Little Innocence and the Weary One

Little Innocence sat by the little waterfall, playing pretend with her dolllies. Little Fairies of Happiness and Playfulness surrounded her as she played.

"Hello, Mrs. Green, would you like some tea?" Innocence asked. "Oh, yes, the tea leaves do taste nice by themselves, don't they, Mrs. Kind?"

A man walking on the road approached the little waterfall, yet his steps did not slow. His face was wrinkled with lines of Harshness and Despair, and he walked with a weary gait.

"Hello there!" little Innocence called out cheerily. "Where are you going, sir?"

She got up to greet him on the side of the road.

The Weary One looked down at the little girl who looked up at him with nary a worry or fear. "Hello, little Innocence. I am walking the Road of Life itself."

"You look tired," Innocence noted. "Do come to the little waterfall and refresh yourself for a while. Would you like to have tea?"

The Weary One smiled faintly. "No, little Innocence, I must press on with my journey."

But little Innocence would not hear of it and she tugged at his hand and pulled him over to where she and her little dollies were having their tea party. "Would you like some tea?" she asked, eyes shining as she held out a small little toy cup on an equally small saucer.

The Weary One smiled and decided to play along. "Of course," he replied. He took the tea cup and pretended to drink from it. "It tastes good."

Little Innocence was looking at him oddly.

"What is it, little one?" he asked.

"You look sad," she answered. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "You are still young, therefore cannot comprehend how the world truly like."

"What the world is truly like? But the world is like this," little Innocence said, looking about herself. "There are butterflies in the world, aren't there? And flowers?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't see what's wrong. The butterflies and flowers are pretty things."

The Weary One sighed. "Oh, little Innocence, there is day, and there is night. What you see about you now is day."

"But in the night there is the moon, is there not?" little Innocence still looked puzzled. "The Dandelions of Gentleness glow in the moonbeams, and there are the dancing fireflies." She clapped her hands. "I like the fireflies most of all."

"Those things will not be around during the dreary winter."

"Oh, the winter is still wonderful. There are the snowflakes. I like watching them fall. Then the next morning I can go make a snowman. It's fun." Then she looked up at him with an earnest question in her eyes. "Did you know that no two snowflakes are alike?"

The Weary One laughed, the first laugh he had in a long, long while. "Yes, little Innocence, I know." He stood up. "I must be off now. The Worriers will fret if I do not continue."

Little Innocence had a little frown on her small face. "You know, I think the Worriers worry too much. Don't you think so?"

The Weary One laughed again. "Thank you for the tea, little one." He bent down and hugged little Innocence. She kissed his cheek by way of farewell. "Be well, little one and go play."

Litte Innocence reached out her small hand and touched the Weary One's face. He smiled, and half the Lines of Harshness and Despair disappeared from him face. "Goodbye, sir."

He began walking away.

"Come back for some more tea sometime," she called after him.

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� Elysia N. Fields