Two flower fairies enjoy their afternoon tea among the tall trees. The table is rich with treats: warm tea and a fresh strawberry cake. Fairies are some of nature’s hardest-working creatures, but they do know when to stop and smell the flowers.
History
When fairies roamed the forest freely, they would often stop in warm, sunny clearings for afternoon tea. Sometimes close friends would meet in pairs, although at other tea parties, a dozen or more fairies might flit about. It’s not known if fairies discovered tea on their own or were given it by humans. Fairy historical records are notoriously embellished.
Story
Long ago, before your grandparents’ parents were born, before there were airplanes and automobiles, before tractors and streetlights, fairies were as common as rabbits and squirrels. Flower fairies were just one of several types, and each fairy was named after the flower for which she cared. Fairies took their jobs seriously, making sure each flower opened in the morning, guiding bees and butterflies to the pollen, and teaching the flowers how to stretch toward the sun. After all the hard work, flower fairies got thirsty! Thus began the tradition of afternoon tea in the forest. Being smart, crafty folk, fairies could brew their own tea and even bake sweet cakes to go with it. The forest provided the rest, from toadstools for chairs to tree stumps for tables. Afternoon tea sometimes stretched into evening, for although they love to work, fairies also love the company of friends.