A Midnight Visitor
With me daughters' consent I resumed tellin' bedtime stories about Beannaithe, the lass who were raised by an old Dwarf from age four until age fourteen. The Dwarf died not long after reunitin' the lass with her mother and the rest of her extended family. Beannaithe were heartbroken but, with the love and support of her family, she carried on.
'As I were sayin' before, Beannaithe had a surprisin' amount of skill and strength for a lass her age and size...'
'That's because she were...unconscious?' asked Diolun hesitantly.
His siblings and cousins giggled.
'I think ye mean "precocious",' corrected his sister Darowva.
'Aye, that,' he said blushin'.
'...Not long after she'd been reunited with her mam and the rest of her family the lass began havin' peculiar dreams.
One evenin' 'round midnight Beannaithe awoke to the sound of strange yet beautiful music comin' from her grandfather's garden. Beannaithe laid there awhile hopin' the music would stop so she could return to sleep. When the music continued, she climbed out of her bed and went out into the garden to have a look.
She saw that the music were comin' from a green flickerin' light. It were a firefly unlike any that Beannaithe had ever seen or heard.'
'Beannaith stood listenin' awhile enchanted by the sound, but when she drew near to the firefly it changed into a beautiful woman.'
"Is she me Aingeal Coimhdeachta ('Guardian Angel')?" wondered Beannaithe.
"Something closer to your Sióg Mhaith ('Fairy Godmother')," answered the woman aloud. Her eyes twinklin' while she spoke. "I am called Áine."
"Ye can read me thoughts?" asked Beannaithe in her head.
"Do not be alarmed!" Áine answered. "I can read some of your thoughts, yes, but
not all. Mostly when you are unable to speak but would like to."
If Beannaithe had been present over the last ten years to listen to her grandfather's bedtime stories she might've known who Áine were, but she weren't and she didn't.
"The dawn draws near and so I must go. Farewell, little one!" With these words Áine vanished.
Beannaithe awoke in her bed not long after the encounter, not knowin' whether it were a dream or whether she'd actually met the Queen of the Fairies.
'Oh, I like this story!' said Darowva.
'A Fairy Godmother?' asked Daibhidh. 'I suppose next Beannaithe will go to a ball in a pumpkin carriage where she'll fall in love after dancin' with a prince.'
Diolun began to waltz about to room. 'Look, I'm a prince!'
Dooli and Daibhidh laughed.
'If ye lads don't like me stories I'm certain your mams have some chores they can give ye before bedtime instead,' I says.
'Aye, they can clean the kitchen while Beacha and I...' Darowva stopped to glance at her sleepin' cousin, '..well, while *I* listen to Granda's stories.'
'Oh, we like Granda's stories just fine, don't we lads?' Dooli says to his cousin and younger brother. Dooli would rather do just about anythin' other than chores.
'Aye, Granda's stories are grand,' says Diolun.
'Aye, very grand indeed,' agreed Daibhidh.
'Off to bed ye, go!' I says.
Just then their mams, wipin' their hands on their aprons, entered the room to claim their young ones.
'Good night, Granda!' says Darowva.
'Good night, me wee darlin's,' says I.
