The Story of Eden

This story was inspired by a commission to do an illustration based on a beautiful doll made by the lovely Mandy at Lady Lillypot. I hope you like it.x

The Story of Eden

By Justine Pateman

Once upon a time there was a lovely woodland. In this woodland there grew mighty oaks, slender birches, holly and dog roses and many other trees and bushes. Beneath them grew violets, bluebells, primroses and many beautiful flowers. Foxes, deer, rabbits, squirrels, mice and other creatures lived happily together. Bees, dragonflies and butterflies flew from plant to plant. Owls, crows, robins, wrens, pheasants and every sort of bird lived amongst the trees.

This woodland was idyllic and all because it was watched over by a beautiful fairy named Eden. She tended the trees and plants and cared for the birds and the animals. Everything living there lived in safety and happiness.

One day, the morning was shattered by a huge rumbling. Eden woke with a start. The birds flew off their roosts in fright and the animals cowered. What Eden saw, shocked her.

All around the woods were monstrous machines – diggers and bulldozers. And men with chainsaws. They had come to cut the woodland down. In a panic, Eden fluttered around the men and machines trying to push them away, but she was so small they didn’t even notice her.

She looked at her woods with tears in her eyes. It was so beautiful and home to so many different creatures. She couldn’t bear to see it destroyed. It would break her heart.

Just then the old rook called down to her. He told her of a place he’d seen on his flights. It filled Eden’s heart with hope. She looked closely at the men and saw one young man who had a good heart.

She flew to him and whispered in his ear. He heard her words as thoughts in his head.

“Stop!” he shouted.

Everyone looked at him.

As Eden whispered in his ear, he repeated her words. He pointed far away across the meadows to an abandoned factory. “We should be knocking that down and building there,” he told them. “There’s lots of room to build and it would save the woodland.”

All the men looked to where the young man was pointing. “What a good idea,” they thought. So they got in their machines and drove away from the wood.

Eden breathed a sigh of relief. Her beautiful woodland was saved. Over the following weeks, Eden watched from the safety of the trees as the abandoned factory was knocked down and houses were built in its place.

One day, the young man returned to the woods. He put up a sign outside. It said that the woodland was protected for wildlife. Then he came into the woods and looked around. He saw the tall stately trees and the pretty flowers. He heard the bees buzzing and the birds singing. He saw how beautiful it was.

Just then, something marvellous happened. In front of him appeared a beautiful fairy. Eden had wished a wish for herself and wished herself to human size. She appeared before the young man who was stunned by her beauty. She told him that she was the fairy of the woods and thanked him for saving her home. The young man promised to protect the woodland for the rest of his life.

And he did.