In almost every culture, there are persistent legends about tiny faerie-folk who live far underground in caverns and grottoes.

Some of these faeries, like the Scottish Kelpies, are decidedly hostile to human beings, and will harm our kind if given the slightest chance. Others, like the Irish Leprauchauns, enjoy playing pranks on the Big Folk and giving us a good scare whenever they have the opportunity.

Everyone's heard of the Little People. But not one person in a thousand can tell you HOW the faeries were created. Can you? No,
I thought not.

Well, today's your lucky day, because I'm going to tell you the tale. It's attributed to Saint Patrick, who has most famous for casting the snakes out of Ireland. But Patrick, like many Irishmen, was also a dazzling storyteller. When a young child asked him where the Leprauchauns came from, this is the story that Patrick told him:

One day, a long, long time ago, Almighty God was sitting on His majestic throne, looking out over Heaven. He was feeling very pleased with Himself, was God. As far as His eye could see, there was harmony and love. To His left and right, choirs of angels sang his praises unceasingly. In front of Him, billions of angels worshiped Him by day and by night.

Everything was perfect -- heavenly you might say -- and God was feeling particularly chipper. So He decided to take a stroll around Heaven. He beckoned to Lucifer and Michael, His chief lieutenants, and said to them, "Lads, I feel like a walk in the afternoon sunshine. Michael, you come along with me. Lucifer, you stay here and keep on eye on things."

Then God stood up, stepped off His jeweled throne, seized His flaming staff, and set off with Michael to walk the byways and backroads of Heaven.

It was a soft, summer day, and the road felt good under God's sandals. He gave a sigh of contentment. God was in His Heaven, and all was right with His world.

In fact, God was so invigorated by His walk, that He didn't return until early evening. And then His good mood dropped away in a flash. For He saw Lucifer, sitting on His throne, accepting the adoration of the Heavenly Host!

God was astounded! Stupified! He gave a great cry of mingled pain and rage that shook the very foundations of Heaven. Then He seemed to inflate and swell up before their frightened eyes.

Lucifer leaped off the throne and tried to apologize, but God would not be pacified. In an instant, far below Heaven in the nether reaches of space, God created the Earth. And deep down inside it, in its molten core, God made the fiery land of eternal pain and anguish known as Hell.

Then He seized Lucifer in His enormous fist, and hurled his former
lieutenant over the wall of Heaven. Screaming and tumbling, burning like a flaming comet, Lucifer fell slowly down through the endless miles of air, past the Earth, and into the innermost region of Hell.

God drew back His left hand, and swept it backhand through the angels who were cowering in front of His throne. Thousands of them were knocked over the wall of Heaven, and fell, spinning and screaming, toward Hell. Then God used His right hand to sweep off 10,000 other angels, who also fell out of Heaven, and began the long, lamented descent through the air.

For moments beyond counting, God struck left and right, casting millions of angels over the edge of Heaven. Finally, Michael, in desperation, grabbed onto God's leg and shouted, "God! God! Listen to me! If you don't stop right now, Heaven will be no more!"

And God looked down at Michael, and slowly, SLOWLY, He came back to His senses. "I'll stop," said God. "I'll stop." He looked out at the terrified angels who remained in front of Him, and in a thunderous voice that echoed through the cosmos, He spoke.

"Them that are still in Heaven, let them remain in Heaven!" There was a vast sigh of relief from the whimpering angels who cowered before God's throne.

Then God looked down through the Earth and into the centermost region of Hell, and He gave a mighty shout that shook the gates of Heaven. "And them that are in Hell, let them remain in Hell!" From the land of eternal pain and fire, there came a many-throated scream of outrage and despair.

Then God looked down over the wall of Heaven at the thousands of angels who were still falling toward Earth, and His voice thundered one last time: "And them that are still falling between Heaven and Hell, LET THEM REMAIN IN THE AIR!!"

And THEY are the faeries!

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