Fairy Story

Two little girls, a century ago
Crossed a stream in their garden to play
"But we can see no Fairies here"
"We'll perhaps see some today".

Then a game they made to show
That Fairies were indeed there
In that lovely garden,
a long long time ago.

They borrowed Daddy's camera
And filmed Fairies flying round
With gossamer outstretched
And showed all what they'd found.

The people were astonished
They couldn't understand
How children so young, inexperienced
Had filmed a Fairy band.

No one could find a flaw
In the pictures the children took
And all declared them genuine
Then someone wrote a book.

Their fame spread far and wide
People flocked to see
The stream and the glade
Where the Fairies were said to be.

But, like all things human
The excitement soon went away
Leaving that lovely garden
Littered, broken and grey.

All the damage that was done
The Family did repair
The children, to their Parents
Said, "Never again, we swear".

Many years have passed
Since that fateful day
The children, now old ladies
Came clean, as to how they
Had filmed the Fairies in the glen
With cardboard cutouts on cotton strings
And cellophane
For Fairy wings.

Val Stebbing.

I wrote this some time ago, after watching the film, Fairy Story.
The people at Cottingley kindly printed it on their web site.

I remember the story and your poem Val which I really like Thanks for the re-post

Val,
I liked this fantasy-type poem. I love anything in that genre; fairies, elves, sprites, you name it. Nice job.
Your friend,
David Fox

this was one of my favs of yours Val
a few years ago we went to see the
actual house, you couldnt go in
and I would have thought it
could have been a good attraction

huggs
karenxx

I thought this was a good poem about the Cottingley fairies. I was so sad when I discovered they had rigged the photogrpahy. I always believed it as a child.

I am glad you re-posted it Val.

Jo c

A good choice for your re-post Val.
Nice to read it again.
They certainly had all those experts fooled didn't they.

Thank you all, Doreen, David, Karen, Jo & Steve.

Shame the house isn't open to the public, Karen.

That was good Val! ~Scott

Thank you, very much, Scott.

I didn't know the story, so I'm glad you reposted this, Val
what a shame the fairies weren't real!

Rose x

Thank you, Rose.
I include the link under here, then if you don't know the story you can read about it if you would like to. The actual film they made, I think, had a much nicer ending than real life.
http://www.cottingleyconnect.org.uk/fairies.htm#story

And the film.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Tale:_A_True_Story