This is one of the best English fairy tales stories for kids. Susie was very fond of her Granny. Each day, when Susie got home from school, Granny was always there sitting by the fire knitting. Granny knitted so fast that sometimes it seemed as though the knitting needles sparked in the firelight. “Do you know,” Granny would say, “That I’m really a witch?” Susie always laughed when Granny said that because she didn’t look at all like a witch. She had a smiling face and kind eyes and she never wore black. Not ever. Also, read The Naughty Broom.
When Granny wasn’t looking, Susie would take a peek inside her wardrobe just in case she might find a broomstick or a witch’s hat. But she never found so much as a book of spells. “I don’t believe you’re a witch,” said Susie. “I am,” replied Granny, “and I’ll cast a spell one day. You’ll know when that day comes, for my needles will start to knot by themselves.” After that, Susie kept a careful watch over Granny’s needles, but they always lay quite still in the basket of knitting.
Image Source@ www.istockphoto.com. One day, Susie was playing in her garden when she heard the sound of weeping. The sound seemed to be coming from under the old tree in the corner. She walked towards the tree and as she did so, the crying noise got louder but she couldn’t see anyone there. Then she looked down at her feet and there, sitting on a mossy stone was a tiny little man. He was neatly dressed in a yellow velvet waistcoat and knickerbockers. On his feet were beautiful, shiny, buckled shoes, and a three-cornered hat with a wren’s feather in it trembled on his shaking head.
When the little man saw Susie, he stopped crying and started to dab his eyes with a fine lace handkerchief. “Whatever can the matter be?” asked Susie crouching down. “Oh dear,” sobbed the little man, “I’m the fairy Princess’s tailor and she has asked me to make her a lovely gown to wear to the May Ball tonight, but a wicked elf has played a trick on me and turned all my fine gossamer fabric into bats’ wings. Now I shall never be able to make the Princess’s gown and she’ll be very angry with me.” He started to cry again. Also, read The Good Brother.
“Don’t cry!” said Susie. “I’m sure I can help. My Granny’s got a sewing basket full of odds and ends. I’ll see if she’s got anything nice for a party dress. I’m sure she won’t mind sparing some. After all, you won’t need much,” she said. At that, the little man looked a bit more cheerful. “Wait here,” said Susie, “while I run indoors and see.” She ran up the garden path and in through the back door.
“Granny!” she called. She ran into the sitting room expecting to find Granny knitting by the fire. But Granny had her eyes closed and she was whispering to herself. On her lap was her knitting and needles were moving all by themselves so that the yarn danced up and down on the old lady’s knees.
For a moment, Susie was too astounded to move. Then she thought, “I hope Granny’s not casting a bad spell. I’d better make sure the little tailor is alright.” She ran back down the garden path and there under the tree sat the tailor surrounded by a great pile of gorgeous gossamer, shining in the sunlight.
I’ve never seen such fine material ever, he exclaimed. But where did it come from? I just closed my eyes to dab them with my hanky and when I opened them again, there it was! I don’t know, said Susie, but I think my Granny might have had something to do with it. Well, I’d never be able to thank her enough, said the tailor. For now, I shall be able to make the finest gown in the whole of fairyland. The Princess will dance the night away in the prettiest dress there ever was. He paused and then went on, I’m also indebted to you, for it was you who helped me in the first place, I’d like it very much if you came to the May Ball, too.
Why Thank you so much, Susie replied, I should like that very much. She didn’t want to hurt the tailor’s feelings but she knew she couldn’t go, she was far too big to go to a fairy ball! Well, I must get on with the dress now, said the little man, reaching for a pair of fairy scissors. See you tonight! And with that, he vanished. Also, read The Old Woman Who Lived In A Bottle.
Susie went indoors again. Granny was knitting by the fire as usual. Susie wondered if she had dreamed the whole thing. Everything seemed so normal. Really, how could she imagined she’d seen a fairy tailor in the garden and as for Granny casting a spell!
That night, Susie lay in bed and wondered if the fairies really were having ball. How she longed to be there! Once she thought she heard a tapping at the window. In the middle of the night, she awoke with a start. There was a click, clicking noise at the end of her bed.It was Granny as she was unable to sleep. Surprisingly, the needles started twitching all by themselves. It was time to cast a spell. Granny asked Susie what she wished for. Susie wanted to go to the May Ball.
In an instant, Susie felt herself shrinking and when she looked down, she was wearing a beautiful gown and tiny satin slippers. Then she floated on gossamer wings out through the window and off to the Ball.
The next morning, Susie woke up in her bed. She thought it had all been a dream. Then she saw something peeping out from her pillow. It was a tiny, tiny shred of the finest gossamer fabric.