In the darkness, with just a soft glow from her little fire lighting the underside of
the bridge, Melanie picked her way down the rocks and into the river. She waded, her
feet welcoming the soft sandy bottom, until she was just over knee deep, then sat down
and let the water caress her naked body, rolling over her shoulders and through her hair
as she laid her head back into the water.

The water rushed over her, cool and gentle but firm. The perfect massage. She
could feel the little water sprites tugging at her.

“Come with us” they whispered, “and live in the river forever.”
“But I cannot breathe water, as you do.” she answered. This dialogue has been
held many a time before.
“Come with us, we will teach you.”
“I bet” she chuckled, and stood.

The water sheeted down, caressing her body one last time before it rejoined
Mother River and shushed away. The sprites tugged at her ankles, trying to hold her back
and Melanie giggled and shook her head, droplets spraying from her short hair. Not
without some regret, she bade them goodbye and then climbed back up to her little fire.

Sitting by the fire on a towel, naked, curled elbows on knees, face on arms,
staring into the flames, she could have been a cave girl, or a little primitive elf. Or a
woman, perfectly comfortable and safe in herself basking by the fire after her bath.

If they were in a role-playing game, they would be labeled “neutral”. That is, neither good nor evil. Like animals, they just have a whole different way of looking at the world. If getting a human to lighten up required a shower of flowers, they’d do that. If getting a human to lighten up and look the right way took a few well placed pixie arrows disguised as mosquito bites, they’d do that equally as joyfully. And they just don’t get the “laws of property” thing at all, which is why sometimes they will borrow your stuff and leave it somewhere else and never think a thing of it. If you get mad, well, they think you ought to lighten up.

Anyway, this day they were making their way to a party. They might or might not get there, of course, since they have to flit to every flower, stop and say hello to every living thing, and now and then involve themselves in something that is none of their business – or maybe exactly their business, needing just a little pixie serendipity to solve the problems humans make.

They saw a beautiful, dainty palomino pony the color of sunshine with a snowy white mane and tail, a big white blaze down her face, and a pretty pink nose standing in the middle of a lush green pasture with a little girl. The little girl was wearing a faded dress and worn tennis shoes, and they couldn’t see her face because it was buried in the snowy white mane. The ponies pretty pink nose was nuzzling the little girl and his deep brown eyes looked sad.

Sapphire, Emerald and Ruby looked at each other and knew. This clearly needed their mischief – I mean, help.

They landed in the snowy mane and snuggled down. The pony felt them and really wanted to shake them out – they tickled! But he didn’t want to disturb his girl, who was crying into his neck.

“Ooooooo Sunshine. You’re my only friend in the world. What are we going to do? Daddy died and I’m so lonely and now Mommy says we will have to sell you. She says she doesn’t know how to take care of you like Daddy did, and anyway, she can’t afford it. We don’t have as much money now that Daddy is gone. Ooooo Sunshine, if I could only have one thing in the whole world it would be you. I’d give up my TV, and school – oh yes, I’d never miss school and those mean girls there – I’d give up everything just to have you.” And she boo hooed and boo hooed while the pony just sighed and nuzzled her for comfort.

The pony, Sunshine was his name, was no fool. He wasn’t a young pony – nor a very old pony – but this girl (April was her name) wasn’t his first little girl, and he didn’t think she would be his last. It was the way of the world that eventually little girls outgrow pretty golden ponies and either decide other things are more fun, or start begging their parents for “a real horse”. And then Sunshine would be sold to a new home. He was always sad at leaving his girls, but he always had new girls to look forward to meeting. April wasn’t near outgrowing him yet and he had thought they would be together for a long time – but such was the ways of humans. He didn’t really understand it all, but he accepted it with the graceful patience that all ponies have in such abundance.

The pixies snuggling in his soft mane looked at each other.

Sapphire said, “Isn’t there an old farmer who owns those next fields over?”
Emerald said, “Didn’t we just hear his wife talking about the children moving away and taking their grandchildren?”
Ruby said, “Isn’t this thick mane just wonderful as a bed? I think I’m going to pluck a few hairs and braid myself a necklace.”

And she did. Ow, ow ow thought Sunshine – but he didn’t flinch because that might disturb April, who was also burrowed into his thick mane, as deep as any little girl could be.

The pixies flitted out of Sunshines mane and flew in the direction of the next fields over. They didn’t stop to sniff every flower and chat up every field mouse – now they were on a mission!

Sitting on the windowsill of the farm house they watched through the window. The old farmer was watching TV. The farm wife was making bread and sighing. She was worried about her husband. He was so sad since the grandchildren moved away. He didn’t seem to care about anything any more. He sold their cows and this year he didn’t even bother to sow the fields, or even plant her little kitchen garden. She loved him, this good man, but his heart was just broken and it was beyond her to repair it. She missed the grandchildren, too – the sounds of quick laughter and light feet running through their house. She sighed and wondered if this bread would get eaten before it was too old.

The pixies looked at each other and nodded.

Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire flitted out to the old barn. Stored up in the loft were some old, rotten bales of hay. Their little noses crinkled at the smell. Summoning up a little pixie magic they pushed them off. The bales fell crashing through the barn, bouncing off the old tractor and over a tool bench creating a great bashing and clattering noise as tools flew through the air everywhere. The pixies thought that was so much fun that they spent a few minutes tossing tools at each other. Their favorites were anything that would make a great loud noise and of course, anything shiny.

The farmers wife heard the commotion, and ran to get her husband. He had heard it, but was still staring at the TV. She wouldn’t rest until he got up and went outside to investigate.

When he arrived in the barn it to a scene of chaos. Tools and hay everywhere. Sparkling dust motes filled the air (some of them were pixies). He looked up at the loft and thought he saw movement. Expecting to find a raccoon or possum, or even a skunk exploring his loft and making a mess, he picked up a sharp hoe and then carefully climbed the ladder.

The pixies giggled and started chasing each other under the thick layer of hay, just enough motion to keep the old farmer hearing it and catching a glimpse now and then (humans can’t really see pixies – except some of them do) so that he followed and followed, until they got him to the high door right near the top of the barn – and facing Sunshine’s pasture.

The farmer sighed and leaned on the door, looking out across his fallow fields. He saw a bright spark of gold – Sunshine! Sadly, he smiled at the pony and the little girl he could just barely see. He could tell her face was buried in the ponies mane. The farmer remembered how his sister told her pony all her secrets when she was young. His wife had told him all about her pony, too. He wanted to buy a pony for his grandchildren, but his children had moved away. Yes, a pretty gold pony like Sunshine would have been welcome.

He couldn’t have told you why, but he decided to walk down and say hello to Sunshine and his girl. The pixies danced around his head, creating a cool breeze and spreading pixie dust so that everything became brighter to his eyes. The fields were greener, the pony was more gold, the little girl winsome despite her tears. Sobbing, April told the farmer she was going to lose her pony, and why. His heart touched, he made a quick decision, a promise, and then walked home to tell his wife that soon they would have a guest.

A beautiful golden pony named Sunshine. And his girl April would be visiting as often as she was able. He knew his wife would be happy to hear her quick laughter and light feet dashing around their house, and he knew just how to take care of a pretty pony.

Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby looked at each other and smiled. There, another task done! Weren’t they going to a party?