Water Babies fairy tale
A long time ago, there was a little boy named Tom who worked as a chimney sweep. He suffered greatly under the abuse of his master, Mr. Grimes. One day, while following his master to sweep the chimneys at Hartover Hall, he accidentally entered the boudoir of Lady Ellie, the daughter of Sir John, and was mistaken for a thief, leading to a chase. Under the secret protection of a water fairy, Tom ended up by a stream, where he fell asleep and transformed into a water-baby.
When Tom woke up, he found that he could swim freely in the water. He traveled from the stream through rivers to the sea, encountering all sorts of strange and wonderful creatures. After much difficulty, he finally found other water-babies and joined them at their home—the Isle of St. Brendan, a sanctuary for water-babies taken in by the water fairies.
The island was home to thousands of water-babies cared for by the fairies. However, Tom was very mischievous; he constantly bullied small animals and even put pebbles into the mouths of sea anemones, making them think they were getting dinner. A fairy named Dame Deterrent, who was ugly in appearance but kind at heart, called Tom to her and punished him by putting a pebble in his mouth. She told Tom that if he became a good boy, her beautiful sister, the fairy Dame Nurture, would notice him, hug him, kiss him, and teach him how to be a proper person.
Tom, however, couldn’t resist his cravings and stole some sea candy from Dame Deterrent’s cupboard, which led to him being punished and growing spikes all over his body. Dame Deterrent then had Lady Ellie, who had also become a water-baby, teach Tom. In this way, seven years passed without notice. The fairy told Tom that to become a true man, he must learn from Ellie and go to places he didn’t like to help people he didn’t like.
Thus, Tom set off alone on a journey to “The Otherworld” to find and help his former master, Mr. Grimes. With the help of sea swallows and seagulls, he reached the City of Light. After swimming in the dark sea for seven days and nights, he passed through the always-closed white gate, arrived at the Pool of Peace where kind whales rest, and found the grandmother who helps old animals be reborn into new ones. She revealed to him the way to “The Otherworld.”
On his journey to “The Otherworld,” Tom’s adventures became increasingly bizarre. He visited the Wastepaper Kingdom, where bad books piled up like mountains; Rogue Island, where everything was upside down; Fool’s Town, where people tried to scoop the moon out of the water; and Big-Head Baby Island, where pitiful radishes lived and only sang the same song all day: “I didn’t learn my lessons, and now the examiner is coming.” Through these experiences, Tom learned many important lessons.
Finally, Tom reached the 345th chimney prison in “The Otherworld,” where Mr. Grimes was imprisoned. With a heart full of forgiveness, Tom redeemed Grimes’ soul. Under the influence, guidance, and education of the fairies, Tom endured countless hardships and eventually overcame himself, becoming a true man. He then returned to the fairy island that had always haunted his dreams.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
