Hello,
My name is Rachel and my country is Scotland.
A country steeped in fairy faith.
A place of mythical valleys,
Fairy glens and pools and lochs and ancient Caledonian pine forests.
It's a country where fairies or wee folk can be found in the tree hollows and abandoned birds' nests.
And in the rivers and burns which flow through the mountainous valleys,
There are river sprites with webbed feet who ride on the back of the leaping Scottish salmon.
Tucked away inside unused teapots and empty shortbread tins,
Wee folk called brownies,
A sort of house fairy,
Live amongst the Scottish people inside their very homes.
Although most people never look close enough in the nooks and crannies to ever spot them.
Now I'm guessing you might like to join me on an adventure here in Scotland and hear more about these magical wee folk,
The guardians of our hills,
Forests and homes.
So get comfortable,
Maybe even have a wiggle of fingers and toes.
Take a deep breath in to fill your chest full of air and a deep breath out again to relax your body down into whichever comfy spot you might be sitting or lying in.
Gently close your eyes and coorie in and come with me.
To Scotland.
This is the story of the duckling and the water sprite.
And we join Isla on a lovely sunny June morning when she decided to take a little walk down to the loch near her house.
Her fairy friends had told her that there were some new arrivals on the loch.
Six little fluffy mallard ducklings and she was keen to see them.
Isla had collected some dandelion leaves and flowers and also some leftover greens like kale and spinach and put it all in a container to take to the loch for the ducks.
She'd learned a little while ago that bread wasn't a very nutritious food for the ducks and could also cause some harmful algae to grow in the loch.
It was a very pretty morning to be walking through the pine trees on the way to the loch.
As the dappled sunlight made a golden pattern on the soft carpet of fallen pine needles.
There was a lovely fresh earthy scent as the forest was full of vibrant green moss,
Tiny wildflowers and lush ferns at this time of year.
After a few minutes of walking through the pine forest,
Isla emerged from the tree cover and she was greeted by an expansive blue sky and the twinkling shores of the loch.
The water was calm and reflective and it made a lovely lapping sound against the tiny pebbles and sand at the water's edge.
About 50 meters west of Isla on the pebbly shore were the ducklings and their mother,
Known as a hen even though she's a duck and they were resting and preening and getting warm in the sun.
Isla knew that ducklings could get tired in cold evenings and that they could not move easily but this time out of the water on the shore was crucial for them.
So she didn't want to get too close and disturb them.
So she gently threw the greens that she had brought a little way ahead of her so that they might eat them at their leisure and then she decided to just sit down on the smooth pebbles and just watch them from a distance.
They were mallard ducks and the mother was a mottled brown with an orange and grey bill and the six ducklings had fluffy yellow downy feathers on their belly and faces and they had a distinct eye stripe and they also were about the size of both of Isla's hands cupped together side by side.
They were incredibly cute and Isla was really enjoying this peaceful time out in nature watching the ducklings when suddenly she heard an excited yapping coming from behind her.
She turned around and out of the forest popped a small wiry brown and black dog and it looked to be excitedly charging towards the ducks.
Oh no thought Isla before leaping into action.
She too ran towards the ducks intercepting the dog and grabbing it by its collar as the frightened mother duck took off into the water towards the reed bed with her stumbling flightless ducklings trying to follow her as fast as they could to safety.
Isla held on to the dog's collar tightly as he panted and wriggled around excitedly.
She knew if she let go the dog would undoubtedly try and pursue the ducks again.
She bent down to inspect the collar and realised it was Spud,
A cheeky border terrier who lived on a nearby farm.
Isla and her fairy friends had actually rescued Spud from a terrible snowstorm when he was just a pup and she was very fond of him despite his terrible treatment of the ducks.
She guessed it was just in his nature after all.
Come on Spud she said,
I better get you home before you can cause any more mischief.
Isla had no lead,
She decided it was safest to just pick him up and carry him in her arms like a little pudding.
Spud didn't protest,
He was a coothy and cuddly little thing really.
She knocked on her front door and called to her mum as she couldn't quite juggle Spud in her arms to open the front door.
Her mum looked very surprised to see them both but once Isla had explained what had transpired at the loch her mum praised her.
For her quick thinking and said she'd phone over to Spud's owners at the farm.
Isla had lots of fun playing in the back garden with Spud while they were waiting for him to be collected.
She threw lots of sticks for him and he barked and wiggled his bum although he wasn't very good at fetching.
Instead he just wanted to hoard all the sticks for himself,
Greedy wee tyke.
Once Spud was headed back off to the farm Isla decided to pop to the loch once more to check on the ducklings.
She wanted to see if they'd eaten any of the food she'd left and if they were okay after the shock they'd had.
Initially Isla was happy to see them resting upon the shore but quickly she realised that there were only five fluffy ducklings whereas previously there had been six.
Where was the other duckling?
She sat down on the pebbly shore to watch and see if it made an appearance but after 15 or so fretful minutes it didn't appear and she became quite worried.
She decided to walk along the edge of the loch to see if she could spot it in the water.
As it was a clear and sunny day the loch was shimmering and a few times she thought that she might have spotted it only to realise it was just the reflected light playing tricks on her.
She decided to check out the reed bed that the mother duck had fled to when Spud had come along and launched himself at them earlier.
It was quite hard to see clearly in the long tangled reeds so Isla crouched down to see if she could try and have a better look.
To her surprise something popped out of the water just in front of her.
It wasn't the duckling but instead it was a little water fairy known as a sprite.
She had a long braid of greenish grey hair with what looked like pearls and shells,
Little tiny ones woven into her braid.
She looked to have on a fine lattice-like top of shimmering green.
Although Isla couldn't see her bottom half as it was still under the water but she guessed that she'd have webbed feet like all of the other sea sprites.
Hi Isla,
Said the little sprite in her gentle sing-song voice,
I'm so pleased you're here.
Although Isla hadn't met this little sprite before she was used to the fairies knowing who she was.
She was infamous as the girl who had been gifted with fairy sight and allowed to visit the magical fairy palace.
Of Elfenheim by the queen of the fairies herself called Queen Morven.
Hello said Isla,
It's really nice to meet you.
What's your name and why are you so pleased to see me here?
The little sprite introduced herself as Alna,
A Celtic name meaning the flowing of water.
Isla thought that Alna was a very pretty name indeed.
She told Isla that she'd just found a very poorly duckling and needed her help.
Oh my goodness exclaimed Isla,
I've just been searching for that very duckling,
Where is it and what can I do to help?
Alna explained to Isla that the duckling was stranded further in the muddy reeds where it had been chased in there by spud.
Unfortunately its preen gland had become blocked by mud and it now had lost its waterproofing and had become cold and unable to swim.
You see ducks have a specialist gland located at the base of their tails which produce oil.
This oil known as preen oil is crucial for waterproofing their feathers enabling them to swim and stay warm in the water.
Ducklings like adult ducks use their beaks to spread this oil over their feathers during preening ensuring that the water beads up and rolls off rather than soaking into their feathers.
Isla took her sandals off on the side of the loch and pushed up her leggings before stepping into the cold water of the loch and feeling the squelchy mud of the reed bed between her toes.
Alna directed her to where she needed to push the reeds apart and there she found the shivering sodden duckling.
It no longer looked fluffy and yellow like the other ducklings,
Instead it looked very dark and limp.
Isla gently scooped it up into her arms and waded back out of the loch.
The poor thing didn't really put up a struggle.
She sat with it on her lap on the shore and asked Alna what to do.
Alna told her that the duckling couldn't just go back to the others as it wouldn't have the energy to clean itself and get dry and warm again.
She asked Isla if she could take it home and clean it.
Of course replied Isla,
But I don't really know what to do.
Don't worry said Alna,
I can explain.
You just need a gentle soap to get the mud off,
Paying particular attention to its preen gland.
Then get it warm and dry and see if it will eat and preen.
I know that the house fairies,
Kogi and Inglenook live with you and they'll be able to help you.
I'm sure they'll have a good idea of what to do.
Inglenook and Kogi were the two little house fairies who lived with Isla.
And like all fairies,
They were able to talk to animals and they had the innate ability to help them.
Thank you so much for your help Alna and hopefully I can get this duckling feeling much better and see you soon.
Isla said Alna as she headed off back home.
Isla's mum was out when she returned home.
Instead she was greeted at the door by Inglenook and Kogi fluttering in the air with their tiny wings beating.
Oh Isla,
What have you got there?
They exclaimed.
Oh my goodness,
Would you believe it?
Said Isla.
A few hours ago I had a dog in my arms and now it's this duckling.
Needs our help so let's take up to the bathroom sink and see what we can do.
Up in the bathroom the two house fairies were a wonderful help with the duckling.
They shooshed it and sang it lullabies and helped it to stay lovely and calm as they washed the soap into its downy feathers and preen gland.
The water kept turning brown as they worked.
So they kept washing and lathering it with soapy suds until the water was clear and then the soap was all washed off.
They then wrapped the duckling in a soft cozy towel and headed through to Isla's bedroom.
Well,
It was really Isla,
Kogi and Inglenook's bedroom as the house fairies lived in the doll's house in Isla's room.
Isla plopped the wrapped up duckling on the bed and the fairies cooed and stroked the duckling while it cooed up.
Isla got out her hair dryer and on a very low setting she started working through the feathers with the warm air.
The duckling seemed to like this and kept closing its sleepy eyes like it was at a very nice spa and could barely stay awake.
In no time the duckling was completely dry and it had returned to its lovely fluffy yellow self.
To think that less than an hour previously it was so dark brown and soggy it almost looked like it'd been in an oil slick.
Isla asked the fairies what they felt the duckling might like to eat.
So they talked in their sing-song language to the duckling and in return it made a soft raspy quack and happily bobbed its head up and down.
Isla smiled as Cookie told her that the duckling very much enjoys berries and dandelions and chopped greens.
And Cookie also suggested that maybe she should make some moistened oatmeal to give it some energy.
So Isla left the two house fairies tending to the duckling as she foraged in the garden and got some food from the cupboards.
She also made a little shallow dish of water for it to drink.
When she returned to the bedroom Cookie and Inkle Nook were clapping excitedly.
Oh Isla!
While she were gone clever Enid,
Oh her name she's told us it's Enid by the way,
She has been able to preen herself.
The gland is definitely unblocked.
And I think she should be fit to return to the water soon.
Oh that's wonderful replied Isla.
I'm sure her mum and her brothers and sisters have missed her terribly.
Isla placed the food and water on the floor and gently lifted Enid down off the bed.
She gave a quack which sounded more like a happy chirp.
And then she gave herself a little shake and then munched away at the tasty food with great enthusiasm.
Isla and the fairies couldn't help but smile at how well the duckling was now doing.
And after she'd gobbled everything up,
Inkle Nook spoke to her and then relayed to Isla that the duckling was feeling well enough.
To return home to the loch.
Inkle Nook and Cogey desperately wanted to see her back with her family.
So they flew up onto Isla's shoulder.
So that they could accompany her and Enid back to the loch.
The house fairies use up a lot of energy when flying.
So it was often easier for them to hitch a ride with Isla.
So with a duckling in her arms and the two fairies on her shoulder,
Isla made the journey back to the loch.
As soon as the mother duck and the other ducklings became visible on the shore,
Enid started making a loud shrill quack to get their attention.
They started quacking and flapping in response and they quickly waddled towards Isla.
And when they were a couple of meters away,
She popped Enid down and watched the happy reunion.
The mother duck nuzzled and preened her and the siblings all crowded around to greet her again.
Cogey and Inkle Nook flew down and Isla could see they were chatting to the mother duck.
Although she couldn't understand what they were speaking.
She guessed that they were filling her in about what had happened to her baby.
The mother duck seemed to nod in appreciation at Isla.
And then she and all six ducklings waddled off back to where they'd been resting previously.
With Enid giving a lingering glance back at Isla and the fairies as if to offer her thanks.
Isla and the two fairies went back towards the reeds to see if Alna the water sprite was there.
Isla wanted to tell her the good news but she didn't pop out of the water this time.
However,
As Isla walked away from the loch to return home,
The mother duck and the ducklings entered the water and Isla was sure that she saw Alna swimming alongside them and waving at her.
Now I hope you've enjoyed this story and can imagine what it must be like to have a soft fluffy duckling in your hands and be sitting beside a shimmering loch.
Maybe you might even see a water sprite like Alna swimming in there.
So close your eyes if you haven't already done so and drift off to sleep.
Sweet dreams from Scotland.
