Compensation is about the best way I could describe it (with the letters of the alphabet I still have left.)
Fairies don't work for money. A few of them understand the human system of money, but none of them think it's any good. Fairies do what they need to so that things can keep going -- and improving. When there's something wrong in the natural world, they just step in and do something about it. Sometimes it has to be organized by the queen -- like the addition of dust and helper yeasts for the slime mold in the area. Sometimes, it's a small job -- like a fairy seeing that if a leaf fell a few inches to the left, it would provide fertilizer for the soil rather than falling on the sidewalk and doing no good at all. She'll give her wings a flick in that direction, and the leaf falls as it should. It's almost automatic. No matter if the work is big or small, though, if a fairy is in the area, the world is going to be a better place.
The first question in a fairy's mind is, "How can I improve this?"
The question I asked her was, "But what do you get out of it?"
Thumbelina's answer? Abundance. That's the largest part of their satisfaction. When a grove abounds. When nature has a lot of fecundity (my new favorite word.) That's what they live for.
Gratitude is the second part of it.
Creatures with the ability to be grateful show that they are glad the fairies came by -- even if they're not aware that it was a fairy that helped them. To see a smile from a child, or a wag from a dog when things have gone right -- that's the other half of the fairy's paycheck.
When a fairy is feeling low she seeks gratitude.
Think about the stories you have heard. The good-hearted human gets help from the fairy in disguise. The human enjoys success beyond any of her expectations, and then shows huge amounts of gratitude. That's how the fairy perks up. Thumbelina explained that the energy of sincere gratitude is even better than a lightening blast for fixing up a drooping fairy.
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| Abundance makes fairies happy |
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| Gratitude rocks the fairies' world |
It's only when gratitude fails that a fairy takes time to wreak havoc in a person's life. For instance, there's that story about diamonds coming from one girl's mouth and toads coming from another girl's mouth. The first girl was naturally inclined to be sweet -- and grateful. She got lovely rewards. The other was sarcastic and bitter. She obviously got punished for having spent so much time punishing the world. Plus, if the fairy needed a second dose of gratitude to feel completely well, and then got only negativity -- that would tend to sour a mood, now, wouldn't it?
Well, my time as a tourist is going to end this week. I don't even have to fake my gratitude. Thumbelina has been such a good friend to me. She has tried to understand my many hang-ups. She helped me escape when I was too embarrassed to live with myself. She helped me get the rest I needed when I was worn out. She's fun to talk to, and she has a great sense of style. I've had the time of my life here.
So, for the record: even though I sounded crabby at first, getting to know Thumbelina is one of my favorite experiences of all time.
Thanks, Thumbelina (or should I write "Fresh") for being my friend. You're awesome.
-- Sabrina
Aw . . . I'm going to cry.
I hope Sabrina's tulips always thrill her.
-- Fresh
