Storytelling: The Fairy Bride

There once was a beautiful Indian Princess named Neen-i-zu. She had long, black hair that glistened in the sunlight and dark eyes that shone with wonder. She was short in stature and could easily be mistaken for one of the mischievous fairies known as Puk-Wudjies that dwelled in the sand dunes, in her opinion. Neen-i-zu was a strong believer in magic and often wandered off on her own into the forest and the sand hills dreaming of a magical place called Happy Land. Neen-i-zu longed to visit the Happy Land and wondered if the Puk-Wudjies acted as messengers to the other fairies who lived in that magical place. It was this thought that coerced her to sing a song of her making in hopes that the fairies would put in a good word with their masters.

She did this multiple times, but to no avail. One day Neen-i-zu lingered longer than usual in her secret spot. She knew that her mother wanted her to marry, but the man she selected was not to Neen-i-zu's liking. He was simple-minded and only thought about and talked about hunting. Neen-i-zu was appreciative of his occupation because he provided food for the tribe, but she needed to be with someone who stimulated her mind. As she was thinking about things, she noticed something move on the edge of the forest. She looked closer and thought that she saw the silhouette of a man. She tried to get a better view, but the clouds covered the moon and took away the light. When the light broke through again the figure was gone. So Neen-i-zu made her way home, dreading the conversation with her mother that awaited her when she arrived.

When she returned home her mother greeted her at the door. "Neen-i-zu, you are my everything and I want to make sure you are taken care of. I won't be around forever to look after you, which is why I want you to marry a good man. I think you know who I have chosen," her mother said.

"Yes, I know of whom you speak. I don't wish to get to know him any better than I already do. He is simple-minded and talks only of his hunts. I am grateful for the meat that he provides for the tribe, but I need to be with someone who excites my imagination. I need to be with someone who has an adventurous mind similar to mine," was Neen-i-zu's reply.

"You silly girl, you have no idea what is best for you," was her mother's retort and with that it was decided that she would marry the hunter.

The looming obligation of her marriage hung heavy on Neen-i-zu's heart. The once merry and carefree nature she possessed turned into gloom. She never laughed any more and spent most of her time looking at the ground. When the day came for her to wed the hunter, Neen-i-zu got ready in great displeasure. She was the picture perfect bride, but her spirit had been weakened and she had no hopes of finding true happiness again. Once she was ready, she headed out into her secret spot once more to say goodbye. The wedding guests looked at her with worried glances, but she did not care.

As she entered the grove she began softly singing her song. Neen-i-zu was so consumed in her thoughts of despair that she hadn't noticed that a figure had slipped out from the edge of the forest and now stood behind her. Neen-i-zu turned around to head back to the ceremony and ran straight into the mysterious figure. Startled, she quickly jumped back and gazed at the man that stood before her. The man was of exceptional beauty and her breath was taken away. This must have been the figure she briefly saw in the woods many nights ago. She was just beginning to come out of her state of shock when the man spoke. " I did not mean to frighten you. I am Enapay, fairy prince of the land you have so desperately sought out. I have observed you many times and was instantly taken aback by your beauty. Please forgive me for not approaching you sooner, but I was immensely intimidated by your beauty. However, I couldn't help but notice that you are dressed for a wedding ceremony and did not want to miss my chance."

Neen-i-zu stood in a trance. This man, or rather fairy, was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen and his voice flowed like the melody of a song. She was perplexed as to why a creature of such grace would be intimidated by her. She was finally able to form words and said, "Kind sir, you flatter me with your praises, but it is I who am intimidated by you. I have longed for so long to be able to see into the Happy Land and to one day venture there."

Enapay smiled wryly and said,"I do not know who you intend to marry, but if you would like I would be honored if you would be my bride and live with me in the Happy Land you have wished for." Neen-i-zu could not believe her ears. The thing that she had wanted for so long was finally being presented to her. Without hesitation she said yes to the fairy prince. A smile that shone brighter than the sun spread over his face and his eyes sparkled with happiness. Overcome with her own joy, Neen-i-zu took Enapay's hand and entered into the land of which she had been dreaming her whole life. The two were wed immediately and they went on to live a life of happiness that one only dreams about. There were many stories about what had happened to Neen-i-zu, but no one could imagine that she was living out her life happier than she had ever been and that she was doing so with the love of her life.

Author's Note: My story is based off of the American Indian Fairy Tale: The Fairy Bride. The original story is set up very similar to my own. The only thing that is really different is what happens after Neen-i-zu enters the grove for what she thinks is the last time. When I read the original story I wanted to know what the interaction would have been like between the fairy and Neen-i-zu that would lead her to enter into the Happy Land with him. It is true that she had always wanted to go there or at least to see it, but I wanted to know what would have been said and how the interaction would go. I decided to have the fairy admit to observing Neen-i-zu, but being intimidated by her because it would explain why he had not approached her before. The fact that she looked as if she was about to get married frightened him and he decided it was time to reach out to her. I also decided to make the two fall in love and get married because Enapay seems to be the kind of man Neen-i-zu was looking for. He was exotic and was obviously intrigued by adventures if he was observing someone from another land. It also goes along with my theme of love that I have established throughout the semester. I also chose the name Enapay after doing some research on American Indian names because it was said to mean "brave." I also have included a link to the Wikipedia page on Puk-Wudjies if you would like to learn more about them!

Image information: Fairy Bride taken from thecelticshop.net on Pinterest

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned; Mythology and Folklore Untextbook