Spring had arrived in the kingdom. The grass in the meadow was a bright green, and flowers grew tall in their beds. Baby lambs grazed in the meadow, while ducks flapped around in a small fountain near the main house.

 

Stepping through the front door, ten-year-old Ella inhaled¹ deeply and smiled. She reached into her pocket and closed her small hand around the bread crumbs² she had gotten from the kitchen. She skipped toward the ducks splashing about and began throwing the crumbs into the water.

 

The ducks pecked at the bread, thrilled to have a treat. But they were not the only ones who wanted some. In an instant, sparrows flew down from the nearby trees, and even the goats and sheep began to make their way over. Soon it was chaos³ as all the animals and birds tried to get to the bread.

 

Ella waded⁴ among the throng⁵, moving some of the bigger birds out of the way. "You there," she said to one particularly large duck, "what do you think you're doing? Let the little ones have their share." Turning toward a goat with a rather large clump⁶ of grass in his mouth, Ella added, "Goliath, do take some time to chew your food. We don't want you getting an upset stomach."

 

A gentle laugh surprised Ella, and she turned around. Her mother was standing⁷ nearby, an amused expression on her face. "Do you still believe that they understand you?" she asked.

 

A look of doubt filled Ella's bright blue eyes. "Don't they?"

 

"Oh, yes," she assured her daughter. "I believe that animals listen, and speak to us, if only we have the ear for it. That is how we learn to look after them."

 

A big smile spread across Ella's face. Then she frowned. "Who looks after us?"

 

"Fairy godmothers, of course," her mother answered.

 

(Forgive the interruption, but I can't resist. I was always fond of Ella's mother. Such a good judge of character, and clearly smarter than most humans. But do go back to the story…)

 

Ella's eyes grew wide. "And do you believe in them?"

 

"I believe in everything," Ella's mother replied.

 

Ella was quiet for a moment, her mother's words running through her head. She nodded. "Then I believe in everything, too."

 

"Which is just as it should be," her mother declared.

 

Just then, Ella heard the sound of hoofbeats coming up the drive. She knew those hoofbeats. Ella let out a squeal⁸ before taking off across the meadow, heading for the drive. Her father was home!

 

Ella's father was often gone for long stretches of time on merchant business, and when he was away, the house was just a little less bright.

 

"Papa!" Ella shouted, skipping the few remaining steps that separated her from her father. "Welcome home!"

 

Ella's father lifted her into his arms, nearly squishing her in a giant bear hug. She hugged back as hard as her little ten-year-old arms would allow. Then she took a deep breath, inhaling⁹ the smell of road and dust that accompanied her father whenever he returned. She loved the smell, even though she knew Mother would force him into a hot bath as soon as possible.

 

After several moments, Ella slid to the ground. As was part of her routine, she stepped up to Galahad and affectionately put her hand on his muzzle¹⁰. The horse leaned into her. When Ella turned back around, her eyes widened with excitement. Her father was holding out a beautifully wrapped gift.

 

"What is it?" Ella asked eagerly.

 

"Oh, nothing but a cocoon¹¹," her father replied. "I found it hanging on a tree."

 

Ella raised an eyebrow¹². She knew it wasn't just a cocoon. Her father was teasing her. Ella's father gently shook the gift. "But I think there may be something inside." He held out the package, and very carefully, Ella unwrapped the gift. Then she let out a delighted gasp¹³. Inside was the most beautiful and marvelous toy butterfly she had ever seen. With a practiced move, Ella's father took it and made the creature flutter around Ella's face. It looked like it was alive!

 

"In French," her father explained, "that is un papillon."

 

Ella repeated the phrase, the words funny on her tongue. Her father had been teaching her French whenever he was home, and she was slowly becoming more fluent. He said that a true lady knew the language of the poets as well as the language of the farmer.

 

"Très bon," her father cried after she had repeated the phrase several times. Then he held out his hand. "Voulez-vous danser, mademoiselle?"

 

"S'il vous pla?t!" Ella exclaimed, dipping into a curtsy. Her father smoothly¹⁴ swept her into his arms, and they began to waltz their way up the rest of the drive to where Ella's mother waited, a happy smile on her face.

 

Later that night, Ella lay tucked in her bed. The butterfly sat on the nightstand in a place of honor, while her mother sat on the covers, holding a beautiful book. Her gentle voice filled the room as she told Ella a story about a faraway land, a large ogre, and a dashing prince.

 

Ella's eyelids¹⁵ fluttered as she tried to stay awake. Looking down at her sweet daughter snuggled in her arms, Ella's mother began to sing a familiar lullaby. "Lavender's blue, dilly dilly. Lavender's green… When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen…" Her voice drifted off as Ella's father entered the room. He placed a gentle kiss on his daughter's forehead. Smiling, Ella's mother began the final refrain. Ella woke and her soft voice joined in: "Lavender's green, dilly dilly. Lavender's blue…You must love me, for I love you."

 

As the song came to a close, Ella's parents stood up and began to blow out the candles one by one. Walking to the doorway¹⁶, they turned to take another look at their sleeping angel. In that moment, everything seemed as it should be. They knew themselves to be the most fortunate people, to live as they did, and to love each other so.

 

However, sorrow can come to any kingdom, no matter how happy. And so it came to Ella's, for her mother grew very ill.

 

Hovering¹⁷ in the doorway of her father's study, Ella looked on as the doctor examined his patient. A bed had been set up and her mother lay on it, a shell of the beautiful woman she had once been. Now, his examination complete, the doctor began putting away his tools.

 

"Ella. Come."

 

Hearing her father's tired voice, Ella hesitated before walking into the makeshift sickroom. The doctor put a hand on her shoulder as he departed. She knew he was trying to be reassuring¹⁸, but it just made the sick feeling in her stomach grow stronger. Ella made her way to her mother's bedside and kneeled down, carefully placing her hand on top of her mother's.

 

"Ella," her mother said, her voice weak. "It seems it is time for me to leave. And we must say good-bye before I go." Tears began to run down Ella's cheeks. "I don't want you to be sad," her mother said. Then she paused and a small smile spread across her face. "Well, you can be sad for a little while. But then, whenever you think of me, I want you to smile. Because I'll be smiling, too, when I look at you."

 

Ella's throat closed up and she struggled to say something. But words wouldn't come. So instead she just nodded.

 

Her mother nodded back. "I want to tell you a secret—a great secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer." Ella leaned in, as her mother's voice was now barely a whisper. "You must always remember this: have courage and be kind. You have more kindness in your little finger than most people possess in their whole body. And it has power, more than you know."

 

"Kindness has power?" Ella asked, confused.

 

"And magic," her mother said. "Truly. Where there is kindness, there is goodness. And where there is goodness, there is happiness. Have courage and be kind. Will you promise me?"

 

"I promise," Ella said, unable to stop the tears from falling.

 

Her mother let out a deep sigh and sank back into the pillows. "Good, good," she said. "Now I have to go, my love. Forgive me."

 

In that moment, Ella heard the importance in her mother's words. She did the kind thing, even though it broke her heart, and forgave her mother, for she had promised. And she would keep her word. Ella would always try to be courageous¹⁹ and kind.

 

(Oh, reader, the loss of Ella's mother was a tragedy. But do you see what I mean? Such a wonderful woman. She would have made a wonderful fairy godmother. Though I know she watches over her dear, sweet Ella, just as I do.)

 

春天来到了这个王国。草地一片鲜绿，苗圃里的花儿亭亭玉立。小羊羔在草地上吃着草，鸭子在主屋旁的喷泉里拍打着翅膀游来游去。

 

十岁的小瑞拉从前门走出来，深吸了一口气，脸上洋溢着笑容。她把手伸到衣袋里，抓出一把从厨房拿来的面包屑。她蹦跳着来到嬉水的鸭子跟前，开始往水里扔面包屑。

 

鸭子们啄食着面包，这顿美餐让它们兴奋不已。但想分享美餐的不只是鸭子。转眼间，附近树上的麻雀飞了下来，甚至山羊和绵羊都过来凑热闹。很快动物和鸟儿都为面包抢作一团。

 

瑞拉蹚水走在它们中间，把一些大个头的鸟推开。“喂，”她对一只特别大的鸭子说道，“你干什么呢？让小家伙们也吃一点儿。”瑞拉转过来，对一只嘴里含着一大团青草的山羊说：“歌利亚，好好把嘴里的食物嚼碎。我们可不希望你吃坏肚子。”

 

一阵轻笑声传来，瑞拉吃惊地转过头来。她的母亲站在旁边，脸上露出一副被逗乐的表情。“你依然相信它们能听懂你的话？”她问道。

 

瑞拉明亮的蓝眼睛充满了疑惑：“它们听不懂吗？”

 

“哦，当然，”母亲安慰道，“我相信它们能听懂，它们还能对我们说话，只要我们愿意倾听。这样我们才知道怎么照顾它们。”

 

瑞拉咧开嘴笑了。随后她又皱起了眉头：“那谁来照顾我们呢？”

 

“当然是仙女教母了。”母亲回答道。

 

(请原谅，我忍不住要打断一下。我一直非常喜欢瑞拉的母亲。因为她有知人之明，而且比大多数人都聪慧。但还是请回到故事中去吧……)

 

瑞拉睁大了眼睛：“你相信她们的存在吗？”

 

“我相信一切，”瑞拉的母亲回答。

 

瑞拉静静地思考了一会儿母亲的话，然后点点头说：“那我也相信一切。”

 

“本来就应该这样，”母亲说道。

 

就在这时，瑞拉听到车道上传来一阵马蹄声。她熟悉这个声音。瑞拉叫了一声，飞奔过草地，跑到车道旁。她的父亲回来了！

 

瑞拉的父亲为了生意经常长时间出门在外，他不在的时候，家里就少了一点生机。

 

“爸爸！”瑞拉大叫着跳过面前的几级台阶，“欢迎回家！”

 

瑞拉的父亲把她紧紧地抱在怀里，力气大得都快把她压扁了。她也用十岁小孩稚嫩的胳膊紧紧地抱着父亲。她深深地吸了一口气，闻着父亲每次回来都带着的风尘仆仆的味道。她喜欢这种味道，尽管她知道母亲会逼着父亲赶紧去洗个热水澡。

 

过了一会儿，瑞拉从父亲怀抱里滑下来。和以往一样，她走到加拉哈德面前亲切地摸了摸它的鼻子。马儿亲昵地把头靠在她的怀里。瑞拉转过身时，她的眼睛因为兴奋睁得大大的。父亲手里拿着一个包装精美的礼物。

 

“这是什么？”瑞拉迫不及待地问。

 

“哦，没什么，只是一只虫茧，”父亲答道，“我发现它挂在一棵树上。”

 

瑞拉扬了一下眉毛。她知道肯定不是一只虫茧。父亲只是在逗她玩。瑞拉的父亲轻轻摇了摇礼物。“但我觉得里面可能有什么东西。”他把礼物递过来，瑞拉小心翼翼地拆开了。她开心地吸了一口气。里面是一只她所见过的最漂亮、最美妙的玩具蝴蝶。瑞拉的父亲熟练地拿过蝴蝶，让它在瑞拉的面前飞舞。它看起来栩栩如生！

 

父亲解释道：“它在法语里读作un papillon（彩蝶）。”

 

瑞拉重复了一下这个词，觉得它念起来非常有意思。父亲只要在家就会教她法语，慢慢地她说得越来越流利。父亲说一个真正的淑女既要通晓诗人的语言，也要会讲农夫的语言。

 

听到瑞拉念了几遍，父亲用法语大声说：“很好！”然后他伸出手，用法语问：“可以赏光跳支舞吗，小姐？”

 

“好啊！”瑞拉行了一个屈膝礼用法语答道。父亲熟练地把她转进自己的臂弯，父女俩在车道上跳着华尔兹走到瑞拉的母亲面前，母亲满面笑容地等在一边。

 

那天晚上晚些时候，瑞拉妥妥帖帖地盖好了被子，躺在床上。蝴蝶安放在床头柜子一个醒目的位置上，母亲坐在被子上，手里捧着一本精美的书。她正在给瑞拉讲一个关于一个遥远的地方、一个巨魔和一位英俊王子的故事，她轻柔的声音在房间里飘荡。

 

瑞拉强忍着睡意，眨巴了一下眼睛。母亲看着依偎在怀里可爱的女儿，开始唱一首熟悉的摇篮曲：“薰衣草啊，嘀哩嘀哩，蓝花绿叶……我为国王，嘀哩嘀哩，你为王后……”瑞拉的父亲走进房间时，她的歌声渐渐地低了下来。父亲轻轻吻了一下瑞拉的额头。母亲微笑着开始唱最后一段歌词。这时瑞拉醒了，用轻柔的声音和母亲一起唱道：“薰衣草啊，嘀哩嘀哩，蓝花绿叶……你要爱我，因我爱你。”

 

歌声停止以后，瑞拉的父母站起来把蜡烛一支支吹灭。朝门口走的时候，他们又回过头看了看熟睡着的天使。那一刻，一切都显得那么自然而然。他们知道自己是最幸运的人，能拥有这样的幸福生活，一家人如此相亲相爱。

 

但是，悲伤会降临任何一个王国，不管这个王国是多么幸福。它也降临到了瑞拉的王国，她的母亲得了很严重的病。

 

瑞拉守在父亲书房门前，看着医生给母亲做检查。书房里摆放了一张床，母亲就躺在上面，这个美丽的女人现在变得骨瘦如柴。现在，医生做完了检查，开始收拾东西。

 

“瑞拉，过来。”

 

听到父亲疲惫的声音，瑞拉在走进这个临时病房前犹豫了一下。医生拍了拍瑞拉的肩膀离开了。她知道医生在试图安慰自己，可是他这一拍让本来就忐忑不安的瑞拉更加难受了。瑞拉走到母亲的床前跪了下来，小心地把手放在了母亲的手上。

 

“瑞拉，”母亲用微弱的声音说，“看来我该走了。走之前我们得道个别。”瑞拉的泪水夺眶而出，滑过脸颊。“我不想看到你难过，”母亲说。她停顿了一下，然后轻轻地笑了。“好吧，你可以难过一小会儿。但是，不管你什么时候想起我，你都要笑。因为看到你的时候，我也在笑。”

 

瑞拉的喉咙像是被堵住了，她想说点儿什么，可就是说不出来。所以她只好点点头。

 

母亲也对她点点头。“我想告诉你一个秘密——这个伟大的秘密会帮助你度过生命中所有的艰难坎坷。”瑞拉靠近了妈妈的脸，她的声音变得更加微弱了。“你一定要永远记住： 坚强而勇敢，仁慈而善良。你小拇指里的善良比多数人全身的都要多。它拥有力量，强大得无法想象的力量。”

 

“善良拥有力量？”瑞拉疑惑不解地问。

 

“还拥有魔力，”母亲说，“真的。善良会带来仁慈，仁慈会带来幸福。要坚强而勇敢，仁慈而善良。你能答应我吗？”

 

“我答应你，”瑞拉说着，眼泪抑制不住地往下流。

 

母亲深深地叹了一口气，躺回到枕头上。“好，很好，”她说，“现在我要走了，亲爱的。请原谅我。”

 

那一刻，瑞拉感受到母亲的话有多么重要。她做了善良的事，尽管这让她心碎，她原谅了母亲。因为她答应了母亲。她要信守承诺。瑞拉要永远勇敢，永远善良。

 

(哦，读者，瑞拉的母亲去世确实是一个悲剧。但是你看出我的意思了吗？多好的一个女人。她应该也可以成为一位出色的仙女教母。尽管我知道，她和我一样，也会守护着可爱的瑞拉。)

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