THE SONG OF THE TINY HARPER

Once upon a time, this is how all good stories begin, there was a very special baby born into the world. This baby was the tiniest baby folks from far around had ever seen, so tiny in fact that the baby could fit in the palm of a hand and still have plenty of room to stretch and grow. This baby was as sweet a baby as anyone had ever seen and it was a little girl, a very tiny little girl named Harper.
Time passed and tiny Harper grew healthy and strong but she was still very tiny. As she grew older she liked to go outside to play with the other children even though they were bigger and could run faster. It didn't matter.
If they ran too far ahead, Harper would call out, "Wait for me." and the other children would stop and wait for Harper to catch up. They all liked Harper very much and liked to have her play with them, most of the time.
Of course sometimes the bigger children would want to play games that Harper just was not quite big enough to play and they would send Harper away. "Go play somewhere else, Harper," they would say. "You are too small to play this game. You might get hurt. You can play with us another day." And Harper would wander away, back to the garden where Mama had beautiful flowers growing. Harper loved the beautiful flowers in Mama's garden and she would play there for hours dreaming about all the wonderful things she would do when she got big, big enough to do them.
Harper loved the butterflies that came to the garden. Sometimes a butterfly would land on Harper's nose or her knee and it would tickle. Harper would giggle and giggle. Everyone loved to hear Harper when she giggled. Her giggle was like music, like the happy sounds of a mountain stream as it laughs its way down the hills and through the valleys. It was such a joyful sound but folks didn't always know what Harper was giggling about. That was Harper's big secret.
One day while Harper was playing in the garden, giggling as she danced among the flowers with the butterflies Harper heard a sound, a sound she had not heard before. She stopped. She listened. There it was again, giggling, lots of happy giggling.
Harper turned round and round in circles looking all around her. At first all she could see were the beautiful flowers and the butterflies and her own shadow. Maybe her shadow had learned to giggle just like Harper but Harper didn't really think so. She listened. She heard the giggling again.
It was a wonderful, happy sound.
Harper looked around the lilies, under the rose bush and among the columbine. She looked among the pansies. They had happy, smiling faces but not one of them had a giggle to go with it. Harper could still hear the giggles though and she began to giggle too. That is how it is with giggles. Giggles are catching. It's like passing on the joy of living. When one person is happy and full of smiles and giggles it rubs off on someone else and that person becomes happy too. The more she giggled, the more giggles surrounded her. Before long the giggles seemed to be coming from everywhere in the garden.
It wasn't until Harper looked among the hollyhocks that she finally found her giggle partners. There they were, very tiny little girls like her, seven little fairies dancing among the hollyhock blooms with the butterflies.
"Hello," Harper said. "Who are you and where did you come from?"
"Hello Harper," they all said together and their voices sounded like tiny bells all ringing merrily. The seven little fairies all introduced themselves.
There was Asteria and Bonita, Camellia and Danita, Estella, Fern and Gloria all dressed in pastel gowns with shimmering wings and golden crowns.
"We've come from far beyond the stars," Gloria explained, "and we have been with you since the very day that you were born."
"Really?" Harper hadn't known that and she didn't think anyone else did either. She was very surprised. "Why did you come, oh but I'm glad you did. I think you are very nice and all but why are you here in Mama’s garden?"
The fairies all giggled. "Because God asked us too," the fairies all said together and again their voices sounded like the music of tiny, tinkling bells.
"We've come to bring you joy and in turn you will bring joy to others." the fairies said.
Just thinking about all that joy made Harper very happy and she giggled and giggled. The fairies all giggled with her.
Once they had all caught their breath from all that giggling Camellia said, "We have brought you a special gift, the gift of song, music and your music will bring joy to all that hear it." It was then that they gave her a very special gift, a tiny golden harp and in turn each of the fairies taught her to play and sing a most happy song.
Days and weeks went by and every day Harper went into the garden to join the seven fairies there. They sang and danced and giggled for hours on end and Harper soon learned to play beautiful songs on the harp made of gold. One day Gloria said, "It is time. The time has come for you to share your song, your joy with all the others. You must call them to the garden so they will know the joy too."
Harper ran quickly to the house and called to Mama and Daddy and her sisters and brothers. "Come to the garden. I have a surprise for you." Harper called all of her friends and she even called her kitten and her puppy to come to the garden too. She brought all her dolls and her teddy bears and even her funny yellow duck and her floppy eared rabbit and they all went to the garden to see Harper's surprise.
"Whatever on earth are you so excited about," Daddy asked as he followed Harper into the garden?
"You'll see," Harper grinned, covering her mouth to stifle a case of the giggles that were bubbling up inside of her. "Come and see."
Once everyone was either seated or standing inside the garden gate, Harper ran to the rose bush where her harp had been safely hidden, then she sat down beside the garden fountain and began to play and sing. The seven fairies and the butterflies danced all around her and from the trees and bushes and the hollyhocks the birds began to sing happily along. It was the most beautiful music anyone had every heard and it filled their hearts until they were overflowing with joy. It wasn't long before the song of Harper spread throughout the neighborhood and then throughout the town and farther and farther until joy was spreading all around.
And that is what happens when you share the song of joy, just like giggles, it's catch, it rubs off on others and the next thing you know everyone is happy and happiness sheds light and peace and joy like a garden of flowers and music and sunshine.

Annette Bromley (aka Miz Annie)