_THE FAIRIES WHO CHANGED PLACES_
This story is about something that happened long, long, and ever so longago, before the fairies had really settled down to their work.
There was then a little fairy called Starblossom, whose business it wasto take care of the earliest Spring flowers; and there was also a fairycalled Drop-of-Crystal, whose work it was to make snowflakes. These twofairies were great friends.
One day Starblossom had not very much to do. She had finished sharpeningthe little green spikes of her flower-leaves, and had even made readyone or two white buds. But when she saw that Drop-of-Crystal was verybusy making heavy drops of snow, she thought to herself that there wasno need for her to be in a hurry about the Spring flowers. They would bemuch more comfortable underground if Drop-of-Crystal were going to flingsnowflakes all over them. So she carefully covered up her buds and wentoff to watch the snow-fairy at work.
Drop-of-Crystal was too busy to speak. He was making an enormousquantity of snowflakes. Starblossom was silent for some time, but atlast she asked--
"What are they all for?"
"For a snow-storm, of course," said Drop-of-Crystal shortly.
"Are they all to be used in one storm?" asked Starblossom. "It will be avery big storm, I'm afraid."
"It will," said Drop-of-Crystal--"very big. You'd better take care ofthose flowers of yours, or they'll be hurt."
"There are not many of them above ground," Starblossom answered. "I sawwhat you were doing. But in any case my flowers are not likely to behurt by the snow-fairies so much as by the frost-fairies."
Drop-of-Crystal said nothing to this, but went on working busily.
Presently Starblossom spoke again.
"It seems to me that snowflakes are very easy to make. Your work isreally much easier than mine. It is very difficult to make flowersnicely. One has to be so particular about the shape of them."
"I don't agree with you at all," said Drop-of-Crystal rather crossly."My work is much harder than yours. I have to make thousands andthousands of snowflakes for the very smallest snow-storm. You can takequite a long time arranging the shape of your flowers, but I have towork in a hurry, or the storm would run short of snowflakes. And thatwould be very serious."
"Not half so serious as it would be if the Spring were to run short offlowers," said Starblossom indignantly.
"Look here," said Drop-of-Crystal, losing his temper, "if you like mywork so much I wish you'd do it! You can set to work and make a fewthousand snowflakes while I take a rest."
"I shall be delighted to do such easy work," said Starblossom; "but ofcourse if I make your snowflakes you must make my flowers. That is onlyfair."
DROP-OF-CRYSTAL WAS TOO BUSY TO SPEAK]
"Very well," said Drop-of-Crystal, "I don't mind. After all, work ofthat kind is just the same as resting."
So he flew off to the place where Starblossom's flowers were beginningto show their spiky leaves above ground. He had never made a flowerbefore, and did not know how to set about it, but he was much too proudto ask Starblossom how it ought to be done. So he did the best he couldby himself.
It was a long time before he had finished a flower-bud. When the firstone was done he thought it looked rather odd.
"There is something peculiar about that flower-bud," he said to himself."It is really more like a big drop of snow than a flower! I suppose thatcomes of making snowflakes for so long. I must try again."
So he tried again, and again, and again. But every time the flower-budwas exactly like a big drop of snow.
"I can't help it," he said at last. "They _will_ keep on being likedrops of snow. But, after all, there is no reason why a flower shouldnot be like a drop of snow. They are dear little flowers, anyway, and Ishall go on making them like this."
So he went on for a long time making flowers that were like drops ofsnow, and dear little flowers they were.
In the meantime Starblossom was hard at work making snowflakes. She knewno more about making snowflakes than Drop-of-Crystal knew about makingflowers, but, like Drop-of-Crystal, she determined to do the best shecould without asking for help. She took a long time to make the firstsnowflake, because she was accustomed to finish her flowers verycarefully, and she liked everything she made to be pretty. She laughedto herself as she put down the first finished snowflake.
"That is what comes of making nothing but flowers," she said. "Thatsnowflake is exactly like a flower!"
She was quite right. The snowflake was like a delicate, starry flower,light as air, and clear as crystal, and glistening in the sunshine.
"I like that kind of snowflake," said Starblossom. "I shall make somemore."
So she made a great number of snowflakes, and they were all likefeathery flowers, all different in shape, but all beautiful.
"I should like to go on making snow-flowers always," she said toherself.
At that moment Drop-of-Crystal flew up to her in a great hurry.
"Oh, do come and see my nice new flowers," he cried. "They are quite anew kind, and they are so pretty--just like drops of snow!"
"And my drops of snow are just like flowers!" cried Starblossom. "And Iwant to go on making them always, because they are so beautiful."
"Well then," said Drop-of-Crystal, clapping his hands, "suppose you andI change places! You shall go on making snowflakes, and I'll go onmaking flowers!"
So that was the way they settled it.
And because Drop-of-Crystal was a snow-fairy, the flowers he made werealways like drops of snow; and because Starblossom was a flower-fairy,the snowflakes she made were always like flowers.
That is the reason why, to this day, the first flowers of Spring arelike drops of snow, and the snowflakes are like beautiful, starryflowers. You must often have noticed it yourself.