Sunday lunchtime saw the Ogres and Fairies working together to prepare the center of the wood. When they finished they stood back to inspect their work.
“It looks amazing.” Breeze said.
“Not bad at all.” Tulip agreed.
Everyone was coming to the party, so the table needed to be extra long. It zig zagged its way around the large trees near the center clearing of the wood. Tiny wooden bowls sat, in a line along the center of the table. These were decorated with silver stars and red fairy lights.
At each Ogre’s setting there was a giant wooden cup, a knife and a fork and a spoon. The chair was decorated in moss and spiderwebs that twinkled when they caught the sunlight.
Each Fairy place setting had a glass knife and fork, a tiny glass shaped like a star with a squiggly straw peeping from one point. The fairies chairs were decorated in see through silk, with long red ribbons.
Place names were made from wood bark, names carved with fairy dust.
Guests appeared early, they were shown to their seats and sat down. The air hummed with conversation.
The menu was divided into two choices :Ogre stew, or Fairy Pleasant Pie. Ogre’s home brewed snow cone drink or a glass of chocolate strawberry milk, with an assortment of cream pies and fairy cakes to follow.
There would be music and dancing later, they hoped.
“Why did you hang lanterns from the trees? I banged my head off every single one.” Hamish, the Goblin, muttered lifting his hat to show a whole group of bumps and lumps.
“The fairies did it.” Breeze said. The other Ogres nodded in agreement.
“Well done Hamish stupendous lumps, you would win a competition for them,” Elegant witch said as she arrived with her younger sister Lovisma following behind. Lovisma was closely followed by a giant cauldron which, floated close behind her. She led it with a dog lead. There was a lot of hissing and bubbling coming from the cauldron. A wooden spoon was spinning about, sending drops of liquid spattering the guests.
“We brought, devils delight, for those who don’t really care for milk or water.” Lovisma clapped her hands in anticipation of the party.
There was silence while the guests and hosts wondered who might be brave enough to speak.
“Ahh what is in devils delight, it smells delicious.” Ellen an elderly tree nymph asked.
“There is a little bit of this and a lot of that but..”
“Nothing that was alive or walked through the forest.” Lovisma said.
“Did it fly?” Breeze wondered.
“No, it’s herbs spices and water, you fool.” Lovisma was starting to spin. When ever she got mad the tiny witch would spin so fast she created a hole in the ground.
The sound of a deep gong filled the wood. “tea is served,” The fairies declared and with a flick of their wands , food appeared in front of the diners.
“This is yummy, did you make it yourself?” Mrs. Groundsel asked Beaver an elderly Ogre.
“I did. Just something I rustled up.”
The Ogres found his answer funny. They giggled until their laughter grew to a roar. Any fairy sitting opposite an Ogre became airborn. Many landed in the trees or on the ground near the edge of the wood.
“Please don’t do that again.” Tulip snapped wiping moss off her best dress.
But they found they couldn’t stop laughing. The madder the fairies became the happier the Ogres were. Their laughter rang out throughout the wood, sending fairies flying through the air.
Finally the fairies got into a huddle. They whispered among themselves. When they broke apart they were smiling.
The Ogres’ looked at one another. “Is this good?” Breeze wondered.
The fairies sat down and began to eat. The Ogres relaxed.
Breeze was sitting opposite the tooth fairy. “Knock , knock, ” he said.
“Who’s there?” She asked
“Tooth!”
“Tooth who?”
“Tooth or dare!”
He smiled delighted at making a tooth fairy joke. When she was knocked off her chair by his laughter she jumped up on her feet shouting, “Ready fairies ?”
Each fairy pointed her wand at a cream pie. With a flick of her wand a pie hit an Ogre’s face.
“Food fight,” Hamish roared.
“Hang on, Hamish, give us a mo, we can’t waste a pie.” Breeze shouted.
The party fight was on hold while every Ogre removed the pie from their face and carefully ate it.
The fairies picked up their drinks and flew high into the tree to watch. Soon the air was alive with laughter and the sound of faces being struck by pies and cakes.
Everyone declared it to be the best party in the forest. They went home tired and happy though there was no music or dancing. This was noticed by a few of the Ogres who agreed it would be a fitting excuse to host another event.
I’ll do anything for jellies. It was great fun to watch.
decidinglybob 