The Minister and the Fairy .

- An European Folk Tale

- He noticed a glowing light on the lake, slowly moving toward him. Most people might have run away in fear-but not the minister. 

He stayed calm and waited to see what it was...

Ravi Ila Bhatt

O ne quiet night, a kind and brave minister was walking home after visiting a sick person who needed his prayers. It was late, and the road went through a lonely, spooky area near a big, still lake. But the minister wasn't scared. He believed in doing good and helping others, and he wasn't afraid of ghosts or spirits.

As he walked along the lake, he suddenly heard beautiful music floating through the air. Curious, he stopped and sat down to listen. The music was soft and magical, like nothing he'd ever heard before.

Then he noticed a glowing light on the lake, slowly moving toward him. Most people might have run away in fear-but not the minister. He stayed calm and waited to see what it was.

As the light came closer, he saw something amazing: a little man, walking right on top of the water! Around him were tiny musicians-some held glowing lights, others played tiny instruments. The music came from them!

When they reached the shore, the musicians disappeared, leaving only the small man behind. He looked very old, with grey hair and strange, colorful clothes. He walked up to the minister, bowed politely, and said,

"Sorry to disturb you."

The minister smiled kindly and invited him to sit beside him. Then he asked,

"Who are you, and where do you come from?"

The little man looked down and said sadly,

"I'm one of the Daoine Sídhe. Some people call us the 'good folk' or fairies. Long, long ago, I lived in a beautiful, happy place high above the earth. But I made a mistake and followed the wrong leader. Because of that, I was sent away, and now I must wander around the world with many others like me."

He paused, looking worried.

"I came to ask you, as a man of God, what will happen to creatures like us when the world ends? Will we be forgiven?"

The minister listened carefully. He began to talk about faith, kindness, and saying sorry for past mistakes. But the fairy's answers were confusing. He didn't seem to fully understand what it meant to truly repent.

So, the minister asked him to say the Lord's Prayer with him, to see if he understood.

When they got to the line: "Our Father, who art in heaven..."

-the fairy couldn't say the word "art."

He said "wert" instead.

The minister noticed this and began to feel sad. He thought about everything: the fairy's strange past, his confused answers, and now this odd mistake. It made him think that the fairy might still be lost and unsure inside.

Finally, the minister said gently but honestly:

"I'm sorry, but I cannot promise that you'll be forgiven. What you did was very serious. Only God knows what will happen in the end."

Hearing this, the fairy let out a loud, sorrowful cry-and suddenly, he jumped into the dark lake and disappeared beneath the water.

The minister sat there for a moment, his heart heavy. Then he stood up, took a deep breath, and quietly continued his walk home, still thinking about the strange and mysterious visitor he had met that night.