Flying home the long way Author: Nan Van Daalen

47: Flying home the long way.

We have followed our wandering dwarf to Australia to help with the floods, and afterward, when he did see the Great barrier Rif, and now he is flying home with his little fire dragon friend. But Wander dwarf would not be Wander dwarf, when he went straight home. Or did you think he did?
If he was not curious, what was behind the next mountain, or under that big, tall tree, his fire dragon was.
Fire dragons mom was right: her son did deserve a special dwarf friend like Wander, just as curious as he was, even when he still was in the egg!
When you are a bit bigger, you will learn all about the lands of the world, and the place, they do have. But Wander dwarf and his dragon friend are curious now, and luckily we can have a bit of a look over their shoulders, while in one way or the other, all what they adventure, ends up at this pages. Nice, is it not?
The easiest way to fly home, told the great Storm bird, was going along a long row of larger and smaller Islands, people do call Indonesia. There would fire dragon also be able to meet some of his distant relatives, while there are some volcano’s too, even ones, that every now and than spit a bit of fire or hot steam. So they took that route, and landed in a volcano, that for our eyes seemed calm: only some steam, nothing more. But fire dragon did know the spot, where he could find his relatives: the hottest place.
To do that, he left Wander dwarf in an Indonesian temple on the roof. There were a lot of carvings of fire and other dragons, and some bigger and smaller images, of the Gods, that were prayed to in this land.
Wander did go around with a dwarf, living there, and he could eat his belly full with nice hot food. So he did wonder, why it was so hot in the mouth, while it was not on his hands.
“That’s from the peppers”, was the answer. “In most hot countries people also do like the spices, that make the food hot in the mouth. Than they do not feel the heat outside so much” joked one of the other dwarfs. “And they do drink enough, what is very important in a warm or hot country”.
This way, our friend was learning more and more about how all in nature stuck together, that all, that grows in a special place, has a reason for growing there. He had to tell the fairy Queen and his friends a lot, when he was home again! So he did not liked it to go on, but this time his fire dragon was the smartest: “We do have ½ a world to fly back, and we cannot take a life time for that!” so off they went again.
The next stop was in Singapore, while that city is on the tip of a peninsula. The buildings rose sky-high. The ships filled the harbor, and it was hard to find a small one, belonging to a water dwarf, so they went to a Temple again, that there also were in abundance.
This stop, they wondered, why all buildings faced one way, and the streets mostly too. One of the oldest dwarfs told: “in this country people do believe in balancing things. They do call that “feng shui” and that is a very old way of thinking. This way, you get most out of the sun, the breeze, the waters and how they do run, without disturbing nature. You make sure, you do life with it. Some humans even think, it brings luck.”
“Luck” asked the little dragon, “everybody who does live the proper way with nature will have the luck to get all, that nature has to offer. That is what we have learned.”“That is true,” the oldest dwarf told, “But did you not notice, that a lot of people do forget how to live with nature nowadays? Therefore this is a good way, to tell about it, just like other countries do have stories about how to work with nature.” “You mean, like our people tell about the dikes and the floods, and in other counties they tell about the elephants, who eat certain fruits, and thus help to plant new trees with their droppings, or the beaver, who builds his house and that way makes the river flow another way or…” “Stop, stop, you did understand what I told. Sometime the story’s people do say are folklore, have a lot of wisdom hidden in them, only mostly not about machines, more about people, nature and how things should be. So now you have a few more story’s to tell to the little and big people on the other side of the world. When you have eaten and slept, you two better can leave,” he ended.“Why?”wondered Wander. “While it is the season of the winds, and than they do go the way, you want to go to come home. You do not want your friend give some extra burden, just while you did not see something of our town, do you?”“No, of course not. But how could I know about the winds?” he answered. “Well, that is were other dwarf and elf friends are for. This time you better take the route above land, and in every place you stop, search for a little people friend. That way you never can go wrong, for they do know their living place the best of all, so also how to use it.”
And that is how I like it, and you?
© Nan van Daalen.

The new dam builders: the Beavers ; Author; Nan Van Daalen

49: The new dam builders: the Beavers.

Did you hear that tree falling? It was an enormous thud, and all the branches took other branches with them. Still, nobody was hurt. While everybody around did know, it was going to happen.
Of course, while our little friends did tell everybody, that their friends, the Beavers, had woken up out of their half-sleepy winter slumber, and start building again.
That is something, that happens all over the world in spring. And we have learned lately, that all things in nature have a reason, mostly good, even when we do not fully understand all yet.
Why can Beavers build a dam and it is good for nature, and sometime we humans do build a dam, and besides the electricity it often creates havoc? Do you know?
Well, one of my little friends did tell me. Beavers build their dams as a home, that in the same time is there provision store. That is: they do eat the leaves and bark of trees, and the softer branches, while the inside is sweet and nutritious for them.
To get what they need, they have very strong teeth to gnaw the bark, than the inside of the tree, going around it, until it falls. Than they take of the braches with their teeth again, and pull them in their home, called Beaver dam, to strengthen it and have food for a long time. Are they not very busy and hard working?
And while they do love their food fresh, and a Beaver family cannot eat a whole tree, no also not a smaller one, in one go, they do build their dams on a place in a pond or river, where most time of the year is enough currant to keep all fresh.
So they create the landscape, that is fit for them to live in. And the water gets deep enough by this, to have the entrance of their home under water.
This way the young Beavers in spring are happy living in protected chambers of wood, surrounded by the food they need, as soon as they do not suckle anymore.
And between the Beavers home and the rest of the water, there always is place for fish to spawn, that is laying their eggs, between the branches. So it also does protect other animals.
And what happens, if we humans interfere, while we want a good fishing pond, that is deeper than the one, the beavers did build?
Well, they look at the digging from a distance, look at the food store that is also there, and when the spot stays perfect, and there are enough young trees, that promise food for years, they come back and rebuild their dam.
That story went around in this spring festival, while it was that time of year, when all came together, remember? The elf did tell this story to us.
In my country a lot of people are glad, that there are Beavers, that create a special sort of landscape. Some people go out there in a canoe to watch them from a distance.
The little people also are their friends of course, for the wood, to heavy for the Beavers to be drawn to their dams, is used by other animals, so nobody does notice, the dwarf and elf take a share for their own homes, to create the safe place for themselves and the animals they do help.
This year the spring-solstice feast in Holland is celebrated in the Biesbos, a nature reserve, where our Beavers do live, and a lot of other animals.
The Beavers did create a dry place, by letting the trees fall in such a way, they could gnaw of the big branches, and after that there was a circle left, for every one, who wanted to celebrate with them.
What a pity I am to big, and have to do, with what my friends do tell about it! It was marvelous.
But I have not told yet, why our dams are not always good, while the Beavers dams are. Well, we do build our dams strong and nearly straight up, and make holes in them, where we put machines in to make electricity for the people.
To get enough power, the lake behind it has to be huge, and the holes for the water small, so the currant is strong. To strong for the fish to pass by or lay their eggs.
And some dams are placed in rivers, that are the only place, that some kinds of fish can lay their eggs. That did their parent fishes a long time already, and all other animals counted on that for their own food too, while that is how things go.
Although man have thought to make a kind of stairs, where the fish can swim and each time leap to a little bit higher spot, it often does not work so well as what in nature was created.
So what can we do to help all, and also ourselves?
We do look very well what is happening, and if we need a dam or create something else, we look how nature itself did solve the problem.
We like to go fishing when we are grown up too, at least I would.
And you? Just as I did think, you too!
© Nan van Daalen.

One of the big secrets of the little people : Author: Nan Van Daalen

# 50 One of the big secrets of the little people.

Shh, listen… listen very well, for this is a remarkable story, not many kids have heard. But you will today.

In all the stories of the little people, the dwarf and the elf, the fairy and the little fire dragon, but also of their bigger friends, you have learned something about how nature works.

You also have learned, how they always do their duty, to help all in nature to go the way, it is created or to say it easier: meant to work. And now, on the verge of one of their special feasts, that of the spring equinox, I am allowed to tell you, how they themselves find the power, to this difficult job.

Their parents did teach them from very young, what they have to know, but about one thing we did not talk before. How do they find the rest and strength to do all this busy things, and keep going on as long as necessary? For you will have understood with all those stories, they do al lot.

 Well, they are told, how to reach inside their own self, get the calmness that is needed to do their job.

We humans do have such a thing too. It is know by different names, regarding to what you do believe.

The most people would call it praying, so they open their mind for the help they need. A lot of other people, from other parts of the world would call this meditation. What that is?

Wow, that is not so easy to explain, but I will try. When you do pray or meditate, you are sitting very quiet and concentrate on one thing. Praying is concentrating on telling God what lives in your heart.

Meditating does work a bit different, but end with the same result: you find out, what lives in your heart.

Our little people do that every day, and in their heart they do find all the beauty, our Creator did put in our world. So they do find out, how all belongs together, bounded with the light of creation.

That is difficult, is it not? Not really, you can say it simple too. Have you ever tried to make a bowl of clay?

And what did it do, after it was finished, did it stick together? Sometimes, when you did it right, it did, other times it did fall apart. And when the bowl was finished and still in one piece, was it baked in an oven, to become like the bowls your porridge is in?

Well, than you have created a small thing of yourself.

You have concentrated to do it well, and done all the steps to finish it. That you have to do too with meditation.

First you sit silently and easy, so nothing will disturb you. Than you put away all the thoughts in your head, that make it so busy. Just think of nothing and be calm, wait.

That is not easy, so you can teach yourself to do so, like the dwarf did learn: they did think of the light of a candle. After practicing a number of days, that light in your mind guides you to what lives in your heart.

You only follow that, just look and listen, let nothing else be there.

Well, we have to practice that a lot, before we are as good as our little friends, but they did learn how to do so, when they were very young, and they did see their parents do so too.

May be you did see your parents do so as well? Or you do know, how to be calm and pray, so there comes peace in your heart.

In this peace in your heart is a special thing: it shines like the candle and gives light in your heart.

And that light is, what our world keeps together.

But you have to look and listen well to discover it. Sometimes you do see a glimpse of it by seeing a beautiful rainbow, or just a pattern of light on the water.

Or some beams of light shining through the branches in a dark forest. Or you do hear the music of nature in the singing of the birds, the murmur of the brook, you just walk by.

But be not afraid, when it does not work at once: you have a long time to learn all this things, just as you now have mastered to speak and play. And you do know you have a lot more to learn before you are grown up.

Do I myself try this? Yes, of course.

My little friends would not trust me with their stories about all, that concerns them, when I did not do so.

Do I always succeed? Sometimes not, but I try again next day, for each day brings a new thing in your life. And that can be a new understanding too.

The little people ask specially for understanding their duty in this world. And they ask for the love, that is needed, to do that duty.

Each and every day again. So I do the same.

And you? I am sure you will try.

So you do learn a bit more every day of your life, like we all do. And our little friend do too!

Waiting for or doing? Author: Nan Van Daalen

 #51 Waiting for or doing?

Waiting for or doing, that is the question in spring for our little friends have each year. Just like you and me they cannot wait to see all the lovely colors spring brings, so they nearly look the flower buds open, instead of waiting to help a little bit. They just like us love the fresh smells of spring, that is brought by the new growth and more and more are cleaning out their winter sleeping places, so new leafs get the chance to make a fresh roof over their walkways, like in the Fairy Queen tree.

Yes, you do remember well: the winter dwarfs, that are going to be spring dwarf next year, came on solstice time, so all are awake now. But you still have to look very well, to see one of our friends, for there is not so much to hide outside, where it still is a bit cold, and so much to do out of our sight.

So what are they waiting for, so they really can start doing their duty in nature like each year?

They are waiting, until the Ice-saints have had their name day. That is 13th, 14th  and 15th of May, and those take with them the last frost of the year below the high peaks of the mountains, where they do store it till needed again next year.

So some things our little friends can do: in places, where the sun burns a little bit harder, they already are very busy, for there has not been real snow and ice, except for high in the mountains.

And in the lower lands, more to the north, they still have to have a bit more patience, while over there the snow stays longer. There the time for real doing is scarce: a Snowdrop here, a Daffodil there and in very covered places a few Pilewort flowers above their round leafs.

The people who still tell the story’s, they have heard from the Mothers and Grannies, are now going to look for Dandelions and dead nettle, for they do know, there are a lot of good vitamins in them now, that people do need after the harsh winter. And the dead nettle does not really sting, so early in spring.

Besides that, the cure against that sting is always growing close by: Hoof-leave they do call this in the low countries. When you do crush a leaf of that and rub over the nasty place, all sting is gone.

Tell you how you recognize the right plant? All nerves in the leaf go from stem to point in a straight line! And it has yellow flowers, just in spring, when you need to recognize them, is that not great? So we can make a spring salad or soup with what we found with our first long spring walk.

And what are we doing? Are we waiting or doing something in spring?

I did not wait, the first seedlings are coming up in my window seal, like I have told you before. The first sandwich with cress did taste very fresh and herby, and I cannot wait, to harvest another one. The first sprouts of the one-year-flowers are already small, little tips in the pots, but not big enough to put in a bigger one. And when it is May, and they can go out, they are fully grown, ready to bloom.

Did you try this year to help our little friends? Did you try to look at nature how it grows, when you take care of it, like an adult can teach you?

Well, in that case, you are a lucky one, for your own eyes can see the beauty of our creation, and for most things you even do not need a real garden, although it is lovely to have one of course.

A big pot, just outside the window, so you can water it and see very well what happens, is also a little garden and when a lot of people do that, our big cities grow even more beautiful by that.

For that we only need the stories of our elder people, who did so before us, and to look how nature does work is nice, but does ask for patience.

While almost noting in nature does make haste, good things grow slowly.

So, although I do know it is to early now, I did look in my little garden and took away some of the nasty looking dead plants, I am sure they did not survive the very cold days.

And I did see the first new leafs on my strawberry plants, so I do know, I also now can plant some tomato-seeds in the window seal.

So coming summer my bread will taste mmm, delicious,  with my own grown topping berries.

And yours? I do think you at least will try.

Or will you have to wait a bit longer? Not me, I will go on!

Of that I am sure.

The Cyclamen

THE CYCLAMEN

In the garden of the Lord he planted some bulbs too.
All had to go into the dark earth, to be able to get to leave and flower later.

Than Spring came, and some small, quick ones came into bloom, praising the fresh air and the room they had, thinking it was all there was created.

Next came the later bulbs, and they did see, there were leaves on the trees, and the later ones still did see the blooms in there too.

And still, there were some bulbs, laying dormant, wanting to bloom too, although not their time yet.
They did struggle with the darkness, the ongoing season and their own still being in the dark.

Until summer came, and all others did loose their freshness, the leaves already discolored and out came the Cyclamen, who had waited until autumn, to give the world her beauty before the dark days of winter, just as The Lord had made it.

And only now the Cyclamen did understand her struggle and waiting time.

And she also understood, she had her own beauty and place in His eyes.
And we?

We do enjoy this flower of autumn, delicate, although late in season.
We are thankfull for her beauty...

copyright Nan van Daalen

Christmas fairy tale

The little people and the secret of silence.

On that one, wondrous night, when a star was traveling through the sky, all people did hear a sound, they never heard before. A choir of Angels, the singing of the animals, each in their own way.
And in between all, there was that very tiny Baby, that had a big destiny. What is so different with all the other destinies?
That is what is hard to understand, special when you are not grown old and wise.
But in that special place also were the little people, for they are everywhere, something important in the world happens. That is, while they are a part of this world, a very old part.
And you and me?
We are much, much younger, so we have not learned that much, our little friends have learned. But they are trying to teach us their secrets.
This is what they do tell of this night: When you are small, you still can find it more easily. Why? I’ll tell.
When you are looking with the eyes of a small child, you see all as if it is new. When you looking with the eyes of a grown up, you not only see things, but they are mixed up with memories.
Memories, of what your eyes did see last time, things were as this. So If you see a Christmas tree, there also is picture in your head of the trees, you have seen before.
But that wondrous night, there was no example of something like that before, so everybody did see all that night with the look of a small child’s eyes: for the first time. That must have been marvelous.
The little people watched and were wise enough, not to say much: they just watched and listened, and when the little baby was sleeping, they did ask: “What will be the difference between this Baby and all the other new born babies?”
And Mary smiled: “It has a special gift from His Father, but it is a burden too.”
And the little people were silent and thought.
After a while, there were other visitors too, and they did hide between the animals, the straw, and the wool of the sheep, but silently listened well, and did see all.

After this visitors were gone, they asked again: “What is the difference between the joy over the birth of this Child and all the others?”
And Mary smiled again, while Josef did cover the child up with his own head scarf, so it would be nice and warm and could sleep.
“This Child will carry the world on His shoulders, and thus bring it back to the arms of His Father again.”
About that the little people had to think long again.
And they did so in silence, so the Baby and his Mother could sleep and rest.
Than there were for the third time visitors, very important ones, with presents and a message.
The little people did see and hear all, and when this ones were gone, they not only had a question to Mary:
“Why do you have to take flight, when all do know this Little One is so important?” Again Mary did smile, knowing the Father did send His precious Son for the big and the little people, but not only the normal people, no also, or just for the bad people.
“You do know that not all people do, what is right, do you?”
The little people nodded yes, but kept their mouth.
“This important people did tell us about somebody, who want to be more important than anybody in the world, and that cannot be.”
The little people nodded again, silently knowing, while they had lived as long as the earth was lush and green, and they had been given the instruction, to keep care of all. They knew, and did not need words.
So they said: “When we go with you silently, and unseen by anybody, who is not as wise as You and the Baby, can we stay with You, be of help, and keep doing, what we always do? For it was His Father, who asked us to keep care of nature, and He is now also a part of it.”
Now May smiled, and she nodded.
“Now I also can tell you the difference between Him and all the other baby’s, but also, what is equal.”
All little people did listen very, very careful.
“What is equal in Him and all other baby’s is, they are born with His love, and have a chance, to make something beautiful of their life.
Some baby’s are born to do something important, like My Son, other baby’s also have to do special things, for what they are born.
But only He has the burden of the whole world on His still tiny shoulders.
When we look at all people with the same love, we have learned the first lesson, my Son will teach the world again, while the world seems to have forgotten that.
And there are more lessons to teach, but also more burdens to carry.
Stay around in the same thoughtful silence, and do think deep and well, just as you did today.
Than you will be welcome companions on our road, for that will not be easy. You found a very good way, to receive His message: listen well, look well, and act with love.”
Than they packed all, they could carry, and on the back of the donkey the long travel began.
And in silence, the little people stayed around, and like they helped nature, they also helped the Son of the Creator of Nature and the world all is on.
© Nan van Daalen.

Christmas Angels.

Little Christmas Angels.

A skirt of gauze above cart-board,
what gleaming glitter here and there,
awkward little finger tinker
with cotton wool, glue and scissors.

A little head becomes a thread to hang,
angel’s hair flies all around.
A tip of a tongue sneaks out of a mouth,
and glitter all about.

Scissors cut the little wings of lace,
one also gets a bit torn,
the silver paint spats all around,
the head becomes some color.

A second Angel is included:
a small trumpet at her mouth.
Rickety, oblique and instable
made by a child’s hands.

Finally Christmas-day is there:
they all hang in the tree,
a series of little angels, rickety, oblique
a children’s Christmas dream.

Nan, original 1993, translation 2011.