The Elf and the Magnolia, part 1

Deep in the heart of the forest is a section of magnolia trees that bloom white for only one month out of the year. Inside these magnolia trees lives a community of forest elves, who make their homes in the white blossoms during the month of blooming, and in the leaves and bark for the rest of the year. Every year during the blooming season, three new elf children are born from the buds of the flowers, and sit waiting on the white petals for their families to come and claim them. But this year, one of these new elf children ran into a quite unfortunate situation. The bud had just opened, bringing forth three of the most beautiful little elf babies—two boys and one girl—of this season’s generation. The babies crawled up onto the white petals and waited patiently for their parents to claim them, when a gust of summer wind knocked the smaller boy over and sent him tumbling through the branches and leaves to the ground below.

            The little baby boy was very frightened, and let out an incredible cry, and when his siblings saw what had happened they let out incredible cries too, alerting their parents. But by this time, the little elf had already hit the ground and was in a very sorry state from his ordeal. He was bruised, bleeding, and beaten, and the tree was so large and so high up that it would’ve taken the other elves a very long time to climb down and rescue him. He screamed and wailed, wanting someone, anyone, to come by and hold and comfort him. He got his wish when a large, proud finch passed by him on her way to the nest, and wrapped him up in her warm brown feathers and kissed him. “You poor little dear,” she gently cooed. “How in the world did you end up so wounded?” And she picked him up and carried him off to her nest.

         When the little elf’s parents finally reached the base of the tree, the baby was gone. They wept, and spent the next week searching desperately for their lost child. The elves from the other blossoms and trees aided them in their search. But when they still could not find the baby boy, they had to come to the conclusion that he was dead.  The parents retired to their blossom and grieved for their lost little boy.