Based on the story of Puck the Fairy in Cold Iron from the book Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling.
Dan and Una were a brother and sister who lived in a beautiful house in the English countryside. One magical day, they met a funny little creature named Puck. Puck was a fairy, but he was also known by many other names, like Robin Goodfellow, Nick o’ Lincoln, and Lob-lie-by-the-Fire. He was the last of his kind in all of England.
Puck had an extraordinary power. By using the magic of the Oak, Ash, and Thorn trees, he could give others the ability to see and hear things from long, long ago. He said to Dan and Una:
“With my magic, you will see,
Things that happened in history,
Even if it was long before,
Three thousand years or more!”
And so, an amazing thing started to happen. From time to time, in different places around their house, like in the garden, the fields, and the woods, Dan and Una met some fascinating people from the past.
They could talk to these people and learn about their lives and their incredible adventures. It was like traveling back in time!
After each meeting, Puck made sure to take away the memory of their special walks and conversations. He didn’t want to interfere with Dan and Una’s everyday lives.
And so, now and then, the children would find themselves talking to strange and wonderful people who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
It was a magical secret that only Dan, Una, and their friend Puck knew about, and it made their lives in the countryside even more exciting than ever before!
Early one Midsummer Morning, Dan and Una decided to go on a secret adventure before the sun had fully risen. They wanted to spot the otter that old Hobden, the gardener, said had been fishing in their brook for weeks. The best time to see the otter was early morning, so they quietly tiptoed out of the house.
As they stepped onto the lawn, they noticed the grass was covered in tiny drops of dew that sparkled in the early morning light. Dan looked down at his feet and saw the funny black footprints his boots made on the wet grass.

“We should be nice to our boots today,” he said to Una. “They’re going to get really wet!”
It was their first summer wearing boots, and they didn’t like them very much. So, they decided to take them off and carry them around their necks as they walked barefoot through the wet grass, happy with the tickly feeling on their toes.
The sun was getting warmer, but near the brook, they could still see some mist floating above the water. They found the otter’s footprints in the mud and started to follow them along the bank, past the tall grass and weeds. The birds around them chirped loudly, surprised to see the children up so early!
Suddenly, the footprints led away from the brook and into the Three Cows meadow. They followed the tracks over the mill bridge, around Hobden’s garden, and up a hill until they reached Pook’s Hill, a special place where magic things can happen. In the distance, they heard the sound of the pheasants crowing in the woods.
“It’s no use,” said Dan, looking around like a confused puppy. “The sun is drying up the dew, and old Hobden says otters can travel for miles.”
“I feel like we’ve walked for miles, too!” said Una, fanning herself with her hat. She looked down at the quiet valley below. “Look! Hobden’s awake!” Una pointed at the Forge cottage’s open door. “I wonder what he’s having for breakfast.”
Just then, a fox darted out from the grass, almost running into their bare feet! It made a yapping sound and quickly ran away. Dan and Una looked at each other, feeling a strange sense that they had seen this fox before.
“Wait a minute,” said Dan, trying to remember. “Wasn’t there something about a fox last year?”
Una’s eyes grew wide. “Yes! And it happened right before we met Puck on Pook’s Hill!”

Just as they said this, the fern on the hill rustled, and out walked their magical friend, Puck, chewing on a piece of grass, ready for another exciting adventure with the children.
“Happy Midsummer Morning!” Puck said cheerfully as he greeted Dan and Una. They all shook hands and started chatting about how the children were doing.
“You both seem to have had a good winter,” Puck remarked, looking them over. “Seems like you’re doing just fine!”
Una sighed and pointed at her feet. “We have to wear boots now, and they make my feet look so pale and squished!”
Puck wiggled his brown toes and picked a dandelion flower with them. “Yes, boots can change things,” he nodded.
“I could do that last year,” Dan sighed, trying and failing to pick a flower with his toes. “And boots make it harder to climb, too!”
Puck laughed. “Well, boots must be good for something, or people wouldn’t wear them! Let’s go for a walk.”
They strolled side by side until they reached a gate at the end of the hill. They stopped there, enjoying the warm sun on their backs and listening to the buzzing flies in the woods nearby.
Una rested her chin on the gate. “Look, the Little Lindensโ house is awake. There’s smoke coming from the chimney!”
Puck turned to look at the pink farmhouse across the valley. “It’s Thursday, right? Mrs. Vincey must be baking bread. This weather is perfect for making the dough rise.” He yawned, and soon Dan and Una were yawning, too.

The ferns around them rustled and shook as if little creatures were running by. “Doesn’t that sound like the People of the Hills, the fairies?โ Una asked.
“No, it’s just birds and animals moving to the woods before people start walking around,” Puck explained.
“Oh, we know that, but it sure sounded like them,” Una said.
Puck smiled. “The People of the Hills used to be much louder in the old days when they were more powerful. Oh, the things I’ve seen and done with them – you’d hardly believe it!”
Dan laughed. “Really? After all the stories you told us last year?”
“But you made us forget everything as soon as you left,” Una reminded him.
Puck grinned mischievously. “I’ll do that again this year. I’ve given you a connection to the magic of Old England and taken away your doubts and fears. But I’ll keep your memories of these magical moments hidden away, just like a fisherman named Billy Trott used to hide his fishing lines when he wasn’t using them. He called them ‘night-lines.’ I’ll store your memories in the same secret place, and thatโs where they can be drawn up and hidden as need be. Is that okay?โ
Una laughed. “It has to be okay. We can’t do magic like you!” She leaned against the gate. “Hey, Puck, could you turn me into an otter if you wanted to?”
“Not with those boots around your neck,” Puck replied.

“I’ll take them off!” Una said, throwing her boots on the grass. Dan did the same. “Now try!” she said.
Puck smiled warmly. “I can do even less magic now that you’ve trusted me. When there’s true trust, there’s no need for magic.”
“But what do boots have to do with it?” Una asked, sitting on the gate.
“They have cold iron in them, like the nails in the soles,” Puck explained, sitting beside her. “It makes a difference.”
Dan and Una listened carefully as Puck told them more about the power of Cold Iron. “I don’t mind Cold Iron,” said Puck, “but humans, or ‘folk in housen’ (people who live in houses) as we fairies call them, must live by its rules. From the moment they’re born, humans are surrounded by Cold Iron. It’s in every person’s house, and they touch it and use it every single day.”
Puck continued, “Cold Iron is a symbol for all the challenges, responsibilities, and hard truths that humans face in their lives. It represents things like growing up, working, and dealing with difficult situations. These experiences shape people’s lives. That’s just the way it is for humans, and it can’t be changed or avoided.”
Dan furrowed his brow. “I don’t quite understand. What do you mean?”
Puck smiled patiently. “It would take me a long time to explain it all, but basically, humans and fairies are different. We fairies are magical and don’t have to worry about the same things humans do. But humans must face the real world, with all its challenges and difficulties, which is what Cold Iron represents. It’s a big part of being human, and everyone must learn to deal with it in their own way.”
While the summer day grew warmer in the peaceful valley, Dan unpocketed one big hunk of bread and Una another, which they shared with Puck. โThatโs Little Lindensโ baking,โ he said, as his white teeth sunk in it. โI know Mrs. Vinceyโs hand.โ He ate with a slow sideways thrust and grind, just like old Hobden, and, like Hobden, hardly dropped a crumb. The sun flashed on Little Lindensโ windows, and the sky grew stiller and hotter in the valley.

โAhโCold Iron,โ Puck said at last to the impatient children. I said to Sir Huon in the fern here, on just such a morning as this โฆ
โWho was Sir Huon?โ Dan asked, and Puck turned on him in quiet astonishment.
โSir Huon, the fairy kingโโ I suggested that Sir Huon could raise a human child in fairyland, away from Cold Iron, to help the fairy folk understand humans better. But Sir Huon wasn’t sure it would work.

โโTimes have changed,โ says Sir Huon. โI doubt if we could do it. For one thing, the babe would have to be taken without wronging man, woman, or child. For another, heโd have to be born on the far side of Cold Ironโin some house where no Cold Iron ever stood; and for yet the third, heโd have to be kept from Cold Iron all his days till we let him find his fortune. No, itโs not easy,โ he said, and he rode off, thinking.
Puck paused for a moment before adding, โYou see, Sir Huon had been a man once.โ
Puck continued, “The following day, I found myself wandering through a bustling marketplace. As I strolled past the church, I heard a soft whimpering that caught my attention.”
Dan leaned forward. “What did you find, Puck?”
“Well,” Puck said, his voice softening. As I approached the church steps, I discovered a tiny baby wrapped in a blanket and left all alone.

Una exclaimed, “Why would anyone abandon a helpless baby like that?” Her voice was filled with concern.
Puck sighed. “Sometimes, people find themselves in difficult and heartbreaking situations, Una.โ
Dan asked gently, “What did you do to help the baby, Puck?”
I whipped up the babe and came flying home here like a bat to his belfry.
On the dewy break of morning of Thorโs own dayโ just such a day as thisโI laid the babe outside on the Hill here, and the People drawn to the sound of a human child gathered around in wonder.
โโYouโve brought him, then?โ Sir Huon said, staring in fascination like any mortal man would.
โYes, and heโs brought his mouth with him too,โ I said. The babe was crying loudly for his breakfast. The fairy women, filled with compassion, tenderly took the child into their care, ensuring he was well-fed and nurtured.โ
Sir Huon turned to Puck with a questioning look. “Who is this child?” he asked.
Puck shook his head. “In truth, I do not know. Perhaps only the Moon and Stars can say. But I can tell you this: the babe is perfect, without blemish or mark. He was born far from the reach of Cold Iron, under a grove of trees. And in bringing him here, I have done no wrong to any man, woman, or child, for he is a foundling.
“‘All is well, Robin,’ Sir Huon said, confident in their decision. ‘He’ll be less likely to leave us. We’ll provide him with a splendid future, bridging our world with the human world.’ Lady Esclairmonde joined them, leading Sir Huon to watch the baby’s delightful antics.”
“Who was this Lady Esclairmonde?” Dan asked.
“She was once a woman who chose to join Sir Huon in our magical realm,” Puck explained.
Puck gestured towards Hobden’s cottage. “I then heard hammering from the Forge, realizing it was Thursday, which is associated with the god Thor, I decided to investigate.”
“What did you find?” Dan inquired.
โI saw a blacksmith forging Cold Iron and tossing it down the valley,” Puck replied quietly. “I knew it would be found eventually.”

“How could you be sure?” Dan asked.
“Because I recognized the Smith,” Puck answered.
“Was it Thor?” Una whispered.
Puck nodded. “Who else could it have been? I chose not to trouble anyone with my assumptions. I held my tongue and delighted in the child’s company. He was a wonderful boy, adored by the People of the Hill, and he took a liking to me, following me around as soon as he could walk.โ
โYes, and when it came to learning his wordsโspells and such likeโheโd sit on the Hill, worrying out bits of charms to try on passers-by. And when the birds flew to him, or the tree bowed to him for pure loveโs sake (like everything else on my Hill), heโd shout, โRobin! Lookโsee! Look, see, Robin!โ and sputter out some spell or other that they had taught him,ย allย wrong end first, till I hadnโt the heart to tell him it was his dear self and not the words that worked the wonder.โย

โWhen he could cast spells for sure,โ continued Puck, โhe became increasingly aware of the world around him, particularly the people. The boy was always drawn to people, as he was fundamentally human despite his magical upbringing.
To help him learn, I used to take him with me on night walks. He could watch people, and I could keep him from touching Cold Iron. That wasnโt as difficult as it sounds because there are plenty of things besides Cold Iron in houses to catch a boyโs fancy. He was a handful, though! I shanโt forget when I took him to Little Lindensโhis first night under a roof.
As we hid in the bakehouse, it was a drizzling warm night. The smell of the rushlight candles and the bacon curing on the beams got into his head.

Before I could stop him, he whipped up a whirlwind of bright lights and supernatural voices, which sent the folk shrieking into the garden. Amid the chaos, a girl knocked over a beehive. The poor boy didnโt know till then such things could hurt him. He got badly stung and came home with his face puffed up like a balloon.

โYou can imagine how angry Sir Huon and Lady Esclairmonde were! They said the Boy was never to be trusted with me night-walking anymore. The boy took about as much notice of their order as he did of the bee stings. Night after night, as soon as it was dark, Iโd pick up his whistle in the wet fern, and off weโd flit together, going among folk in housen till break of dayโhe asking questions, and I answering according to my knowledge. Then we fell into mischief again!โ Puck shook till the gate rattled.
โOf course, the People of the Hill laid the blame on me. The Boy could do nothing wrong in their eyes.
โโYou have been bringing him up to act and influence folk in housen,โ I said. โNow heโs begun to do it, why do you cry shame on me? Thatโs no shame. Itโs his nature drawing him to his kind.โ
โโBut we donโt want him to begin this way,โ the Lady Esclairmonde said. โWe intend a splendid fortune for himโnot your flitter-by-night, hedge-jumping, gypsy-work.โ
โโI donโt blame you, Robin,โ says Sir Huon, โbut I do think you might look after the Boy more closely.โ
โโIโve kept him away from Cold Iron these sixteen years,โ I said. โYou know as well as I do that the first time he touches Cold Iron, heโll find his own fortune in spite of everything you intend for him.”
โโWeโre very grateful,โ Sir Huon said, โbut we think that just for the present, you are about too much with him on the Hill.โ
Puck stood tall and proud, his voice ringing out clear and strong. “You have made your decision,” he said, “and now I will make mine. From this moment on, until the boy finds his true path in life, I promise you, by the ancient magic of the Oak, the Ash, and the Thorn, and by the mighty Hammer of Thor himself, that you must leave me out of your plans and schemes. I will not be a part of them.”
โThen I went outโโhe snapped his fingersโโlike the puff of a candle, and though they called and cried, it was too late. I didnโt promise not to keep an eye on the Boy, though. I watched him closeโcloseโclose!โ
When the boy learned of this decision, he was heartbroken. He had grown to love his adventures with Puck and couldn’t imagine life without his mischievous friend. The fairies, seeing his distress, comforted him and promised that he would still have plenty of magic and excitement in his life. They organized grand feasts, performed incredible spells, and told him stories of the wonders he would one day experience.
Despite his agreement with the fairies, Puck couldn’t bring himself to abandon the boy completely. He watched from a distance, hidden in the shadows, as the boy grew and learned under the fairies’ guidance. Puck knew that one day, the boy would have to choose between the world of the fairies and the world of humans, but until then, he would always be there, ready to step in if the boy ever needed his help or guidance.
And so, the boy continued to grow and learn, torn between two worlds but loved by both. The fairies and Puck, each in their own way, shaped him into a remarkable young man who would one day have to find his place in the world and decide where his heart truly belonged.
As Puck the Fairy finished his tale, Dan and Una sat in silence, their hearts filled with wonder and their minds racing with questions. They knew that the boy’s story was far from over and that someday, they, too, might have to make difficult choices about where they belonged. But for now, they were content to sit with Puck, listening to his tales and dreaming of the magic that lay just beyond the veil of the ordinary world.

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