March - A library is a fairy's best friend

The Great Library of Alexandria, O. Von Corven, 19th Century

Last week at Meadow Sweet Grove the fairies shared their penchant for a daily tea break.  And what goes better with a tea, a coffee (or a glass of wine or spirits if you prefer) than a good book?

Each fairy in the Grove, no matter the size of home, cherishes their little library.  While most true book lovers would love a library to rival the size of The Great Library of Alexandria, most of us have to be content with bookshelves and cases, over the doorway shelves and even piled up books on the floor and staircases if necessary!

Reading is universal because it doesn't matter what you are interested in ... there is sure to be a book (more like thousands) written on your favourite subject!  When you're interested in something, you tend to devour everything and anything you can find on the matter.  All written word has value, even if you don't agree with the author or if the sources are suspect. Often an author who has been sloppy in their research or draws too many conclusions without supporting facts, will nonetheless touch on a little known event or story that spurs you on a quest for more reliable information.

For example, the fairies have whispered to me that they are often misrepresented in books and that their stories have changed over time.  This has encouraged me to seek out older and older sources of fairy tales, nursery rhymes, mythologies and even historical references that echo, essentially, the same story over and over, but quite often with juicier details ...

The more you read, the more you can discern what rings true for you.  Your collection of books and articles grow, until you have a wee library, and become a mini authority on your pet subject.   When all resources are exhausted, you start to develop your own theories ... and bemoan the loss of all the fantastic scrolls of ancient information that were lost when The Great Library of Alexandria was accidentally (and also more often, systematically) destroyed.  C'est la vie ... though I wish 'tweren't so.

​​Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017

---