had to earn her living in this way. Now a lovely Fairy, whose name was “Gloria,” knew all about this dear lady, so she came one night, and asked the lady if she might sleep in her pretty pink Thimble, for the night.
“Oh, yes!” said the lady, glad to be able to do something to help somebody.
“Thank you,” said the Fairy, “And, in return, I shall make you very happy.” And then she flew off, to get her beautiful little Fairy blanket.
When the lady rose up from her bed next morning, she went straight to look at the beautiful Fairy in the Thimble; but the Fairy had gone, leaving a note, which read, “Every time you wear this Thimble something wonderful will happen which will bring you money, and you will have beautiful thoughts all the time, and you will be able to go and help all those people you have been wishing to help for so long.”
The lady wept for joy when she had finished reading Gloria’s note, for it was the most wonderful thing that she could have received — the gift of beautiful thoughts and helping others, all in one big lot.
Source:
Eva Oakley, Real Australian Fairy Stories, Melbourne: Austral Printing & Publishing Company, [1945], p. 2
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
Leave a Reply