2011 JAN WHIMSEY AWARD
Elaine and Joseph Coppola for “The Fayetteville Fairies.” The Serpentine Muse Vol. 26, No 2, 2011, pp 18-19.
THE FAYETTEVILLE FAIRIES
by Joseph and Elaine Coppola
“Should the incidents here narrated, and the photographs attached, hold their own against the criticism which they will excite, it is no exaggeration to say that they will mark an epoch in human
thought. I put them and all the evidence before the public for examination and judgment.”
So wrote Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for the December 1920 issue of the Strand magazine, and yet the statement is very apropos for our story.
Perhaps it was the windstorm, in late June with winds coming from the West, the general direction of that great Spiritualist capital Lily Dale in western New York State. Perhaps it was the hospitality of the new bird feeder that we had put out that very month. Or perhaps it was the low-frequency electronic demonstration that Joe was preparing in our basement for his students. Perhaps it was a combination of these factors. Maybe the time was just right…
Joe first saw them flittering around the bird feeder on gossamer wings. He had just come up from his lab in the basement and, after his eyes took a moment to adjust to the light, they were there. The goldfinches and blue jays seemed at home with them, the scene was idyllic, a pastoral remembrance of a faraway time. He ran for his camera, but they were gone when he returned.
The following day Joe was ready for them and snapped Photo 1 (above). He called Elaine, and both marveled at the grace and beauty of the creatures. They were at ease in flight as well as when perched and communing with their feathered friends. Joe kept his camera close to him at all times after that. For a month, Elaine and Joe watched them come and go, feeling fortunate to have experienced this remarkable Theosophic event, never expecting what was to come…
It was on a Tuesday evening, as Elaine and Joe sat reading the latest Steve Hockensmith novel to each other, that Joe noticed a flicker, a shadow in the light. Lo and behold, hovering over Elaine’s shoulder was one of the creatures. Joe grabbed his camera and snapped Photo 2 (below). The flash did not disturb the winged intruder as it continued to peer rudely over Elaine’s shoulder.
As the days went on, more and more of them appeared in our home. We could not determine how they were getting in. They took liberties—our liquor stock diminished; yesterday’s deviled eggs disappeared from the refrigerator! Books and knickknacks fell from shelves as fairy-sized landing areas were cleared. The unexpected buzzing around our heads was like oversized mosquitoes! And there was continual singing in high-pitched fairy voices, along with lively dancing—do fairies never sleep??
The crisis came to a head as Joe was preparing dinner late in the summer. As he was buzzed and taken by surprise, he grabbed the nearest object, a frying pan, and went into pursuit! This ectoplasmic escapee from a higher plane had sampled the soup just once too often. Fortunately, Elaine arrived home from work at that moment, and cooler heads prevailed. Photo 3 (below) was taken by one of our uninvited visitors, with Joe’s camera!!!
A parley was arranged—Photo 4 (below). Ground rules were established that resulted in considerations and a certain sharing of resources in order to make our dwelling comfortable to all. We lived with the fairies for the remainder of the summer and through the fall. As the cold weather set in, their appearances became more infrequent, and we have not seen them for some days now. Perhaps they migrate or hibernate? We do not know but, when spring comes, we will look for them. The house seems emptier this winter. As we walk around the house thinking about these events, we are struck by the wonder of it all, and the more pragmatic question: Did Doyle ever write anything about how to remove fairy droppings?
