A Fairy Encounter Extraordinaire

Now it happened that one day as Rhona sat in the garden knitting, she heard a rustling of the leaves. Thinking it her sweetheart, she pretended not to have heard. Then came a tiny laugh and a tinkling sound from her rose arbor. Looking atop, she spied six handsome little men dressed in green from head to toe, except, that is, for a red feather in their caps. Rhona extended her hand to the group, and each in turn alighted on her offered palm. Becoming totally delighted with them, she favored the six with every courtesy.

Suddenly and without warning, one of the fairies touched his fingers to her eyes, plunging her into darkness. In this state of total blackness, she experienced herself moving through what could only be time and space. But this was more than a three-dimensional flight. Rhona's flight had taken her through a fourth dimension.

After what seemed like only a few moments, Rhona felt her feet touch the ground. Opening her eyes, she found herself in the most beautiful and wondrous place she had ever seen. Into her vision came lush trees; brilliantly colored song birds; flower gardens and castles of every description shinning forth in gold and silver. Each castle in turn shimmered with diamonds, garnets, pearls and emeralds.

Along the streets were magnificently clad little people promenading, resting, dancing and indulging in favorite pastimes. Now, Rhona, who noted that she was clad in the same fine manner as everyone else, had also become the same size as everyone else. "Oh," she thought, "I could stay here forever and a day."

But this was not to be. All at once, Rhona was once again plunged into darkness, whisked through the air and dropped safely onto the floor of her rose arbor, where a group of people had gathered concerned over her absence.

For the rest of her life, it is said that Rhona was guarded by the fairies who nourished her with fairie food. But even the fae could not protect her from the local authorities who considered her reported escapades into fairyland a threat to law, order and common sense. At one time, she was imprisoned and persecuted by the guards who refused to serve her meals. This bothered not Rhona, for she was fed daily by the fairies during her enclosure. The authorities, unable to understand how she lived without food, soon released her.

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