Fairy Tenderheart
by Edith Howes · from Wonderwings and other Fairy Stories
Adapted Version
Fairy Tenderheart looked at the Earth. She saw people were not kind. People were sad and argued. She sat on a high place. Her tears fell down. She felt very sad.
Her fairy friends came. They put their arms around her. "Do not be sad," they said. Fairy Tenderheart shook her head. "Why are people not kind?" she asked. "How can we help them be happy?"
An Older Fairy came. She looked at the Earth. "We do not know why," she said. "We cannot help. Our tears do nothing. Come away now." Fairy Tenderheart did not move.
"I must stay here," she said. "I want to help. I will find a way." A fairy came. She told her a secret. "There is The Wise Fairy," she said. "She lives in a Magic Garden."
"Do not go," her friend said. "You will stay there." Fairy Tenderheart did not listen. She walked and walked. She found a small path. It led to the Magic Garden. She saw The Wise Fairy there.
The Wise Fairy looked at her. Her voice was very sweet. "Come in," she said. Fairy Tenderheart went inside. "I want to learn," she said. "How can I make people kind and happy?"
The Wise Fairy smiled. "Look at my flowers," she said. "This is Knowledge Plant." Its flowers were bright. They were Flowers of Wisdom. Its fruit was sweet Love. "This plant helps people be kind," she said.
"I planted this plant on Earth," she said. "But people did not care for it. It did not grow well. People still argued. They did not learn to be kind. It was very sad."
Fairy Tenderheart looked at the Earth. She saw some children. They gathered around a plant. They touched its bright flowers. The children were very gentle. "They will not hurt it," she thought.
Fairy Tenderheart had an idea. "Let us take the seeds," she said. "We can plant them all around. We will plant them in children's gardens. Children will learn to be kind. They will share love."
The Wise Fairy smiled a big smile. She was very happy. "Yes!" she said. "You are right. We will do this." They gathered seeds. They flew to many places. They planted seeds all around.
Children cared for the plants. They ate the sweet fruit. It was the Fruit of Love. They learned to be kind. They shared love with all. The world was happy and calm. Children made the world happy. They shared love.
Original Story
Fairy Tenderheart.
Little Fairy Tenderheart was weeping. She sat on a ledge that overlooked the world, and her tears fell fast. In twos and threes her sisters flew from Fairyland to put their arms about her, but none could comfort her. "Come, dance and sing with us and forget your grief," they said. She shook her head. "The terrible fighting!" she said. "See where far below men rage, killing each other. Rivers run red with blood, and the sorrow of weeping women rises through the air to where I sit. How can I dance and sing?"
"It is the world at war," said an older fairy sadly. "I too have wept in earlier days when men have fought. But our tears are wasted, little sister. Come away."
Fairy Tenderheart looked eagerly at her. "You who have watched the world so many years," she said, "tell me why such dreadful deeds are done down there."
The older fairy bent her eyes on the blackened plains of earth. "I cannot tell you that," she slowly said. "We watch and pity, but we cannot know what works in the hearts of men that they should gather in their millions to destroy their brothers and themselves. No other creature turns on its own kind and kills so terribly as man."
In twos and threes her sisters flew from Fairyland to put their arms about her, but none could comfort her.
"What can we do? It must be stopped. What can we do?"
"We can do nothing, little sister. See where the women of the world stretch out their hands, imploring men to live in peace. They beg the lives of fathers, husbands, sons; they point to ruined homes and desolated lands. 'War wrecks our lives!' they cry. Yet even for those they love men will not give up battle. What, then, can fairies do? Tears are useless. Come away."
"I must stay here. I must think of something I can do," said Fairy Tenderheart; and she would not go.
Her tears had stopped. She searched with anxious eyes across the world to find some means of helping men to better things, but no way could she find. And still the fighters shot and stabbed, and the dying and the dead lay piled upon the fields.
Another fairy flew to her. "Come away, little sister!" she said. "I cannot bear to see you sorrowing. Come, or you will forget the merry ways of Fairyland and grow like the Oldest Fairy of All, who spends her life brooding over this dreary earth."
Fairy Tenderheart sprang up. "Where is she? Tell me where to find her. Why did I not know of her before? I will go to her that we may be companions in our sorrow. Perhaps together we may find a way to help."
"Ah, do not go. Listen! She is so old that she has watched the world since the beginning of wars, yet, as you see, she has found no way of stopping them. How then can you?"
"I must go."
"She left our joyful Fairyland for a Magic Garden, and whoever enters that Garden can never come back to us. There she dwells for ever alone, at work or in thought, or preparing for her mysterious journeys to the earth. Do not go, or you too will be cut off from our life of dance and song, never to return."
"I will go. Tell me the way."
The fairy flew off. "I will not tell you," she said. "You shall not go."
"I will go," said Fairy Tenderheart again. With steadfast steps she searched through Fairyland until she found a narrow track that led between the winding mountains and far out across wide, shimmering plains. This track she followed till she came upon the Magic Garden.
The Oldest Fairy of All sat thinking among her flowers, and her eyes were filled with peace. She looked at Fairy Tenderheart standing at the gate. "Who enters here can never return to Fairyland," she said, and her voice was sweeter than the songs of birds.
Fairy Tenderheart pushed open the gate and stepped within the Garden. "Who enters here finds joy," said the Oldest Fairy of All, and a crown of happiness sat on her hair.
"You come to work?" she asked.
"I come to learn what I may do to help the suffering earth," said Fairy Tenderheart. "Its cries of agony have beaten on my heart until there was no rest for me in Fairyland. Is there no way to make war cease? I come to you for wisdom."
The Oldest Fairy of All rose up and smiled, and her face was brighter than the moon and stars. "Look closely at my flowers," she said, "and tell me which you think most beautiful."
The flowers bloomed on every side, in every lovely hue—crimson and gold and orange, blue and purple and pink and softest lavender. All were scented, and all were beautiful; but there was one plant that pleased the little fairy more than any other. It grew no taller than the rest, made no great show of colour, yet through its stems and leaves there shone a radiance as if a light hid in them. Its flowers were clear as crystal—one could see quite through them—but the sunlight falling on them was broken into glowing colours, so that every blossom was a little bunch of flashing rainbows. And where the flowers had closed and grown to fruit they hung golden as the sun and fragrant with a scent that stole upon the wind and made the heart heat high with happiness.
"This is the most beautiful," said Fairy Tenderheart.
"You have chosen well," said the Oldest Fairy of All. "You are fitted to help me in my work. That is the Plant of Knowledge; its crystal blossoms are called the Flowers of Understanding, and its fruit is Love. By it alone can war be made to cease."
She pointed far below. "I have planted it upon the earth in many spots," she said. "Here and there it has flourished and spread, and its fruit has sweetened all the air. But, alas!" her eyes grew sad, "too often it has been trampled under foot and killed, and war has broken out afresh. If only men would care for it and let it grow the world would soon be wrapped in peace."
"In the children's gardens ... they planted the seeds."
"Can we not plant more and more until it spreads across the world in spite of all neglect?" asked Fairy Tenderheart.
The Oldest Fairy shook her head. "I have done my best," she said; "but while men tramp it down it cannot spread across the world. Even when it has grown well it cannot do the good it ought to do: a nation which has eaten of its Fruit of Love and has learned to scorn the littleness of war is yet forced by that same Love to fight, that it may rescue a weak and helpless country from the greedy clutches of those who have refused to let my dear plant bloom. In the end it shall spread, no doubt, and my work shall be complete; but the time is long, the time is long."
She mused, and Fairy Tenderheart gazed thoughtfully upon the earth. Presently she raised her eyes, and they were bright with hope.
"See where a group of children gathers round your precious plant!" she said. "How eagerly they stretch their hands towards it, and how they look into its flashing flowers. They will never tread it in the mud, for they have seen its splendour. Let me take seeds to all the children's gardens in the world. The Children! They will welcome your Plant of Knowledge with its Flowers of Understanding, and when they have tasted its Fruit of Love they will grow up scorning war, and the world will live in peace."
The Oldest Fairy laughed with joy. "Oh, little sister, you have come to help indeed!" she said. "You are right. The Children! It is to them we must take our plant. Come, let us gather seeds and start at once."
They gathered the golden seeds and carried them swiftly down. In the children's gardens across the world they planted them, and everywhere the children ran to gaze at the wonder of the springing plants, and to watch the flowers unclose. And when through later days they ate and ate again of the fragrant golden fruit, Love filled their veins and they became a new race, scorning the littleness of war. And the world was wrapped in peace.
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Story DNA
Moral
True and lasting peace can only be achieved by cultivating understanding and love in the hearts of children, who will then grow up to scorn war.
Plot Summary
Fairy Tenderheart is deeply saddened by the constant wars on Earth and seeks a way to help, despite her sisters' belief that fairies are powerless. She ventures to the Magic Garden of the Oldest Fairy of All, sacrificing her return to Fairyland, to learn how to stop the fighting. The Oldest Fairy reveals the Plant of Knowledge, whose fruit is Love, as the only solution, but explains it has often been destroyed by men. Tenderheart realizes that children are receptive to its power, proposing they plant its seeds in children's gardens worldwide. Together, they succeed, and the children grow up to scorn war, bringing lasting peace to the world.
Themes
Emotional Arc
sorrow to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Published in the early 20th century, likely reflecting post-WWI sentiments and a desire for lasting peace, emphasizing the role of future generations.
Plot Beats (12)
- Fairy Tenderheart weeps on a ledge overlooking Earth, distressed by the wars and suffering of humanity.
- Her sisters try to comfort her, but she questions why men fight and how it can be stopped.
- An older fairy explains that they cannot know why men fight and that fairy tears are useless, urging Tenderheart to come away.
- Tenderheart refuses to leave, determined to find a way to help, and is told about the Oldest Fairy of All who lives in a Magic Garden.
- Despite warnings that entering the Garden means never returning to Fairyland, Tenderheart seeks out and finds the Oldest Fairy.
- The Oldest Fairy welcomes Tenderheart, who states her purpose: to learn how to make war cease.
- The Oldest Fairy reveals the Plant of Knowledge, with Flowers of Understanding and Fruit of Love, explaining it's the only way to stop war.
- She recounts how the plant has been trampled and killed on Earth, and how even when it grows, nations are forced to fight to protect others.
- Tenderheart observes children on Earth interacting with the plant and realizes that children will nurture it.
- She proposes planting the seeds in all the children's gardens, believing they will embrace its wisdom and love.
- The Oldest Fairy rejoices at Tenderheart's insight, and together they gather and plant the golden seeds across the world.
- Children everywhere nurture the plants, eat the Fruit of Love, and grow into a new race that scorns war, bringing lasting peace to the world.
Characters
Fairy Tenderheart ★ protagonist
Delicate and ethereal, with a slight build typical of a fairy. Her form is radiant, suggesting an inner light, though not explicitly described in terms of height or specific features beyond her general fairy nature.
Attire: Ethereal, flowing garments in soft, natural hues, perhaps made of iridescent or translucent material that shimmers like moonlight or dew, allowing for ease of flight. No specific colors or fabrics are mentioned, but it would be simple and unadorned, reflecting her pure heart.
Wants: To alleviate the suffering of humanity caused by war and to bring peace to the world.
Flaw: Her deep empathy initially causes her profound sorrow and a sense of helplessness, almost paralyzing her with grief.
Transforms from a weeping, sorrowful fairy into a resolute and hopeful agent of change. She finds her purpose by dedicating herself to spreading the Plant of Knowledge, ultimately bringing peace to the world through children.
Compassionate, empathetic, determined, hopeful, persistent, and deeply sensitive to suffering.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young female fairy with a delicate, ethereal build and a radiant glow. Her face is soft, with large, empathetic eyes that convey deep compassion. Her hair is long, flowing, and light-colored, perhaps a soft blonde or silver, styled loosely. She wears a simple, flowing gown made of iridescent, translucent fabric in a soft, pale blue or green, shimmering subtly. Her posture is one of gentle determination, with a slight forward lean as if observing something intently. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Oldest Fairy of All ◆ supporting
Ancient and wise, yet her face is described as brighter than the moon and stars, and she wears a crown of happiness. This suggests an appearance that transcends typical aging, perhaps glowing with inner peace and wisdom rather than showing physical signs of age.
Attire: Simple, perhaps flowing robes in a soft, natural color, suitable for tending a garden. The emphasis is on her inner radiance and the 'crown of happiness' rather than elaborate attire.
Wants: To cultivate and spread the Plant of Knowledge, Understanding, and Love on Earth, ultimately bringing an end to war.
Flaw: Her long experience has made her somewhat resigned to the slow pace of change, believing her efforts alone are insufficient.
Initially resigned to the slow, difficult process of spreading peace, she experiences renewed hope and joy when Fairy Tenderheart proposes a new, more effective strategy through children.
Wise, patient, serene, deeply compassionate, and ultimately joyful. She has a profound understanding of human nature and the long path to peace.
Image Prompt & Upload
An ageless female fairy with a serene and wise expression, her face glowing with an inner light, brighter than the moon and stars. Her eyes are filled with peace. Her hair is long and flowing, perhaps a soft silver or white, adorned with an ethereal 'crown of happiness' that shimmers gently. She wears simple, flowing robes in a soft, earthy green or white, made of a natural, perhaps slightly translucent fabric. She stands gracefully, with a calm and welcoming posture, holding a single crystal blossom from the Plant of Knowledge. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Older Fairy ○ minor
A fairy, likely with a slightly more mature appearance than Fairy Tenderheart, reflecting her longer experience and sadness regarding human conflict. Her form is delicate like other fairies.
Attire: Ethereal, flowing garments, similar to other fairies, but perhaps in more muted tones reflecting her sorrow and resignation.
Wants: To comfort Fairy Tenderheart and persuade her that fighting against human war is futile.
Flaw: Her long experience has led to a sense of hopelessness and resignation, preventing her from seeking new solutions.
Remains unchanged, serving as a foil to Fairy Tenderheart's determination.
Sad, resigned, empathetic but ultimately fatalistic regarding humanity's wars.
Image Prompt & Upload
A female fairy with a delicate build and a slightly melancholic expression. Her eyes are large and convey a deep sadness. Her hair is long and flowing, perhaps a soft brown or auburn, styled simply. She wears a flowing, ethereal gown in muted tones of grey or lavender, made of a sheer, shimmering fabric. Her posture is slightly hunched, with her gaze directed downwards, conveying a sense of weariness and resignation. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Fairyland Ledge Overlooking the World
A high ledge or outcrop within Fairyland, offering a panoramic view of the human world below. The air is clear, allowing the sight of distant, smoke-blackened plains and red rivers. It's a place of observation and sorrow, where fairies gather.
Mood: Sorrowful, observant, desperate, ethereal.
Fairy Tenderheart weeps over the human world's wars and resolves to find a way to help.
Image Prompt & Upload
A high, smooth, pearlescent rock ledge juts out from a swirling, pastel cloudscape, overlooking a vast, distant human world. Below, faint plumes of dark smoke rise from blackened plains, and thin, winding rivers appear crimson. The sky above is a soft, gradient blend of ethereal blues and purples, with a gentle, diffused light. The ledge itself is subtly iridescent, reflecting the soft light. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Magic Garden of the Oldest Fairy
A secluded, vibrant garden within Fairyland, accessible by a narrow track between winding mountains and across shimmering plains. It is filled with flowers of every lovely hue—crimson, gold, orange, blue, purple, pink, and lavender—all scented. The most notable plant, the Plant of Knowledge, has crystal-clear blossoms that break sunlight into rainbows and golden, fragrant fruit. The garden radiates peace and joy.
Mood: Peaceful, joyful, magical, wise, secluded.
Fairy Tenderheart finds the Oldest Fairy and learns about the Plant of Knowledge, committing herself to its work.
Image Prompt & Upload
A lush, vibrant garden, bursting with an impossible array of flowers in every shade of crimson, gold, orange, blue, purple, pink, and lavender. The ground is covered in soft, luminous moss, and the air shimmers with a gentle, magical light. In the center, a unique plant with translucent, crystal-like blossoms refracts sunlight into miniature rainbows, and golden, spherical fruits hang heavy and fragrant. A narrow, winding path of luminous pebbles leads into the garden from a distant, shimmering plain. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Children's Gardens of the World
Various gardens belonging to children across the human world. These are places where children gather, play, and tend to plants. After the fairies' intervention, these gardens become sites where the Plant of Knowledge sprouts, its vibrant flowers and golden fruit captivating the children.
Mood: Hopeful, innocent, nurturing, transformative.
Fairy Tenderheart and the Oldest Fairy plant the seeds of the Plant of Knowledge in children's gardens, leading to a new era of peace.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sun-drenched, diverse collection of small, well-tended children's gardens from various cultures, seen from a slightly elevated perspective. One might show a small patch with a wooden fence and blooming flowers in a European village, another a courtyard garden with terracotta pots in a Mediterranean setting, and another a simple plot next to a traditional East Asian home. Children of different ethnicities are gently tending to the newly sprouted Plant of Knowledge, its crystal blossoms catching the sunlight. The overall impression is one of gentle light and burgeoning life. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
