Gemma and the Water Fairy
There once was a beautiful, young lady named Gemma, who was in love with a boy named Leonard. Neither of them had much money. They talked of getting married, but were trying very hard to save up money first. Most days they went on walks in the woods, just enjoying each other’s company. Leonard once gave Gemma a necklace as a token of his love and a promise that one day they would be married. It wasn’t an expensive necklace. Leonard had found a pretty pink stone and polished it himself. He fastened it to a blue ribbon and gave it to Gemma. She wore it all the time. She never took it off.
One warm, summer day Gemma had gone into the woods and decided to go swimming in the crystal blue pond the she frequently visited. She loved this small pond and went swimming here often. She stripped down to her underclothes and slipped into the cool, refreshing water. When she finished her swim, she got dressed and it was then that she realized her necklace was missing. She searched all around the rock where she had laid her clothing, but it was nowhere to be found. She realized the horrible truth that her necklace was in the pond. It must have slipped off while she was swimming.
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| Water Fairy |
Gemma sat at the edge of the pond and cried. She knew that it was gone forever. Hearing her distress, a water fairy appeared and asked the lady what had caused her tears. Gemma told the water fairy about her lost necklace. The water fairy dove into the pond and quickly resurfaced holding a gold necklace with a large, heart-shaped diamond. It was the most beautiful necklace that Gemma had ever seen.
“Is this your necklace?” the fairy asked.
“No, it is not my necklace,” Gemma responded.
The fairy laid the necklace at Gemma feet and returned to the water. She emerged again and this time had a necklace of silver with a bright green emerald.
“Is this your necklace?” the fairy asked again.
“No, that is not my necklace either. My necklace is a simple pink stone hanging from a blue ribbon.”
The fairy once again laid the necklace at Gemma’s feet and returned to the water. This time the fairy returned with the correct necklace. She was so happy and thanked the water fairy for retrieving it for her.
The fairy said to her, “You could have easily said that the other necklaces were yours, but you didn’t. I admire your honesty and as a reward, I offer you the other two necklaces as well. Go and be happy with your fiance. I wish you two the best.”
Gemma happily returned home and when she saw Leonard later that day, she told him of her experience with the water fairy and showed him the necklaces. They decided that they should sell the necklaces, for they were very expensive, and then they would have enough money to get married and start their lives together.
That next day the young couple went into town to sell the necklaces. They were so excited that they started telling everyone they came upon of their good fortune. Several people saw the story as an opportunity to make some quick money. Each one set out for the pond in the woods. They hid their own necklaces in the tall grass and pretended they had lost them. They wept and each time the water fairy appeared. To each person that came to the edge of the pond and cried, the water fairy appeared with the golden necklace and each time the person would claim that the necklace was indeed theirs. The fairy, noting their dishonesty, did not give them the necklace. Instead she caused the water to rise up in a giant wave and crash upon the person on the shore, washing them into the pond. The dishonest people would have to drag themselves out of the water and return home dripping wet. When the dishonest people returned and looked for their necklace that they had hidden, it was nowhere to be found.
Gemma and Leonard were soon married. A few years later they had a couple of kids. They taught their children the importance of honesty, and how honesty can be rewarded in unexpected ways.
Author's note: This story is from the fable Mercury and the Woodman. I enjoyed this fable a lot. I didn't stray much from the original story in the style it was written. The fable is about a woodman whose axe slid out of his hand and into a pond while he was working. He was distressed as this was his way of earning a living and he couldn't afford to buy a new one. Mercury heard his cries and brought him a gold axe and then a silver one, each time the woodman replied it wasn't his. Mercury rewarded him for his honesty by giving him both the golden axe and the silver one in addition to his plain wooden one. Mercury also punished those who came to the pond and lied to him in an effort to get the golden or silver axes.
I thought it would be a little different twist to make it about a girl who lost the necklace that her love had given her. In the original story, Mercury hit the liars over the head with the axe and they ran away. I couldn't do that with the necklaces, so I had the fairy cause a wave which pulled the liars into the water.
Bibliography: Aesop for Children (Winter), Mercury and the Woodman, translator unknown.
Andrea, I loved this story! You are a fantastic writer. I loved the characters and pictures used. I felt that I could really picture the scenes in my head! I also really enjoyed how you added a message within the story. I liked how you explained what being honest looked like. I though this was a great story and I am excited to read more of your posts in the future!
ReplyDeleteHey Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your version of the story! The fable had a great lesson to begin with, but I like how you expanded it to include the dishonest people, as well as the background of the couple in love. Including their desire to get married and their inability to do so because of their poverty really makes the reader root for Gemma when she loses her necklace and confronts the fairy.
One suggestion I would make would be to establish the setting at the beginning of the story. As I read about Gemma and Leonard, I wondered, "Is this midevil times? Modern day? Do they live in a big city, in the woods?" So having just a quick sentence about their time and location would be helpful.
I love the images you chose for this story! Especially the one with the water fairy. They really added to the visualization of your story.
ReplyDeleteThis is a tale I am already familiar with from my childhood, and it was nice to see the story retold. Sometimes an item given from somebody you care about is more important than an item that is worth more money. Of course, getting all three necklaces is nice as well. Especially when it lets Gemma have her happy ending.
I liked how you included other people going to the lake, and getting punished by being dragged into the lake. I cannot remember if this was in the original, but it really added to your story.
The story also has a good message, as many fables to. Honesty is important, and I wish it got rewarded as often in the real world as it does in your story.
On the whole good job, the story flowed well, and it was interesting to read.
This story was so wonderful to read. I really enjoyed the wholesome lesson that it taught, and especially since it is a lesson that many of us can benefit from. It made me happy in the end when the couple was able to use the money from the other necklaces to pay for their wedding and future. It just shows good things come to those who are deserving!
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