Once upon a time long, long ago the forest was home to many magical creatures. Before there were cars or lights or large buildings, when the world was still a wild place full of mysteries there was said to be a wild little fairy boy living in the forest outside of a very small village in a place called Scotland.
Scotland is home to many fairies and magic things and the people who lived there told stories of the incredible things they had seen. One of those wondrous things was the fairy boy. He had dark tangled hair, his face was dirty and his clothes were made from the green mosses and leaves from the birch trees in the wood where he lived. While most fairies are mischievous and to be avoided, it was said that this fairy had an unusually good nature.
Though the little fairy boy was shy and timid, many children from the village had seen him playing wildly with abandon in the forest near their homes.
One day a little girl from the village wandered too far from home after dinner and it suddenly got very dark. She soon found that she was lost in the forest and could not find her way back home. Alone and scared the little girl slumped down against the tallest and largest tree she could find and began to cry. The little girl’s sobs and tears attracted the attention of the fairy who cautiously came closer to the lost child. When he realized she was lost he stayed with her all through the dark night.
In the morning the fairy helped the little girl find her way out of the woods. From then on the fairy was known to the villagers as Ghillie Duh which is the Gaelic term for “little dark-haired lad”.
Ghillie Duh was known as a friendly tree spirit who protected children who went into the forest. Perhaps you can make a friendly tree spirit to protect you in your back yard?
You will need:
- Clay
- Things to decorate your face:
- small pebbles
- small sticks
- leaves
- moss
- A tree!