The Little Girl Who Saw the Fairies Once

 There was once a little girl who had a particular fascination with a rather large rock that stood at the top of a hill that was far too steep for her to climb. For several years she looked at the top of the hill longingly, waiting for the day when her legs would finally become long enough and then she would be able to see what it was about the large rock that drew her so.

    One day, on her seventh birthday, she woke up and knew that her legs were long enough.

    She set off as quickly as she could, and, after a lot of panting, made her way to the top of the hill.

    The little girl set her fingertips to the rock reverently.

    She felt its creases, examined its moss, ran all the way around it.

    It was, indeed, a very good rock.

    But that didn't explain the fascination that she felt inside her.

    And so she climbed to the top of the rock and gazed down. 

    Which was, of course, when she saw it — the essence of what it was that had called to her for so long. For there, at the top of the rock, was a hole that opened into a world of darting, glittering fairies. It was so magical, the little girl thought her heart might burst.

    But, after watching the fairies for some hours, she found that she was very hungry, and so she headed home for dinner and then went to sleep.

    The next morning she woke up, jumped out of bed, and climbed the hill and the rock to see the fairies. But when she looked down into the hole, there was nothing there. No fairies at all.

    The little girl went back down the hill very disappointed.

    But then she remembered that she had seen the fairies once. And that, she decided, was enough for a whole lifetime.

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