A field trip begins...

Mrs Weaver was already outside, setting up the lesson area beneath her and Mr Weaver’s tree for the first day of school after Midwinter. The Summer sun was already on her way back and it was time for the park-faery children to start learning again! Today they were going on a field trip around the park and Mrs Weaver had lots planned to see what they remembered from last season.

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Aloe and Scarlett sat together on one of the twig benches arranged around Mrs Weaver. They were the oldest of the faery children and had been friends since their very first day together at faery school. Scarlett’s younger sister, Elf, and their baby brother Cup sat together on a stone next to Vera. The Web twins –Button and Wolf - sat cross legged on the ground.

“Who can tell me about Midwinter?” asked Mrs Weaver in her high, warbling voice? Scarlett’s hand shot up beside Aloe – she was the smartest of them all.

Midwinter in the Park

“It is the middle of Winter time, and marks the day with the longest night time, and the shortest daytime.” Mrs Weaver smiled pleasantly so the soft skin of her face crinkled.

“Very good, Scarlett. Anybody else?”

Aloe spoke confidently, pulling the memories from last season’s class out of her mind.

“There are 2 and a half moon cycles between Midwinter and the day that Spring returns. Here, where we live in the bottom half of the world, Midwinter takes place six full moons after the wingless folk welcome the new year. In the upper part of the world, Midwinter happens at the end of the old year.”

Scarlett remembered something else and quickly added to Aloe’s answer. “Oh, and it’s also sometimes called the Winter Solstice… I think.” Aloe smiled at Scarlett. They loved to learn about the world and would sometimes sit on the top of the Stump, or in Scarlett’s boot, and study together.

“Wonderful!” crooned Mrs Weaver, clapping her fingers together. Cup clapped too, delighted at all the excitement. Mrs Weaver explained some more “The bottom half of the world, as Aloe said, is called the Southern hemisphere,” she said, looking meaningfully at the children, “and the upper half of the world is called the Northern hemisphere.”

Vera’s hand floated into the air.

“Yes, Vera?” asked Mrs Weaver kindly.

“How big is the world, Mrs Weaver? Is the Northern hemisphere another park like ours?”

Mrs Weaver chuckled, like bells tinkling in a summer breeze. “Oh, no, my dear Vera. The Northern hemisphere is much, much bigger than our park. And so is the Southern hemisphere.” Vera didn’t seem very satisfied with Mrs Weaver’s answer, so Aloe decided to help.

“Have a look here, Vera.” Aloe pulled one of the soft seed bread bun from her bag and held it up so Vera could see. “Imagine this bread bun is the world. Here,” she pointed to a seed close to the underside, “is our park.” Pushing her fingers in to the soft dough, Aloe tore the bun in half and held the top part in one hand, and the bottom half in the other.

“This half of the bun is the Southern hemisphere, where our park is. And this half of the bun is the Northern hemisphere. Now imagine that every one of these seeds is another park just like ours. That’s how big the world is.” Vera looked at Aloe with big, yellow eyes, amazed.

“Wow…” the faery children whispered as they turned back to Mrs Weaver.

“Yes, my sweet children, the world is a very big and beautiful place. We must always make sure that our wings are ready, for the moment that comes to explore it.” Mrs Weaver’s eyes twinkled, and Aloe felt a stirring inside her chest: like the words held a promise of something amazing to come… like the words were spoken especially for her.

A whole world to explore...