Laurel and the Fairy Ring 🧚| A Fairy Tale Quest for Kids

0:13 ♪ Foggy Oak Farm ♪♪ Come on down to foggy oak farm ♪- Hi friends, welcome to Foggy Oak Fairytales. Each week we'll bring you a new story. Some weeks we'll share a story based on what's been happening on our real life Foggy Oak Farm where we have all sorts of animals and adventures. Other weeks we'll use our imaginations and create new adventures together. I'm so glad you're here. I imagine you've heard of fairies, magical creatures that live in the woods, meadows and streams. And that is what this story is about.

1:09 Laurel is forbidden to go into the forest by her cottage after a woodcutter emerges, claiming that fairies attacked him when he chopped down a tree. All the grownups are worried that the fairies are going to come after the village too. When they refuse to try and talk to the fairies and make peace, Laurel decides to do it herself and sets off an adventure to find the fairy ring in the forest and resolve the disagreement.

1:39 Her whole life Laurel had heard the grownup say,"Never go into the deep woods." Her parents hadn't always taken that seriously until one of the woodcutters had recently come running out of the forest, clothing torn, acts shattered, babbling about the fairies. After that Laurel hadn't been allowed past the edge of the woods, even though she was always sorely tempted by the beautiful flowers that grew in abundance, just a bit further into the forest than her parents had allowed. But Laurel listened to the stories her neighbors told around the fire when they visited at night.

2:21 Laying up in the loft of her family's small cottage, she'd learned lots of things when she was supposed to be sound asleep and unaware of the things the grownups were discussing. At first, there had been hearty debate about what fairy domain the woodcutter had disturbed. From these conversations, Laurel learned that there were three primary areas in the woods that were roundly considered to belong to the fairies. There was some kind of giant fairy ring which she gathered, you'd know you'd found by seeing a giant circle made of mushrooms in the woods.

2:59 Inside the ring belonged to the fairies. Perhaps the woodcutter had stepped inside it. Perhaps he had dared to try and chop down a tree inside it? Others thought it more likely that he had inadvertently tried to cut down a tree on a different nearby fairy mound. Those could be hard to identify. Sometimes they just looked like gentle hills. If a tree was growing on one and the woodcutter had tried to take that tree well, that was an attack right on the fairies' homes and no wonder they weren't keen on it.

3:41 Still, other neighbors insisted that it had been an issue at the fairies well. From the urgent assertions whispered below, she pierced together that somewhere in the deep woods, not terribly far from the ring and the mound, there was also a fairy well. And that well belonged to the fairies. If you took a drink from it or disturbed the area around it without asking permission, who knew what could happen to you? Maybe the woodcutter, thirsty from his work chopping down trees, had seen the well and not known that it was the provenance of the fairies.

4:17 Maybe he took a drink. And maybe that had made them angry. The whole unpleasant event had everyone on edge. Regardless of what exactly the woodcutter had done and he wasn't saying, the whole village was worried. It wasn't just that the woods had now been deemed too dangerous for most folks, though that alone was bad enough given how much the villagers depended on the woods for hunting and gathering and firewood. It was also that everyone feared the fairies might exact a bigger revenge. Everyone knew fairies could control the weather, the growth of crops.

4:58 They could even determine whether their livestock had healthy babies. The village was heading into landing and calving season and they were in the prime growing period for their just planted crops, a drought, unhealthy babies, crops that just refused to grow. Everyone was concerned and no one knew what to do. After about a week of listening to this doom and gloom talk every night, Laurel was about fed up with it. She had tried telling the grownups that they were forgetting all the good things fairies were supposed to do.

5:35 Heal the sick and sure good weather, healthy crops. Sometimes grant wishes. The list went on. Why did they assume that the fairies were mean? How did they know? Because one woodcutter was upset. Oh, Laurel, her mother had sighed, you'll understand when you're older. For now, believe us. The fairies can't be trusted and we have to sort out how to keep them out of our lives for good. Although she was young, Laurel had her own ideas about things. When the grownups refused to listen to her, she decided that the very next day she was going to do something about this situation, whether they wanted her to or not.

6:22 She had always been an early riser and she used it to her advantage in the wee morning hours as the pale light of dawn was just beginning to break over the tree tops. She packed some food and water into her traveling pack, hoisted it onto her shoulders and crept quietly out of the cottage and towards the woods. Someone needed to actually talk to the fairies. Someone needed to see if things could be set right. If the adults weren't going to do anything, well, she was. Laurel's cottage wasn't far from the woods so she pretty quickly approached the tree line.

7:03 Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she walked from the dawn of the new day outside into the dim, secretive woods. She knew when she started seeing beautiful flowers that she had passed the line of where she was allowed to be in the woods. She wasn't exactly sure how to go about finding the fairies but she was determined to try. As she tramped through the undergrowth of the forest floor, she began singing a song to herself, both to keep her own spirits up and to try and encourage any fairies that might be listening to give her some help.

7:39 ♪ Good morning, good morning, oh fairies, oh, fair ♪♪ I come here to help you please find me today ♪♪ Good morning, good morning, oh fairies, oh, fair ♪♪ I come here to help you please find me today ♪After a few rounds of her song that she sang on repetition over and over as she walked, she saw a large clearing ahead. As she got closer, she noticed that the edge of the clearing was defined by a ring of cute, small frilled mushrooms. Instantly, she knew she had found one likely spot for fairies. She slowed down and approached cautiously.

8:30 The mushroom ring did encircle a clearing and in the middle of the clearing, she saw a handful of incredibly tall, beautiful trees with wide trunks and leaves that glimmered in the light of the sunrise. One tree she saw was broken. Chopped apart with half its trunk and the crown lying on the ground, slowly wilting. I think that might explain it. She whispered to herself. The woodcutter had clearly been here and by the look of things, he had tried to chop down one of the beautiful trees in the very heart of the fairy ring.

9:10 Laurel was young, but even if she hadn't heard the adults talking about it, she would have instinctively known that was a bad idea. This place was special. This place felt peaceful and beautiful and rare. Laurel stood outside the ring and called out, hello fairies, may I come in? The wind whispered through the trees in the circle, the sun glimmered on the leaves and Laurel suddenly had a powerful impression of permission being granted, of an invisible door opening for her. She stepped through the ring and walked to the trees in the center.

9:53 Laurel laid her hand on the felled tree and said,"I'm not sure exactly what happened here, but I'm sorry. How can I help to make this right?" There was a sense of something listening as she spoke and a feeling that her words were being considered. She waited patiently. And then as if by some invisible signal, all around her she saw fairies emerging from the trees of the forest. Laurel had always imagined them as just miniature humans with wings, but that wasn't the way she would describe these creatures at all.

10:32 They were small, that was certain, probably no larger than a grown-up's hand. And they did have wings and two arms and two legs in a head, but that was about where her imagination and the reality stopped. These creatures looked as if they had been crafted from the trees themselves. Their skin was like so many kinds of tree bark. Here the dark browns lightly ridged bark of a pine. There the pale silver like the bark of an aspen. Further away the light brown of a young oak. Each was different and each was magnificent.

11:11 Their hair ranged from springy, tightly-coiled tufts of moss to lush and wild like a fern. Their wings, rather than the rainbow array she had pictured, were the green leaves of the forest around them. Did their wings match the kind of tree their skin resembled? Hard to say since Laurel was in a tree expert, but she thought perhaps the bright, veridessence of new leaves, the dark shining green of holly, the deeper, verdant green of mature leaves. It was all represented in the wings of different fairies.

11:46 If they didn't want to be seen, all they would have needed to do was fly to a tree, you'd never be able to spot them. And indeed Laurel hadn't spotted them, not a one. And evidently, they'd been around her the entire time. - Good morning Laurel. - One of the fairies said is it fluttered gently in front of her? Why have you sought us in this place? - Hello, Laurel said the surprise and awe she felt, causing her words to stick in her throat a little. I've come because I keep hearing the grownups talk about what happened with the woodcutter.

12:25 They're worried that the fairies are angry with us and that you'll try to take revenge on our animals or on our crops or with awful weather for what he did. But no one had tried to talk to you to even ask if that was the case and how we could make it better. So that's why I'm here. She looked at them expectantly. - We don't hold all of you accountable for the actions of that woodcutter. He came into our grow without permission and chopped down one of the trees we've been tending for centuries, it's true.

13:01 And in doing so, he did cost us a beloved friend and the home of many of us. But we bound him to never again cut a tree of any kind. We broke his axe and we sent him on his way. That was the end of it as far as we are concerned. - It's a relief to hear that, Laurel said, but I'm so sorry he did you and your grove harm. Is there anything we, the rest of us in the village, can do to help? If you wish to help, today we plan to move the voluntary and plant one of the seedlings that produced in this grove.

13:41 - The fairy looked curiously at her to see if she was sincere in what she was offering. Gladly, Laurel said, tell me what to do so that I can help. The fairy soon had Laurel working as hard as any of them. Using their magic, they lifted the broken trunk that lay on the floor of the grove and with Laurel guiding the floating trunk, took it into the deep woods where it could become a home for moss, bugs, mushrooms, and every other kind of living forest, plant, and creature that makes its home and fallen trees.

14:15 The remaining half of the tree, they used their magic to carve into a beautiful sculpture, telling the story of the tree. The years it had seen, the fairies it had housed, the other trees it had created. Laurel wasn't much help with that part. She didn't have magic, so she helped clean up scattered branches that were around the grove from the tree falling while the fairies worked. As she finished picking up the last branches, two of the fairies flew to her, holding a bracelet a loft between them.

14:46 Laurel, this is for you. For your help and the friendship you have freely given, so too we freely offer this. One of the fairies said, she reached out and took the bracelet. It was made from the wood of the fallen tree and was intricately carved with images of leaves, branches, and roots. It was warm to the touch and clearly precious. The wood was so polished and smooth that it seemed to shine with a pale golden light. I've never seen anything more beautiful. She breathed, carefully slipping it over her hand and onto her wrist.

15:20 As she did, it seemed to shrink a little bit, fitting itself perfectly to her. This will grow and change with you. It is a sign of our friendship and favor and you can always reach us if you come to the woods and call to us. We will know you forever. Now come and help us welcome this sapling to the grove. The fairies flew ahead and Laurel followed. Next to the sculptor made from the fallen tree, the fairies had placed a small, carefully potted sapling. Laurel offered to dig the hole and found a stone to help her.

15:52 She carefully dug until the fairies told her it was deep enough. At which point she stepped back and the fairies used their magic to lift the sapling from its pot and lower it into the hole. Laurel covered it with the earth she had dug and each fairy cast well wishes upon the young tree. As they did so, it grew a bit each time until it was quickly taller than Laurel. Our friends, the fairies from the well, will come to help us water it later. One of the fairies explained to Laurel, but we like to give it a strong start and a loving foundation.

16:24 I can see that you have, Laurel responded, the tree practically glowed with the wishes they had shared. Laurel stepped forward and placed her hand on the trunk. I don't have magic, but I wish you a wonderful, healthy life filled with love and friendship. At that, the tree shot up another full foot. Laurel's eyes widened and she jumped back and shocked. Sometimes magic comes from unexpected places. One of the fairies told her, landing on her shoulder and giving her cheek an affectionate pat. Now, young one, you may come to visit us anytime you like, but the morning has turned to afternoon and we would not have your parents worry.

17:08 You should return to them and share your adventures today. They will know that all will be well between the village and the fairies and glad is anything to have you home. So Laurel said her goodbyes both to the new tree and the fairies and turned to leave the fairy ring. As she did so, her bracelet began to shine and a beam of light sprang forward from the bracelet and into the woods. That bracelet will always guide you to and from us safely until we meet again, Laurel. A fairy called to her. Laurel bowed to the fairies and stepped out of the ring following the beam of light home.

17:45 It felt faster and easier this time as she followed the light. And before she was much aware of time passing, she found herself walking out of the woods and back to her front door. The afternoon sun was warm on her shoulders as she opened it. There she found her parents who cried out in relief and swept her into a tight embrace. Oh, Laurel, we've been looking for you all day. We only just had a strong feeling that we needed to come home and here you are, her mother cried. Where have you been? I'm fine, I'm fine.

18:22 Laurel exclaimed, but she said holding up her bracelet for them to see, I have such a story to tell you. Once Laurel told her story to her parents and once she and her parents shared Laurel's experience with the rest of the village, there was no more worry over revenge from the fairies. Perhaps it was some magic from the fairies, but when anyone saw the bracelet and heard the story, they could not help but believe. And no one was foolish enough to try and find the fairy ring in the woods with the intention of doing harm ever again.

18:57 Laurel with her earnest desire to seek understanding and offer help had modeled for everyone around her a different way of approaching and handling challenges. Of course, Laurel couldn't be everywhere. And while the story of the reasonable and wise fairies in the ring in the woods may have spread far and wide, people are sometimes bad at making connections. And in a village on the other side of the wood, there was an in-cautious mushroom hunter who was about to make some bad choices at the legendary fairy well.

19:31 And another child who would need to set things right. But that is a story for another day. For now, we'll leave Laurel happy in her cottage with her parents by the no longer forbidden forest, ready for more adventures to the fairy ring. The End. This story is for my niece, Lily, who requested a tale about fairies. It's her birthday this week. Happy birthday, Lily. I love you. Remember, your part of the story too, what did you think of this story? What did you imagine when you were listening? We'd love to hear your part of the story.

20:16 If you and your grownup want, you can share your thoughts or a picture you drew with our Foggy Oak podcast family. You might find it easiest to share with us on Facebook at Foggy Oak Farm. But we have lots of options on our website, foggyoakferrytales.com. You can also check out pictures from the farm and learn more about us. Thanks for being part of this story and I hope you'll join us next week. (piano music)(piano music)(bell dinging)[��