Alivia's Wish by Rebecca

My friend Pam’s daughter, Alivia, turns five today! Her party is tomorrow. I have traditionally written and illustrated stories for Alivia and her brother for their birthdays. When I asked her what adventure she would like to go on, she said she wanted to be a bride at the temple. I thought that was very sweet, but the storyteller in me grimaced a little… She’s usually very creative, and I wasn’t sure how to make a very interesting story for a five year old about that! Here’s what I came up with:

Alivia’s Wish

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful fairy named Alivia. She wore ballet slippers and a bright red tutu and carried a magical wand wherever she went. She had a very important job in the fairy world. She was the wishing fairy. Every night, she flitted her silvery wings in the darkness of a villager’s cottage. With her tiny feet, she tip-toed on a dreamer’s pillow just after they fell asleep… and, if she listened very carefully, she could hear their dearest wish as they sighed in slumber. Then, with her glass wand, she twirled and pirouetted lightly beside the dreamer’s head, and when they woke, their wish would come true.

Alivia the fairy loved her job. No one else had her special talent, so she had lots and lots to do every night. But, when all the work was done, and she flew back to her fairy home as the sun came up, she felt lonely. So many times she had granted a wish for companionship and love… and come home to an empty house. Only her tortoise greeted her as she walked in the door. Alivia’s heart was heavy, because no one could grant HER heart’s desire.

One night, as Alivia busily made her way from house to house, she came upon a young man named John. He was very handsome. She stood softly by his face as he slept and listened to his dreams. She was surprised as she heard how lonely he was, and how he wanted so much to find his true love. Surely he would have found her, she thought. She began her dream-granting dance with her wand, when suddenly he awoke! And, as the last flecks of sparkling dust fell from her wand, he turned instantly into a fairy himself! They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.

For months and months they took long walks in the morning when her work was done. They became very good friends.

One morning, as they sat beside the lake, John looked into her lovely blue eyes and asked her to marry him. They were wed in the temple for time and eternity, and Alivia the fairy was the happiest, most beautiful bride in the whole world – because both of their dreams had come true.