The Saga of the Rain Sprite

And the rain fell.. as it always did in the spring. Throughout the forest, eyes, sheltered as best they could watched the rain in its relentless falling. The drops of water slid down the bark of the trees, dripped from the leaves and crawled across the toadstools.

In every tree the dryads hummed as they drank the sweet rain, and in the glades the fairies danced their rain dances.

However, there was one who danced faster than the fairies, and who hummed, nay, sang louder than the dryads. This was Pitterpat the rain sprite. Mistress of the may showers. Who slept all the year round from spring to spring, every year she awoke to dance on the forest floor, and awaken all the sleeping plants and animals and to bring the message of spring to all the forest.

As the rain drops splashed around her feet, Pitterpat giggled merrily and sang her fastest tunes. Every now and again she danced into the air, moving so fast she used the descending raindrops as steps, until she reached a branch, upon which she danced, stopping to kiss the twigs, where upon tiny little buds broke forth at her lips touch. The dryads smiled, for they all loved Pitterpat, almost as much as they loved the Sun, and their mother, the life spirit Gaia, with whom they had slept through the cold winter.

As she met the tiny fairies dancing in their rings, Pitterpat would stop and curtsy, and with much giggling and nudging, the fairies would respond, for they to loved Pitterpat who brought the green back to the world each year.

In fact, in all the forest, there was only one who cared not for Pitterpat, and that was the Gnome.

The Gnome was a Grey Gnome, and so all the lands around him rested on a bed of granite. On this particular day, the gnome was sitting on the surface for once. He had come up hoping to find the silent beauty of winter, when the surface was more like the quiet underground he was used to, and instead he found all this raining, and dancing and singing going on.

The Gnome was very fond of music, but the beautiful echoes of the underground kingdom were nothing like the tinkling laughing sounds from the forest around him. However, despite being a Gnome he was not to bad tempered and he was pretty hungry since it was years since his last snack.

Hungry? you ask. Well yes, even Gnomes must eat, and they do. They eat sand, pebbles and mud for snacks, and boulders and rocks for dinner. Of course they eat so slowly, that a boulder will take them ten years to eat, but they can gobble up a lot of sand and mud in only few hours.

Now, whilst this was going on, Pitterpat had danced across the entire forest, had reached the eastern edge and was dancing back again. She hopped across a small stream, waving at the fish who stared up at her in surprise and landed on the other side. Her tiny feet sinking into the soft mud.

The Gnome was shovelling the gravel into his mouth when the Sprite landed beside him. He froze at once (as is the wont of Gnomes when surprised) and since Pitterpat had never seen a Gnome, she didn’t know he was there (Gnomes being much given to resembling rocks). So the Gnome watched from the corner of his eyes, mud oozing from his mouth, as the sprite high stepped through the grime to the stream to wash her feet.

” eek my feetses ” she piped, and sat on a fallen branch. She splashed her feet in the water, and gurgled with laughter as the fish shied away.

The Gnome stared in amazement as she dipped her delicate feet into the water and let the mud wash away. Slowly an idea formed in the Gnomes mind, and a sly smile spread across his face. Gradually he reached across to the end of the branch near him and suddenly tipped it, upending the startled Pitterpat into the stream.

The Gnome roared with laughter and stomped across to the edge to look closer. Peering over the edge he found no sign of the sprite, and confused he looked down stream, but there was no sig of her.

” Hey! ” he rumbled at the fish, ” Where’d she go?” the fish shrugged and...

what? You don’t think fish can shrug? Well, you have a lot to learn!

I assure you, these fish shrugged, though they were lying of course, as they knew where Pitterpat had gone. They could see her, dancing along the rain drops behind the Gnome and frowning down at him, trying to see where he began and the mud stopped.

” Who dis muddy fuddy? ” she wondered, ” he needses a wash much much more than meses and the fishy’s ”.

She landed with a slight spring, and clicked her fingers one, two, three! There was a flash behind him and the Gnome leaped into the air with a start.

” Wha! ” he cried, then missed his footing and fell into water with a splash.

All the fish bubbled with laughter and Pitterpat sat down with a ‘plomp’, laughing so hard at the Gnome, who sat up to his waist in the cold water with a strand of weed draped from his nose.

” Har har ” he said and splashed the Sprite with his hand.

” Don’ts you knows me is a Spwite? ” she giggled

” Eh? ” he grunted and peered at her. She was not very big, only half as big as him and she danced back and forth from toadstool, to rain drop and petal.

” What’s a spwite?”

” A rain spirit ” said a large fish ( a carp ) that had poked his head over the surface to peer at the dancing sprite.

” yes yes, that’s me!” giggled the Sprite, and she launched into the air, and danced down among the long grasses.

” What you a dancing about for? ” demanded the Gnome crawling out of the stream.

” What you thinking she a dancing for? ” asked the incredulous fish.

” Not dancing? ” asked Pitterpat floating to the ground.

” You can dance if you like, I’m not going to stop you, please to carry on, by all means ” grunted the Gnome ” I was just a wondering as to why you was dancing is all ”

The Sprite considered for a moment whilst the fish also tried to think of an answer.

” Well ”, she began, ” Me dancing to wake up the twees and flowers and little sleepy things ”

” that’s right ” agreed the fish.

” And all the little bees and mices, and the birdses will all come back.. ”

” that’s right ” agreed the fish.

”And all and one will be happy as spring is in the air!!” she exulted.

” that’s right ” agreed the fish.

The Gnome sniffed. It sounded like a lot of hot and bother to him, all this jumping around and singing, but he couldn’t help being interested in the Sprite, there was something rather refreshing about her, something his cold stone heart very rarely felt.

” Every ones loves the spwingtime ” laughed Pitterpat.

” Not every one ” corrected the Gnome.

” Not? ” whispered the Sprite, her eyes wide. (Here was a new thing indeed).

” No not at all.. ” said the Gnome.

” Why not? ” asked the Sprite, her head to one side.

” Well.. er.. ” the Gnome considered,” perhaps its because, some people prefer a more quiet and beautiful place than springtime ”

” More beautyful? Than spwing?? ” she snorted ” No such thing!!”

” Oh yes my dear ” grinned the Gnome, who had begun to have an idea in his own slow fashion, ” there are places much more beautiful ”.

” me doesn’t believe it ” she stated

” No? ”

” Not! ”

” What if I was to show you such a place? ” inquired the Gnome, ” would you then take to believe it? ”

” well...” she began.

” Its not very far I assure you ” he interrupted.

” not? ”

” no ”

” how not vewy far? ” she demanded, doing a little quick step around a dry thistle, which instantly perked up.

” Just down the stream to the rocks there ” he pointed.

” A more nicer place, over there? ” she hopped up nine rain drops to see better, but it looked just like spring to her.

” Yes, you can come and see it if you like ”, said the Gnome, beginning to waddle towards the rocks.

The Sprite watched him shuffle away, thinking loudly to herself. She had no time to be looking at nicer places, the dance must go on!, but, looking around, she saw the forest could manage forty heart beats with out her, so she clenched a quick downpour onto the giggling trees and flitted after the Gnome.

The Gnome watched her from beneath his long dark hair, and when she scampered after him, he felt the funny feeling again, but pretending not to notice her, he shambled up to the rocks where a tiny waterfall bubbled and sang. He ducked into it and disappeared.

” Where did he go?” gasped the startled Sprite.

The Carp, which had been following them poked his head up from the stream.

” Where did he go?” Asked the Carp.

” Me knows it not ” said Pitterpat.

The Gnome thrust his face out from the waterfall.

” Well? ” he asked, ” are you coming or not? ”. He disappeared again, and Pitterpat peering closer saw there was a hole behind the water fall.

” There’s a hole behind the waterfall ” said the Carp.

” Yes yes ” she sang and hopped through.

” Who would have thought it ” thought the Carp.

Inside the hole it was dark and cold.

” Here is no nice ” muttered the Sprite looking around. There was no sign of the Gnome.

” Where is you? ” she asked the darkness.

” Its down here ” said an echo from before her. She frowned impatiently, and clicked her fingers, one, two, three, and tapped her foot One, two, three.

At once her finger nails and toe nails lit up and she could see where she was. It was a tunnel.

” not a nice place at all ” she said to herself, then remembering the voice she scurried down after it...

... The dim tunnel ended in a small cavern which was muddy and damp. There were three other holes leading on and no sign of the gnome!

” What’s all this? ” muttered Pitterpat to herself, dancing from one foot to the other.

” Come along.. long.. long.. long.. ” came the voice of the Gnome.

” Yes yes, ” agreed the sparkling Sprite, ” but which one is it, which one? ”.

There was no answer other than a distant echoing grumble. Pitterpat shut her eyes and leaned closer to the three tunnels. It sounded like it came from the middle tunnel or the left hand tunnel, but she was not sure.

” Where is you?” she called down the middle tunnel.

” I’m down here of course ” replied the testy voice, but it sounded like it came from the right hand tunnel!

She frowned her tiny brow and decided to try the middle tunnel. So as not to lose her way, she shook her right foot every now and again to shake loose some faeire dust, which glittered in the dark behind her as she skipped down the middle tunnel.

This tunnel was narrow and led down into the earth. Every so often there were rough steps and as she danced from one to the next, humming lightly to herself she began to notice strange paintings on the wall, funny looking animals and figures, hand shapes and spirals.

” Funny patterns ” she declared and sped on. Where was that Gnome gone? After seventeen heart beats she had reached the bottom. One minute she was surrounded by the close walls of the tunnel, the next she was standing by a vast great pool of water.

” Eeek! eek!.. eek!.. eek!.. ” she gasped, and stood looking around. The cavern was very dark, but something around a distant bend was casting a bright illuminating light into it. It was very very quiet. Pitterpat could hear her heart beat inside her, calling to her to start dancing again soon.

” Yes yes, ” she muttered impatiently and shuffled her feet. The thought that perhaps she ought to get back to the dance crossed her mind, but she dismissed it with a wave of her hand and an impatient stamp of her foot, ( which cause a little cloud of faerie dust to explode around her ankles ). She was far to curious about this strange place. In fact, she was mystified. Being a Spring Sprite, she was intimate with water, but this silent mirror like lake was like no water she had ever seen. This was not spring water, nor summer water, or even autumn or winter water. This was something very new indeed. ” Something new... ” she declared quietly, and tip toed onto the surface. Instantly she plunged to her knees, and ” OH! ” it was cold!!!

She hopped out at once, and danced in small circles.

” What’s this? what’s this? ” she wondered. The Spring magic had no effect on this water! She stopped dancing and stared at the wide ripples she had made, as they slowly expanded away from her. She looked down at her feet which were dull and blue, all the Faerie dust muted and dark.

” Got a bit of a surprise eh? ” asked a quiet deep voice from above her.

” Yes yes, ” she replied, then looking up met a pair of eyes, set into the overhanging rocky wall.

” Hello ” said a mouth that opened below the eyes.

” Hi ho ” she replied, stepping back to get a better look, ” what is you? ”

” I might ask the same question, ” said the mouth, but I suppose since you are my guest, then perhaps I ought to introduce myself first.

Suddenly, with a crack, part of the rock detached itself and crunching with every movement, a squat figure climbed down to stand before her. It was so like rock, that she could only see it when it moved. It wore no clothes, and it seemed to have four arms and on its head was a pair of short stubby horns.

Pitterpat thought it was quiet simply the most frightening thing she had ever seen!

” Hello, ” it rumbled, ” my name is Grindle ”

” Hello ” she curtsied ” Me is the Pitterpat! ”

” I see, ” it replied, and you are from the daylight I suppose? lured down here by that no good Gnome I suppose?”

” Gnome is not good?” she inquired.

” Oh, well, I suppose he is as good as any one else ” murmured the strange creature in its gravel voice.

” Yes yes, ” agreed Pitterpat who thought nice thoughts about everyone she met. She considered the creature, then asked ” What is a Grindle please? ”

” Hmmm...? ” the Creature seemed very tired, ” I am a Gargoyle ” it replied

” Gargoyle? ” she mused. Another new thing. She looked around at the silent cold water. A single drop of water fell into the water with a sudden Plop! Pitterpat watched the ripples spread slowly then turning back to the Gargoyle found herself alone again.

” Oh.. ” she looked up, ” are you there? ”

” Yes ” said Grindle opening then closing his eyes again. Pitterpat giggled then skipped away along the rocky path besides the silent lake. Her toes were beginning to glow again she noticed, so she danced a quick jig to speed them up a bit.

Ahead of her, the light grew into a pure white brilliance, quite unlike daylight, and she stopped at the last, to peek round the corner. This is what she saw.

In a great cavern, on a rock pillar, sat a shining white orb. There was nothing else in the great cavern but on the far side was another tunnel. She skipped out into the open, and the orb changed colour to blue. She stopped, and stared at it, but it ignored her in supreme indifference. She walked quietly past it, and as she walked. So it changed colour, from Blue it became Turquoise, to Green, to Yellow, to Orange, to Red, and finally as she reached the far tunnel, Purple.

” Wainbow ” said Pitterpat happily and marched down the new tunnel. Almost at once she reached another junction, where four tunnels met, but happily here was the Gnome, waiting impatiently, and staring up a different tunnel.

” Hello oh ” she sang.

The Gnome jumped into the air and knocked his head on the low ceiling.

” What? What? ” he exclaimed rubbing his sore head, ” where did you disappear to? ”

” Pitterpat is nots disappearing to no where ” she told him. He shrugged and motioned her to follow him down a third tunnel.

” Is its faraway? ” asked Pitterpat anxiously. She was neglecting the dance and did not want to be away much longer.

” No no, not much far now ” replied the Gnome.

Together they descended into the depths of the earth, down the narrow passage, the Gnome stomping and Pitterpat dropping fairy dust.

After ninety steps they entered a cavern with a low ceiling where thousands of drop stones and stalactites dripped water onto equally grand stalagmites. A pale light shone from strange fungi that grew along the walls. This was the Gnomes bed chamber.

Pitterpat gaped at the fluorescent cavern in amazement. The Orb and the lake had been beautiful, but this chamber exceeded them in every aspect. The echoing drip drip drip was a strange music, and the wonderful colours seemed to dance in the half light.

” Ooh ” whispered Pitterpat ” what a beautyfull pwace! ”

” You like it eh? ” smiled the Gnome, his eyes watching the animated Sprite with an intense glow ”

” Yes yes ” agreed the tiny Sprite, ” Me wants to dance with the colours ” she took a quick little double back step and the glow of the fungus brightened slightly. With a laugh she began her best waking up dance in the small space, and the Fungi all responded with a sudden glow.

The Gnome looked around his chamber with surprise.

Tiny mosses began to bloom on the chamber floor, and in the cracks of the stone walls, and small white flowers popped into being like bubbles. Pitterpat, stopped, looked around with a cheeky grin, then launched into a full scale happy dance. Hopping, jumping and skipping between the Stalagmites, which themselves began to glow as the Gnome grew happier and happier.

” Oh my, ” he rumbled, holding his face, eyes wide, ” Oh my, what’s all this? ”

In his stone cold heart, the Gnome felt that same odd feeling again. A sort of itchy scratchy feeling like soft pins and needles.

By now, the floor was a bed of soft moss, the walls were over flowing with luminous fungi, and the drop stones blazed with vibrant colours.

Pitterpat leaped across the room and landed on the Gnomes chest, pushing him backwards to fall into the soft moss. She looked down at him and giggled.

” Funny Gnome ”

” Funny am I? ” asked the Gnome, then grabbing the Sprite he tickled her until she gasped and wriggled, contorted with laughter.

‘Funny’ thought the Gnome as a hot fire began creeping through his tummy.

Pitterpat sighed and kissed the Gnome on his nose. They smiled happily and the Gnome found his hands on the Sprites slender little body.

” How small you are.. ” he murmured.

” Small? ” she pouted looking at his round fat belly.

” Small ” he confirmed. He slid his hands up under her mossy green shirt to her tiny bud like nipples.

” Ooh! ” Pitterpat’s eyes flashed open.

” Hee hee hee ” giggled the happy Gnome.

Pitterpat jumped up hopped around the room in a sudden burst of energy. As the Gnome watched breathlessly she flipped up into the air and turned a summersault, landing with her feet on either side of the Gnomes head.

” Oomph!! ” said the gnome, as the Sprite sat on his face and wriggled against his nose.

”Mmm.. nose feels good ” she purred.

” Duff id?”

Pitterpat giggled as the Gnomes nose pressed against her little cleft. She decided, she quite liked the sensation, and rubbed a bit harder. After all, the Gnome did not seem to mind very much. In fact, if the grunts and stroking hands were any indication of his thoughts then he seemed to be enjoying himself. She peered down at the top of his head, but just as she was about to talk, she got an electric shock as something long and wet poked into her!

” Oh! ” she managed to say.

The Gnome was now holding onto her legs, and she was surprised to find he was so strong that she was not able to hop off any more. Not that she wanted to though. The Gnome, it appeared had quite a long tongue.

As the room sparkled, Pitterpat, ran her fingers through the Gnomes shaggy hair. A warm feeling was building up in her tummy, and she was getting more and more ‘itchy scratchy’.

When she felt the Gnome had relaxed his grip on her legs she hopped up to stand over him.

” Naughty Gnome ” she giggled. He grinned back, red and wet in the face.

The Sprite considered the bulge in the Gnomes furry trousers. Hmmm she had heard rumours from the Pixie’s.. maybe the rumours were true...