On her first birthday, Queen Edrilla gave Princess Rosamunda a Rose that never stopped blooming.  The baby threw Fairy sparkles on her Rose and giggled with delight.

On her second birthday, King Adar gave Princess Rosamunda a tethered turquoise Butterfly of unimaginable beauty.  The child fed the Butterfly nectar from a thousand flowers.

On her third birthday, Princess Rosamunda's only brother gave her a jeweled spider Web that had not been broken over a whole summer's time.  The child gilded it with magic dew drops gathered from the buttercups in the Queen's garden.

And so it went.  Each year, Princess Rosamunda was given a present more spectacular than the one she had been given the year before.  She grew in lovliness and winsomeness, and no Fay creature, be he Sprite, or be she Elf, could bear to deny the little princess even one little thing that she desired.

Needless to say, the royal young one became quite spoiled, in a rather strange way.  She did not become demanding and petulant, as one might expect of such a priviledged, pampered and protected princess.  Instead the spoiling was more subtle, for the young lady Fairy, for so she had grown to be, could not see the wisdom in denying anyone anything he could possibly desire.

One day, Princess Rosamunda was taking her charges for a walk. For the princess had been given the task of teaching a small group of Fairy children their singing and dancing lessons, that they might take their proper and respectable place in Fairy society.

As they walked about, the little creatures sang:

All of a sudden, Pat-pat pushed his little play-mate Riandra down into the mud.  There followed a free-for-all among the children, and when they were through, many of the petals in the meadow had been stripped from their stalks, and lay about in a slovenly mess.  Rosamunda, weary from teaching the sqeaky bunch, sent them to bathe in the stream, while she got down on all fours, and cleaned up the meadow, restoring it to its previous state of repectability

Queen Edrilla, when hearing of the lapse in discipline, wondered what she had done wrong to have raised a princess so lacking in severity and fortitude.

Another time, Princess Rosamunda was resting in a hammock with her older sister, Princess Pansinella. Pansinella sighed, and wished for a new dancing dress to wear to the ball.  Rosamunda  gave her sister the silk she had been saving from the lead string of the spider Web that had not been broken for fifteen summers.  When Pansinella wore the new gown, it pinched and bit her, for the silk had learned to expect it would only be worn by Roasmunda the Fair and Amiable.  Therefore, Rosamunda's kindness was turned back upon her in the form of the unwonted pain she had given her favorite sister.

King Adar, when hearing of the distress of his seventh daughter, wondered what mistakes he had made with his tenth daughter Rosamunda, who had always had the best of everything, and had been blessed with so much abilty and charm.

Princess Rosamunda gave to all, without a thought of the long-term effects of her actions.  She turned the home-sick white deer back into the forest, when they should have been moving to higher ground.  She fed the Fairy babies on mushrooms to their heart's content, never giving a thought to the little ones as they became sick in their beds.

One evening, Fairy Rosamunda's students were scheduled to give a concert to display all they had learned from the generous princess.

All of Fairyland's kin and kith gathered in the moonlight to hear the expected exquisitely planned performance.  But the children had been cosseted and indulged, and would not stand decently in order to sing the ancient lays.  One boykin spread honey on the wings of the little singers next to him, causing a disruption.

Another fairy sent puffs of frost down the backs of the trillers, setting their trills awry, and causing a general cacophony.  Finally, the young fairy choir managed to straighten up and sing, but they ungratefully had changed the words to the song during their playtime, and sang it that way now, caused Princess Rosamunda untold embarrassment.  She blushed as she heard the silly words:

Immediately, the indignant Fairy parents grabbed their naughty young by the ears, by the hair, and by the noses, and marched them out of the meadow, whisking their behinds with anything they could lay their hands on . A precious Fairy tradition had been trampled upon, and poor, kind Rosamunda was left in tears.

It followed naturally that the amiable princess was loved and petted by all, and soon got over her humiliation.  Still, the Fairy Folk wondered what could possibly  have influenced the young Royal to have become so indulgent of all who made demands upon her.

Rosamunda, who had been given so much, could not understand why she could not give all she wanted others to have.  Nothing seemed to be going right, troubles abounded, but little understanding took place.  One afternoon, Rosamunda was musing and fussing over her troubles, wrapping and re-wrapping vines around her hands with distracted nervous energy.  She walked carelessly into the middle of a glen, then realized  that she was surrounded by a strange and putrid smell she did not recognize.  Looking up, she saw a large, bumtious-looking human picking flowers and putting them into his baskets.  Immediately, the princess ran out of the glen and hid behind the nearest tree.  But it was too late!  The mortal had seen her!  And she had seen her first mortal!

The mortal called to her.  "Come back, come back, Fairy creature, for I will not harm you!"

Fairy Rosamunda stayed in her hiding place, her little heart beating like a hummingbird's.

The  youth sat down in the glen, then, and sighed.  Rosamunda watched him then, being rather curious, though she could hardly stand his stench, even from that far away. In a moment,  the man's back became racked with sobs, and Rosamunda held her breath and drew nearer.  He looked up at her now.  "Please, please, come here to me, beautiful Silvan one, for I long to see you more closely."  Rosamunda stayed where she was.  The man started howling and weeping.  "I will never get what I wish.  For no one loves me.  No one loves me at all!"   The Fairy drew a bit nearer.  The man threw himself on the grass and began beating it with his fists.  Rosamunda stooped over him, pale with concern.  Finally she spoke,  "Mortal man," she said in tenderest tones, "Why do you think that no one loves you?"

Then the young man told the Fairy his story.  His name was Edward, and his father and mother considered him to be a fool.  No young maiden would marry him, and he had lost his coat in the briars.

The princess was shocked by this disclosure.  She had never heard such a tale of woe in all her born days.  Sympathy welled up from her heart.  "Why, I will marry you!" she told Edward.  Edward's eyes immediately brightened, and Rosamunda felt quite proud of the way she had cheered the fellow up.  No one stayed sad around HER very long!  She was the source of happiness for all!  The two young people, one a callow human, and the other an exquisite Silvan being, left the glen arm in arm, the Fairy holding her nose with her other hand, and the other hand of Edward snaking around her shoulder, and touching her iridescent wings.  On their way out, Rosamunda told a bluebird to fly back and tell the Queen and King that their tenth daughter had entered into the matrimonial state with a handsome rich mortal, and that she would return one day to visit them.

Anger!  Rage!  Purple Passionate Fit!  When the two royal parents heard the news, they wondered what they had ever done to deserve such an ungrateful wretch of a child!

"I have given her everything she could possibly have ever wanted!" yelled King Adar.  He raised his scepter.  "I disenfranchise the fool! She shall never set foot in Fairyland again!"

"I have never denied the vixen her slightest
whim!" screeched Queen Edrilla. The Queen grabbed the jewel from around her neck and threw it down in disgust, where it exploded!  "From now on, this ungrateful child will be surrounded only by night!  She will pay for her indiscretion by never seeing the morning glories open to the sun.

She will never hear the robins sing!  She will never see the glorious dawn, or the dew sparkle on her spider webs again!"  Then a dark shadow rose from the fairy queen's furrowed brow.  "Go!"  she told the magic Darkness Shadow.  "Go, and find the fool that rejected all of Fairydom's glory for a mortal's slobbering affection!"

The Darkness Shadow found it's quarry in a matter of hours, standing in a chapel, repeating vows of loyalty to the man she wished to help, even as she held her sensitive nose.  For she was determined to fulfill his every desire, and thus discharge the last of her compassion. The Darkness Shadow settled on the reckless Fairy.

"Ouch!"

"What has happened?""

"Somebody find a candle!"

"Get off of my foot, you oaf!"

The people in the chapel were frightened and panicked because of the sudden darkness they found themselves surrounded with.  As quickly as possible they bolted for the door, bumping into each other in their fear to get away.

The bride and groom stayed within, holding hands  Now both were alone in the dark.

"What has happened, dearest one?" cried Edward in consternation.  "For I cannot see your lovely Elfin face!"

"This darkness is not a natural one, I fear, husband,"  answered Rosamunda. "It could only have come from my mother,  the Queen of Fairies.  It is her signature curse.  She only uses it when she is extremely angry at one who commits a disastrous wrong."

"When will this evil darkness go away?" Edward asked his bride.

"Never," she answered, "For once it is given, it can never be taken away.  The Darkness Shadow seeps into the very cells of the victim, and extends all around from here to far. But do not be afraid.  It can not harm you unless I say it will.  And I will stay be at your side always, baring your burdens and your mortal smell."

Edward moaned.  "Then I must leave you now.  For in this darkness, I cannot look upon your fair face to delight me, and I cannot pursue my life as a farmer and landowner.  No grains will grow in this Shadow!"   And Edward bolted out the door of the chapel, never to return to the bride who had sacrificed herself on his behalf.

Though her nostrils were much much relieved,  the broken-hearted Fairy was bereft, and walked slowly out to the woods.  Where would she go now?  Back to Fairyland?  It was doubtful she would be received there in her present disgrace.  She wondered about, distraught.  Why had such a thing happened to her?  She had only tried to help others.  But now all was lost, and there was no one to help her.  She shivered at the lack of sunshine, and fell asleep in exhaustion.  For days and weeks she traveled, eating berries in the night.  Finally, she lay against a tree, sobbing and weeping her eyes out in despair, her tattered silken clothing catching on the rough bark of the tree.

"Why do you cry, lovely maiden?''

Rosamunda drew in her breath.  Her delicate, pointed ears stretched to hear where the sound had come from.  She smelled the aroma of apples, acorns, and maple leaves.  But she could discover nothing!  Then she felt warm arms surrounding her, and she laid her head on a maternal breast and slept.

When she awoke, Rosamunda saw, dusky in the dark, a slender tree Nymph, smiling and holding a cup of cider.

"My name is Treeheart.  Welcome to The Magic Forest, weary traveler."

Rosamunda told the lady her troubles, and Treeheart befriended her and gave her a home in the Forest  A little corner all her own was given her, safely away from prying thoughts and shameful opinions, where she would be disgraced no more. Fairy Rosamunda built a little cottage there, for she still retained some of her arts.

Over the years, the Fairy's generous nature re-instated itself here, where it could do little harm.  For she constructed a Wish-U-Well, where the whims of all passersby by could be fulfilled, but with an understanding blessing from Treeheart, so that the indulgences in wish fulfillment could cause no harm.

Rosamunda filled her Well with the tears that she cried every night, for her mother and her father, her Edward, who had used her, her brother and sisters, her little fairy students, her Rose, her Butterfly, her Web, and all her Fairy inheritance that was lost forever. Finally, she had no more tears and no more sorrow, and she found a peaceful acceptance.  Henceforth, she became known as The Fairy Of The Night, and she became a legend, a story that mothers passed on to their children in lullabies and lays, to sing them to sleep.

So, if you ever travel to Treeheart's realm, be sure to find the Wish-U-Well, and visit with friendly Fairy Rosamunda, who longs to help you solve all your problems.  But beware, for though she has gained in understanding, she would spoil you and cosset you, and give you all you desire, even to her very self, if perchance you touch her deep well of compassion.  Just you keep a reign on your heart,  and she will keep a reign on hers. Then you may throw in a coin and all will be ....WELL