Mushroom Fairy Bag

If there is one thing you would think that a fairy would not be in need of, it would be a flying machine. They have wings, for Pete’s sake, and really, when you think about it, nowhere to go. That was the general gist of the sniping about Floribunda Chanterelle’s invention amongst the fairy circles. Truly talented, Floribunda had managed to transform a humble outsized fungus into a marvel of mechanical engineering. Levers and pulleys, gears and propellers, steam gauges and intake vents, Floribunda’s creation would alight with a gentle poof and then putter aloft, swaying gracefully in the breeze and coming to earth on a droll landing wheel, or skittering along the surface of marsh or pond, a tiny propeller buzzing behind. Terrified toads aside, it was a truly stylish mode of transport, and a necessary one as well, because, sadly, Floribunda Chanterelle was an uncommonly clumsy fairy. A secret shared only with her snail companion, Enoki, Floribunda’s attempts at flight had wrapped her around cattails, sent her careening into tree trunks and once, landed her headfirst in a gopher hole. Oh, the humiliation! And in her attempts to land, she fared no better, skinning her knees, crumpling her wings and skidding most immodestly into the vilest of bogs. To Enoki’s credit, he never so much as giggled, but spent several hours rushing to her rescue. After patching her tights, straightening her wings and shaking out her hair, Floribunda donned her hat and goggles, snatched a tail feather from a snickering finch and set to work on the very creation you see before you. Finding herself with a few extra gauges, she fashioned a few steam powered butterflies to accompany her on her flights, and she and Enoki set forth exploring parts of the countryside heretofore unseen and uncharted by self-powered fairies. So if you are gardening one day, or perchance walking in the woods and see a large mushroom buzzing along a few feet above the ground, it is not your imagination; it is Floribunda, the clumsy fairy, out for a jaunt. You may want to duck, just in case… This original artwork and story are copyright Ramona Szczerba 2009. Copyright to this material is in no way transferable with the sale of this item. The buyer is not entitled to any reproduction rights – neither image nor story can be reproduced without my express written permission. Thanks!