Fools Gold

When I think of fairies, I often think of the old tales. One that comes to mind is a story I read long ago of a little girl who moved in down the road from what seemed to be a very poor family. The children of this family never went to school, and other people in town didn't talk about them much. The little girl decided to befriend these children so she went to play with them at their little run down cottage.

Their play turned into a real fairy tale, where the children were really a fairy prince and princess, and they were wealthy beyond measure. This was a secret that they asked the little girl to keep. As time went on and she played with them, they would give her treasures of jewels and gold for her to keep. Then one day she couldn't keep the secret any longer, she wanted to brag about her royal friends and their wealth, and all the gifts that they had given her.

When she went to show her treasures, she opened up her little bag she kept them in and found nothing but leaves. Her neighbors moved out and the shack fell into ruin a short time later, and she never saw the fairy prince and princess again.

As I look around our yard, covered in golden leaves from the maple tree, I think of it as covered in gold from faery. Today I'm featuring the Leaf Walker from my Wyrdhaven Gallery, and I must say that it's one of my favorites. It's a windy autumn day and the Leaf Walker is out and about doing what he does best, walking without a care in the world. Like the fool in the Tarot, he steps bravely off the leaf with the confidence that he will reach his destination. It's a painting about faith in yourself and hope for the future. A fitting tribute for our times.