Bern Magical charms. For years now the fairies have always sent a charm in the form of a small silver locket and chain to all that come to live near fairyland. The charm is to keep all magic away from human beings. Sometimes magic spells go wrong and no human must suffer in any way because of magic spells that have gone wrong. During the period where fairies go to school to learn magic there is always the danger that a young fairy makes a silly mistake. One example of this was when some thousand years ago or more, one fairy that was supposed to be making a plant that could live In water and on the land over did the magic and a young man that lived near fairyland was turned Into a being that had a pigs face and a human body. The wise old fairies of that time soon corrected the mistake and the young man became is own face again. This is the reason why all that came to live near fairyland were sent this silver chain and locket. Why am I telling you this? Well It Is simple really, there are a group of fairies that have got together and stated that they would not use magic In future. Thirty fairies belonged to this little group and the news soon reached queen Feeanna ears. Her majesty called the group together and asked them whether they had thought about all of what could happen to them if they did not use magic again. First of all where would they get the food from that every fairy needs to keep healthy? What about the fairy cakes that all fairies love? We know where the bees live and we can always get honey from the friendly bees and as for flowers there are so many flowers that it would be simple to get together enough petals that with the honey make up the fairy cakes. What If you are in danger how will you cope if you do not use magic? We will make sure that we do not get into any situation that is dangerous. Her majesty knew that it was no good trying to persuade the fairies and left them to fend for themselves. A new family came to live near fairyland and her majesty sent a small silver chain with a small locket to the new family. The family were very surprised to receive such a gift and immediately placed the chain and locket around their child's neck. The child slowly grew and often came into fairyland. At first the child's father followed the child to make sure that it came to no harm. Soon the child was old enough to walk into fairyland on its own, the father did not follow the child any more. The child a small girl saw the fairies and often joined in, in the fairy games the fairies played. One day the little girl strayed away from the playing fairies. Wandering along the small path that the animals have made along the side of the stream she slipped on a wet stone and fell into the stream. Hitting her head on one of the stones in the stream she became unconscious. The group of fairies that did not use magic any more came across the little girl. Try as they might they could not move the little girl from the stream and out of danger. Then their leader said, "We must use magic to save this little child." Out of pockets and from the sleeves of their coats magic wands appeared and in a flash the little girl was safe on dry land. Her majesty knew at once that the group had used magic; the small silver chain and locket had informed her majesty of all that happened on this day so long ago. Her majesty then used her own magic wand and the child appeared safely in her own back garden. The little girl has no recollection of having been in the stream her clothes were dry and it was as If she had never been near the stream. The group of fairies now use magic all of the time and all is well in fairyland. Snow flakes silently falling all around, Bern's Fairy Tales Books available at most good book shops W.H Smith and Sons. Amazon on the internet and many ,many more ISBN # 9781438907727 (email © Bernard Shaw )
I was born in Dartford, Kent, England (known as the 'Garden of England', on account of its beautiful scenery) in 1930. My father was an unemployed ex-soldier, who had served his country as a volunteer during World War One. He was badly wounded during the conflict and suffered from his wounds for many years. My mother was an ordinary housewife ill with tuberculosis. My mother died when I was three, and myself and the other five children were placed in an orphanage in Chatham, Kent. Subsequently, the three girls and my elder brother were taken in and cared for by various aunts and uncles on my father's side of the family, but my brother, Stanley, and myself were left to the not so tender mercies of the orphanage.
When I was nine, World war Two came along and we children were evacuated, first to Whitstable in Kent and then, when things got too bad, to a place called Tonyrefail in Glamorgan, South Wales. At Whitstable and in Tonyrefail, I was one very happy boy. Free at last from the iron discipline of the orphanage, I left my last school, the Bridgend Mining and Technical School, at fourteen. I was a poor scholar (or should I say a bored scholar) and was pleased, at last, to return to my home town of Dartford. I had passed a scholarship and should have gone to a grammar school, but there was no room at the time because of the war, hence the Technical School. In Dartford, I had one job after another and although I did not know it at the time, was searching for something, but didn't know what it was.
At the age of eighteen, I was called up for service in the British Army. After two years as a National Serviceman, I left the army and found employment, mainly at that time, in hospitals. In turn, I have been a porter, a ward orderly, a mortuary attendant and, at the end, a stoker. This was entirely my own choice. I could have gone to work in a bank, but I hated the thought of being 'caged in' and very much enjoyed the work as a stoker even though it meant firing eight tons of coal at a shift. It was hard work, but I was my own boss and that meant a lot to me.
At twenty five, I met and married my lovely wife, who has been with me now for over fifty years. Suddenly, my life took on dimensions I had not previously thought possible. I travelled with my wife, an Austrian girl, throughout Europe and got to know the continent well. I took on the job as a driving instructor, eventually ending up managing the driving school. I eventually came to live here in Austria, ending up managing a shop selling spare parts for cars.
At this time, I was diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson's Disease, had to leave off working and was sent into early retirement. I've had the illness now, for over eighteen years and it is the hardest thing I have ever had to face. My main problem is the stiffness and the sudden 'freezing', where I cannot move a muscle. My voice is sometimes so low, too, that I often have to repeat myself, especially to strangers a number of times before they understand what I mean.
I speak English and German quite fluently and now spend much of my time before my computer writing poetry and any other thing that comes into my head.
I am still the same 'Happy go Lucky' person that I have always been.
Bern
Snow Flakes.
Covering in white the barren ground.
Peace for a while has come to stay,
Each tiny flake has found its way.
Found its way through icy storm,
Waiting for the sculpting form.
Of winds blowing all to piled heaps.
Snow that sunshine finally reaps,
Winter will then say adieu,
Spring will be here for me and you.
If you have enjoyed this little story please think about buying my book there are five hundred and four such tales in the book.
