Bowry Fairies

Bohemian folklore is some of the funnest in the world, in my (unbiased, unslanted) opinion.  We're nearing the end of clemintine season, but while the season lasted I could be observed doing an old Bohemian trick - making Bowry Fairies.

This tradition is rooted in an old poem, telling the story of Lani and her encounter with one of them...

Little Lani skipped along

kicking dust and singing songs

till she came upon a field,

with sunflowers it's summer yeild.

Little Lani, young and spry

walked it's edge, and by the by

found the jewel that she'd been seeking

out amongst the other peeking

Little Lani then went near

and varified what made it queer.

This flower was crisp and dry-

while dew on all the others lie

Little Lani grasped it round

and pulled the roots up from the ground

in her hands the flower shuttered-

then a Bowry Fairy sputtered

Little Lani held it fast

'till it noticed her and laughed

"Little Lani, soon to wed,

comes with wishes in her head!"

Lani knew the Bowrys' craft

and in her own turn she laughed

"Not with wishes in my head,

but with bargains in their stead."

Then the Bowry stopped and smiled

"You think I will be beguiled?

Bargainings the Bowrys' fame

Wishing is the human's game"

"Well, today I ply your trade,"

said Little Lani, unafriad.

"Make your terms, and make them bold,

then what I seek will be told"

Bowry didn't waste its time

"Oh, were your sweet nature mine!

Were it in me through and through-

that is what I want from you."

"Such a cranky little beast

wouldn't be helped in the least

even by my sweetest mood-

But if that is your wish, it's good."

"And what will Little Lani share?"

said the fey with mirth to spare.

"Will she make the Bowry guess?

For your wedding day, a dress?"

"For my wedding day, indeed

I ask, although, not just for me

a pair of Topaz are the thing-

we need them for our set of rings"

Then the Bowry laughed out loud

"That's all?" it said "then put me down!

Topaz are no chore for me!

I'll set them here quite instantly.

"But don't forget your sweetness, dear-

you'll leave it when you go from here."

Lani smiled "You'll be sublime,

when you're as sweet as clemintines."

"As clemintines..." the Bowry cooed,

and trembled happily where it stood,

Then thrust out it's tiny palm

"We have a deal?" it said, quite calm.

Lani smiled, soft and grand, 

and took the little creature's hand.

And then they shook, the deal was done...

and Lani stood there quite alone.

But her hand was not unfilled.

There it was, just as it willed,

"A nature sweet, as sweet as mine..."

The Bowry was a clemintine.

Their power isn't quite their own-

it merely does what it is told

"Sweet as clemintines!" it said-

and sweet as clementines it did.

Little Lani skipped away

eating her clementine on the way

With each piece that Lani swallowed

her sweet nature surely followed

Back again from whence it came-

and that was not all Lani gained.

Missed its seeds the citrus did-

but had two topaz there instead

Little Lani surely wed

and to this day it still is said

that Lani and her husband's rings

were the finest life could bring

While very fine it all had ended-

Lani's husband still contended

Fine indeed his ring did measure,

but his sweet wife was his treasure.

So, bohemian moms teach bohemian kiddos to make these little Bowry fairies out of clementines...