Fall of the Fairies

Pihu and Tani were two little fairies who used to jump and leap and fly from one cloud to another. There was no question of falling down as they had two pairs of flapping feathery wings. One day they went far from their heavenly house, the Skylark. The small white clouds they were jumping on were enjoying that fun-filled game. The baby clouds clapped with each jump. Suddenly there appeared a mighty dark wind that chased the flowery white clouds. Tani and Pihu tried to grab the base of a white cloud, but that was already hit by an ugly dark cloud monster. The little white cloud made a deep swing to save itself. The little fairies slipped out during the fast movement of their cloud carrier. They cried out in fear! "We are falling! Help us please!" But there was not even a bird who could help them reach the Skylark. The King Cloud Monster, an angry fellow, gave them a big push which made them fall from the sky. It was such a heavy plunge that their wings got broken and were lost.

The goddess of rain, who was affectionate to these fairies, came fast to their rescue. She helped them glide in the air and come down on the lap of a blue planet, called the Earth! The goddess lay them gently on a blooming lotus. Pihu and Tani who were friends in the sky became two little sisters here. No one in the new planet knew where from they came.

The rain goddess also blessed them with an attractive home and a set of new parents who were kind and lovable. Pihu and Tani grew under their care and guidance. But they could not forget their past life in the sky and their daily flying adventure. The Earth as a home was good, but the sky was fabulous. They wished to go into an open land to look up at their heavenly house, the Skylark. 

An old maid who served them as the caretaker understood their mind. She took them to a corner of a lotus pond where they could get the most clear view of the sky. They saw a rainbow that joined the Earth with the sky. How pleased and overjoyed they were!  But the little fairies did not know the rules of the blue planet. While staring at the sky they failed to stand straight. They lay down on the muddy bank and rolled on the ground while reminiscing their days out in the sky. It went on and on for a few hours. When they came back home, they brought the fresh smell of the heaven hidden in their smile. Only the outer cover, their bird-painted frocks, looked muddy, dirty, wet. They never cared about what they were wearing, but that irritated their Mom who always wanted to see them tidy. The girls of heaven never learnt how to clean up dresses. Do you know why? Because there was no washing machine or running water in the sky.