The Sword in the Stump

STORY

The Sword in the Stump

So Many Fairies

Madeleine loves King Arthur. And she loves to lead her neighborhood friends in a game of Knights of the Round Table, with pretend quests and battles throughout the adjoining back yards. But her favorite part of the game is when she goes to ask advice of Merlin, and she stands still and silent next to a tree or behind a garden shed. She enjoys the peaceful feeling that always comes with the moment of silence. One day she is surprised to actually hear an answer! Could it be Merlin?

20 min
4+
Topics: FairiesHistoryAdventures

Projects, Crafts, and Recipes for this Story

For the Grown-Ups

Be Quiet

You cannot breathe out unless you have breathed in. The light follows the darkness. You cannot wake unless you have slept.

So Many Fairies

The Fairy Man and the Grumpy Granite Gnome

The Fairy Man and the Grumpy Granite Gnome

The granite gnome's longtime grumpiness is about to change when the new family in the house brings in a "fairy man" to set things right.
25 min
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The Jack-O'-Lantern

The Jack-O'-Lantern

Here is a tale of baker’s son, who — with the help of a magic seed and an enterprising fire sprite named Jack — transformed a simple orange squash into a sparkling, magical lantern that charmed an entire town.
23 min
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The Apricot Tree and the Robin

The Apricot Tree and the Robin

Can Oobst, a fruit fairy, help a nervous apricot tree find peace?
17 min
4+

Fire Fairies

Fire Fairies

Nani's house burns down and Miriam is afraid that fire may happen again. It takes the work of fairies to help her appreciate fire again.
21 min
4+

The Fairy Feast

The Fairy Feast

When there’s a sudden change in the backyard of twin brothers Russell and Randolph, the stonewall gnomes, brook nymphs, and oak tree elves must assemble a “feast” — a special and very potent fairy gathering.
19 min
4+

The Lantern Prince

The Lantern Prince

The Lantern Prince spies a poor beggar woman in the streets and his life is never the same again.
23 min
4+

The Cooper and the Winter Oak

The Cooper and the Winter Oak

An old cooper, or barrel maker, is given a large order for special barrels to be made before Christmas using a rare wood. When a turn in the weather causes trouble, a quiet oak elf steps in to help.
20 min
4+

Cupid's Little Brother

Cupid's Little Brother

One difference between Cupid and his brother, Eris, changed the course of "love" forever...
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The Purple Crocus Fairy

The Purple Crocus Fairy

Spilky is always in a hurry. In his haste, he makes a big mistake, a mistake that teaches him a lesson about the value of slowing down.
21 min
4+

Benno and the Water Nymph

Benno and the Water Nymph

Benno and his farming family sail away to seek a new life, but they land in a place with no water. What are they to do?
20 min
4+

The Dusty Dirty Gnome

The Dusty Dirty Gnome

The Dusty Dirty Gnome makes Buddy wonder: "What would things be like if everything in my room had its own place?"
19 min
4+

Grandfather and the Green Ash Tree Elf

Grandfather and the Green Ash Tree Elf

When the green ash tree is dying, Grandfather remembers when another tree was dying and how he called the help of the fairies.
20 min
4+

Old Man Hickory

Old Man Hickory

Old Man Hickory demands order. Then one day, the playful antics of two young chipmunks turn things upside down.
23 min
4+

The Girl of the Hazel Tree

The Girl of the Hazel Tree

After turning her back on the fairy world, Rosa meets a familiar young man. Could it be her adored tree elf in a man's form?
23 min
4+

Ilsa and the Mountain Gnome

Ilsa and the Mountain Gnome

When Ilsa loses her way on the mountain, the mountain gnome Crisp gives her a gift that opens a door to her future.
23 min
4+

Song of the Orange Day Lily

Song of the Orange Day Lily

How does a small girl know how to mix such beautiful bouquets? The fairies tell her! But the day lilies, too, have a secret to share...
19 min
4+

Luck and the Blue Jay

Luck and the Blue Jay

Ripley is a bold bluejay with quite a temper, and his friends begin to avoid him. Fairies help him, using something very surprising!
23 min
4+

Fairy Fireflies

Fairy Fireflies

A host of fireflies — or are they fairies? — takes a nervous boy on a magical adventure in his new backyard.
20 min
4+

The Crystal Gnome

The Crystal Gnome

Overwhelmed by bright lights and loud sounds, the crystal gnome learns how to make a home among the sights and sounds that intrigue him.
25 min
4+

The Bakery Crystals

The Bakery Crystals

When the old stone hearth is lit in the bakery, Delia's sad world changes. This is a story of grieving and the magic that comes with letting go.
22 min
4+

The Old Lilac Tree

The Old Lilac Tree

When the garden comes under the care of a dreamy young man, the lilac tree elf must find ways to teach him her garden rules.
24 min
4+

The Peony Pixie

The Peony Pixie

The Iris Nymphs are fed up with the Peony Pixie o they plan a trick — a trick that has larger consequences than they intended.
23 min
4+

The Spring Brook

The Spring Brook

Charles has moved to a new house. He left a house and friends he loved and he's sad. What will he do in this new place in the woods?
20 min
4+

The Bookmender's Helper

The Bookmender's Helper

The whisperings of a paper fairy help a bookmender discover true treasure...
26 min
4+

Light in the Wilderness

Light in the Wilderness

When a housecat gets lost outside, a dedicated fairy who loves Star engages the natural world to help him find his way back home.
24 min
4+

The Rag Maiden

The Rag Maiden

When her family once again fails to receive a magic carpet, Katri thinks she might know where the carpets come from and decides to find out.
26 min
4+

Luck of the Maple Candy

Luck of the Maple Candy

When Mr. Morrison comes without his wife to tap the maple tree, Leibli the elf knows that it's time to offer him a little extra sweetness.
20 min
4+

The Fairy Book

The Fairy Book

An adventure story inspires an exciting dream about missing jewels and fairy kingdoms. Or was it a dream at all?
24 min
4+

Quincy and the Golden Gourd

Quincy and the Golden Gourd

As the youngest child, Quincy knows a lot, but he is about to learn something new from Kalebas, the golden gourd fairy...
22 min
4+

Jack and the Snowman

Jack and the Snowman

This is a story about a boy named Jack and what happens when he positions a carrot in just the right way in the middle of his snowman’s face.
19 min
4+

Fairy Dust and the Loose Tooth

Fairy Dust and the Loose Tooth

Young Winston is on a sailing adventure with his family, and he is worried about his loose tooth — he does not want it to fall out. But he encounters a curious fairy who teaches him about the magical properties of fairy dust.
27 min
4+

Bardswallow - The Apple Tree Nymph

Bardswallow - The Apple Tree Nymph

A little girl named Lucy discovers a great many things in the overgrown backyard of her new home.
16 min
4+

The Magic in Ward Four

The Magic in Ward Four

Lonely in the hospital, Suzi hears that magical things can happen in this ward and, if she pays attention, she might discover them, too.
24 min
4+

The House Hob of Apartment #3C

The House Hob of Apartment #3C

Bing, the house fairy of apartment #3C, is lonely. Until a pigeon roosts by the bedroom window, and Bing gets an idea...
19 min
4+

The Gift of the Echo Fairy

The Gift of the Echo Fairy

Caldo seeks a wise man for an answer to an important question. The wise man is not a man at all, and the answer surprises and delights them.
26 min
4+

The Bodger's Apprentice

The Bodger's Apprentice

When James must apprentice with the Bodger, he wonders, "What is a bodger?" He finds out he has a lot to learn about work - and life.
25 min
4+

A New School of Fish

A New School of Fish

When Finnie the Fish yells "Shark!" for fun, he gets what he wants, but with consequences. How can he learn to use his gifts - for good?
23 min
4+

The Sword in the Stump

The Sword in the Stump

Madeleine and her friends love to play Knights of the Round Table. When she hears a voice she wonders, "Could it be Merlin?"
20 min
4+

The Hearth Stone House Hob

The Hearth Stone House Hob

Haard, the house fairy of a very old cottage, must find a way to communicate with the new owners before they change the fairy world forever.
25 min
4+

The Tree That Surprised the Wind

The Tree That Surprised the Wind

A maple tree elf is tired of the wind knocking down his golden leaves so he devises a plan. This year, he will surprise the wind...
18 min
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Avis the Watchful Yellow Jacket

Avis the Watchful Yellow Jacket

When a kind air fairy takes him on a journey of discovery, Avis the yellow jacket learns how to get close without getting too close.
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4+

The Iron Riders of Courage

The Iron Riders of Courage

When two elderly people meet, a photograph takes them to a time long ago when magic embraced them both, a magic that still exists.
19 min
4+

Showers of Gold

Showers of Gold

A king is granted his wish on a condition that gives new perspective on what it means to be a king.
16 min
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Captain Hicks and the Laughing Nixie

Captain Hicks and the Laughing Nixie

How does the mysterious Captain Hicks always have such miraculous luck? He's been listening to the same little voice his whole life...
25 min
4+

The Magician

The Magician

When he hears the magical sound of the Hermit thrush, a bored king remembers what he truly loves to do.
19 min
4+

Black Willow

Black Willow

A black willow tree reminds Mack of his father — who was a pirate!
25 min
4+

The Hummingbird Lady

The Hummingbird Lady

How did a child named Marion become The Hummingbird Lady?
23 min
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The Strawberry Farm

The Strawberry Farm

Billy is bored. When Billy's parents send him to his grandparent's farm for the summer, he is not prepared for the magic he encounters!
25 min
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The Riding Cow

The Riding Cow

A unique fairy loves a unique cow — and with a little fairy magic brings a little cow fun (and wreaks a little cow havoc) on a dairy farm.
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Moose Makes a Wish

Moose Makes a Wish

Monty the Moose doesn’t want to be big and rough and tough. So he makes a wish, not knowing that a magical Brownie is listening...
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Whisp Tells A Story

Whisp Tells A Story

When Paul's mother is in the hospital, Whisp has a little fairy magic and important wisdom for Paul and the whole family.
22 min
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The Donkey and the Fairy Gift

The Donkey and the Fairy Gift

A donkey is born and he is not like other donkeys — he has something special to give the people in the nearby town — something magical.
20 min
4+

Fairy Feathers

Fairy Feathers

Anna's best friends are fairies, and she feels lonely at school. Then she dreams about fairy feathers, and wakes with bumps of her own...
17 min
4+

The Ladybugs in the Window

The Ladybugs in the Window

The little old house has been completely updated, except for the south-facing window. Why won't the owner replace it? Ladybug fairies!
23 min
4+

The Magic Birthday Candles

The Magic Birthday Candles

On her sixth birthday, Sarah makes a wish that inspires a certain fire fairy to create some birthday magic for the whole party.
22 min
4+

The Source of Snow

The Source of Snow

Snow has a particular and powerful magic in the fairy world, with a wondrous connection to the wishes and dreams of children
20 min
4+

The Paper Birch Council

The Paper Birch Council

The teacher, Miss Hadley, takes her three young students on a hike to the Paper Birch Council to deliver an important message
19 min
4+

The Brownie and the Lost Squirrel

The Brownie and the Lost Squirrel

Can a brownie rally the support of an air fairy, a water nymph, and a fire sprite to help get a lost squirrel back to his next?
21 min
4+

Malkia and the Fairy Woman

Malkia and the Fairy Woman

Malkia uses her love of the world, the sun, and the stars to reach the Fairy Woman, the only one who can help her find her way.
22 min
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