Pixies Eng E-Book

Marina Zaoli

• Herausgeber: Inspired Digital Publishing Srl
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

----- Updated to version 1.3 -----
- New great cover
- New layout of the book
- New ePub format
- Fixed some bugs in the text


"Do not be afraid! Learn to feel with your heart, as well as see with your eyes. The eyes are used to look, to see what's around, to control the external situation: they are very important, but feelings can be deceiving! The heart never!”
The frigid winter had turned everything white, covering the roads, cars, and trees. Richard and Rebecca, two very nice siblings and lovers of skiing, on that day of vacation had no idea that an event, or rather a meeting, would radically change their vacation and, above all, their way of looking at things.
That fateful day, at dusk, Richard, who was the older of the two siblings, noticed that near the edge where the groomed snow became fresh snow and where the first trees of the forest began, he could see a strange little object lying on the ground. It looked like a red cap. Approaching it fearfully, and watching it closely, he realized that not only was it a red cap but, indeed, it was the hat of a ferret, and yes, it was just like the hat of Santa Claus! Since that moment on, the vacation of the two siblings took them on a road full of meetings and magic.

Leseprobe

MARINA ZAOLI

Pixies

Richard, Rebecca and the ferret of the Pixies

Cover by

Ivan Cavini

INSPIRED DIGITAL PUBLISHING

Copyright

Pixies

Richard, Rebecca and the ferret of the Pixies

Version 1.3

Literary rights reserved:

© 2014 Inspired Digital Publishing Srl.

ISBN 9788894002106

First digital edition 2014

Graphic Designer:

Inspired Digital Publishing Srl.

Cover by:

Ivan Cavini

Published by:

Inspired Digital Publishing Srl.

WWW.INSPIREDDP.NET

This work is protected by the Law on Copyright. It is forbidden to duplicate, even partial, not authorized. The book is the product of the imagination of the author. Names, characters, places and events are fictitious. Any reference to events or real persons, living or extinct is purely coincidental.

Biography

Marina Zaoli

She was born in Forlì, lived many years in Bologna and lives now in Rimini. She has a degree in medicine and surgery and she specialized in medical psychology. She practises as psychiatrist and psychotherapist.

She has worked for the psychological part in some scientific publications. She writes children's fiction and for adolescence and her works are chosen in schools of various kinds and levels. She gives refresher courses to teachers about the physiological development of the child's psyche for the healthy and harmonious growth of the children personality. She took part in radio and television daily programme.

In particular, she dealt with, in recent years, the study of myths and fairy tales, taking university seminars on this topic, which carried out graduation thesis.

She carries out voluntary work for the prevention of youth problems and drug addiction. Some of her projects in this area (against cigarette smoking, against eating disorders, against excessive alcohol consumption) have been used at national level.

published works

The books published by this author grow vertically, coming to highlight and give an answer to those who are the main problems of the various stages of life. In the children’s tales, the main peculiarity of her work, is putting her experience as a psychotherapist and her psychoanalytic knowledge in the service of children’s literature.

For children in preschool and the first two years of primary schools she published:

1. “Le mie prime filastrocche” (Rusconilibri)

2. “Cirillo e lo gnomo dispettoso” (Rusconilibri) in which both children and parents are helped to understand how to interact with the child in education, not to take away his creativity, but to let him be able, at the same time, to submit to the rules of a social and civil life.

For the last years of primary schools:

1. “Pilucco e Raggio di sole e altri racconti” (Guaraldi) for a balanced and harmonious maturation of the child's personality.

2. “Antiche fiabe in rima” (A & G) old fairy tales transformed into nursery rhymes in which to find important messages to solve the problems inherent in this age, and to learn about and get in touch with their inner parts.

For children of the Middle School:

1. “Le avventure di Pietro e Marco” (La Sfera Celeste) to warn preteens about addictions.

For high schools:

1. “ll cavaliere dell'arcobaleno” (Panozzo) to learn the true value to be given to the experiences of life and to see what are the most frequent pathological behaviors, in order to avoid them.

For university students and adults the essay:

1. “Dalla fiaba al mito dal rito all’inconscio. ll significato dei comportamenti umani dai primordi fino ad oggi e il rapporto dell’uomo col trascendente”(Panozzo).

Some of these stories were then transformed in theatrical plays for children.

Moreover:

For the Republic of San Marino wrote fictional stories for children about important events in the history of San Marino, chosen in elementary and middle schools:

1. “Piccoli grandi cuori nella tempesta”

2. “Uno per casa”

3. “New York, New York!”

4. “Nel nome di Sant’Agata”

5. “Il diario di Caterina”

For the AUSL of Rimini:

1. “Bombo, scimmiotto coraggioso” a story to control anxiety in hospitalized children.

She has designed for LlLT:

1. “Shari e Niki e la strega del fumo” (Clementoni), a story and a board game against the smoking tobacco addiction, used in kindergartens and primary schools in many ltalian cities.

2. “Quattro principesse e tre streghe” (Garattoni) a view to preventing anorexia and bulimia and to promote a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle, always made up with a story and a game.

3. “Che mi combini Tommaso!” (NFC) for preventing the abuse of alcohol, made up also in this case with a story and a board game.

She has taken part in television and radio programmes and important events for children such as “Humanitaria” for Rai Uno. She won literary and poetry awards.

Preface

Fairy tales of Marina Zaoli

This story, like all of the stories of Marina Zaoli, was written following the recommendation of Bruno Bettelheim, the great childhood psychoanalyst, whose work very deeply involved that of fairy tales.

In fact, in them he used archetypal images and symbolic objects, which, more than any other thing, managed to make inroads into the minds of children, helping to shed light on the world around them, both on their 'inner world' and on their thoughts.

The child lives in a world animistic and magical and only fairy tales are able to speak this same language, conforming to the basic principles of his or her thoughts. This gives the child a chance to see his emotional and psychological state, and provides examples of solutions to the difficulties he may face now and in the future.

A child cannot solve his problems in a rational manner, but can familiarize himself with them: through reworking and meditating on the content and the messages found within the fairy tale, he may find a new dimension to his own imagination. This is how he is allowed to daydream, to discover new horizons and new direction to his life.

The fairy tale allows the child to identify with the hero and suggests positive strategies to deal with reality. This makes the educational task much easier and is more compelling: instead of having to comply with the educational rules of coercion, which frustrates the creativity and imagination, the child can live many adventures along with the protagonist and decide, for himself, if he also wants to use the same positive behaviors, because he wants to be as good, smart, courageous, heroic and successful as him.

Now, returning to our story, the most important messages are implicitly contained within, and are those that address the unconscious of every child that reads it. There are many, and they start at the arrival to the village of the pixies and in the difficulty of visualizing it. To view it you must concentrate very well and get in tune with it. This teaches us that one should not settle for appearances, but instead you must look in depth into the meaning of things. At first glance, you risk not being able to see everything. You must stop and strive to get better in touch with reality to understand it. If you do not dig beneath what appears superficially, you are likely to let life slip away, possibly missing all the meaning and the aspects of life that are needed to make our existence the precious gift that it is. Yet, once the children have been encouraged to do so, behold, they will be able to see the village and in doing this, learn to listen to their heart, therefore they can capture the meaning of that, and also obtain resources that are found at that deeper level, that with a little attention, everyone is able to receive and visualize.

Another important message is to pay attention to opposing values ​​and understand their meaning, which is represented in the division made between the pixies, in good and in bad, and in how their reliability is valued, depending on their behavior. Who performs well will be rewarded and heard, those who behave badly and tell lies will no longer be respected.

The leitmotif that runs throughout the entire story is the aim at achieving autonomy and personal maturity in order to possess one’s own strong identity and one’s own full recognition. It is stressed that personal autonomy is difficult to achieve and that you must conquer it on your own, because no one can do it for you, even if friends and those who love us support us along the way. Also confirmed is that it is essential to possess a life that is true and full and to not remain at a lower level (an ermine, a small creature then), instead, becoming an authentic person who is capable, able to improve oneself, to love, to know how to engage and to make sacrifices, to overcome obstacles, for the good, not only for themselves, but for the people that they love.

Another message (so dear to Bettelheim, although it may seem strange and unimportant) is that which is connected to the image of the old lady sorceress, locked in her cabin, out of this world. At first glance, it might seem like she is just an old, lazy and greedy sorceress, while instead, she represents the unconscious, that part of us which includes our area of alertness and creativity, and that is listened to, even though it may seem outside the reality or too greedy and impulsive. Once questioned, and streamlined, this part can help us understand many things and can help us to understand the world and behave correctly, in a way that is empathetic and instinctive, yet valid (this can teach us to be able to read between the lines).

And this, in particular, is exactly when the test of reality may not be enough.

Chapter 1

The hat and the ferret

That winter it was really snowing a lot, and by now the snow was so high that it had completely covered the roads, cars, and trees. Really everything. It had even come to reach the rooftops of the smaller houses. On the other hand, it was almost inevitable, given that it had never rained that summer.

Maybe the clouds had gone on vacation somewhere, possibly in the other hemisphere of the earth. Only now they were quick to come back and make up for lost time, they continued to drop snowflakes, so big, that they could be hung as decorations for Christmas trees.

Also, the ski slopes were definitely not missing the snow, actually, one must be careful not to go too close to the edge, so as not to risk being swallowed up by heaps and layers of fresh snow. Richard and Rebecca, two very nice siblings and lovers of skiing, had spent all afternoon going down a very long slope, but now it was starting to get dark, the lifts were closing, and there were only a few people left skiing. Their mother and father had stopped and were drinking something hot at the lodge, waiting for their children to finish their last run before returning home. But at this point, Richard, who was the oldest, noticed that near the edge where the groomed snow became fresh snow and where the first trees of the forest began, he could see a strange little object lying on the ground. He stopped, waited for his sister to join him, pointed to it and asked her:

"Look Rebecca, in your opinion, what could that thing be?”

The little girl looked at the thing, a kind of colored cloth, but nothing came to mind:

"I don’t know" she said.

"And yet - he said - I think that's the cap of Santa Claus of a ferret. He may have lost it and needs it back now!”

"Well... Riki ... I do not know! We know that you have a special relationship with the animals, but maybe this time you're exaggerating a bit! However, if you want, we can go take a closer look ... “

And in saying so, she made a little slip of her skis so as to approach the thing to see it better.

Her brother joined her, bent down and picked up the alleged hat. He took it in his hand, turned it over several times, and looked closer: there was no doubt! It was definitely the hat of a ferret, and a hat just like Santa Claus!" But what was it doing here, this hat? -he asked curiously- and who knows who lost it?”

The answer was not long in coming: from behind a snowdrift he saw a long nose pop out, then two dark lively eyes, a mischievous nose and two ears standing straight up and rounded. Everything belonged to the cutest ferret that anyone had ever met in those parts!

"Hello children - began the beast, addressing the two siblings in disbelief - my name is Long Tail, but everyone calls me Pigtail, and I am very happy that you have finally arrived!”

Richard and Rebecca looked at each other even more amazed and intrigued.

"Yes, now I'll explain: - continued the ferret – I have been here at the edge of the slope for days, because I need someone to help me. Although no one could help me except those children who had found out that this was my hat! Those who could not recognize it, could not understand my problem, nor would they be allowed to come and see the village of the pixies, and furthermore, they wouldn’t have seen it!”

"Eheheeeee??!" The two children cried in chorus more and more amused.

"The village of the pixies?” - Richard then asked incredulously.

"But who are the pixies?” - Rebecca asked in turn.

"Oh, I know! - Answered the ferret thoughtfully- I know that no one knows! Everyone knows the gnomes, because Santa Claus is calling them every year to help him prepare the children’s gifts and he hosts them for months in his home at the North Pole. Also the sprites are quite popular! Often the summer tourists leave snacks in the woods for them, and the sprites, sure enough after everyone is gone, they do go look for the things that remain. When they find them, they eat a bit, and then put the rest away for the winter, for when there will no longer be anything left in the woods to eat! The elves are somewhat less well known, yet are found in many fairy tales and legends. Most everyone knows that they have pointed ears, because many have seen the illustrations or images that concern them. All this is well known, but the pixies, however, who knows them?

Still you think they are much nicer than gnomes, they are small creatures that shine bright, they live in the trees and can also transform into small animals, for a very short period of time though!

During the winter they turn into squirrels or sparrows sometimes, and try to find a bit of food, but the transformation does not last long, and most people are so little attentive to the needs of the most vulnerable, who are often unable to obtain anything. Though, they cannot stay with humans, because if a human ever saw them, they would disappear forever. That's why they are not well known! They are also very small, much smaller than gnomes and therefore cannot build gifts, or dig in mines, or take long walks as the gnomes do! It would tire them out too fast! Nor can they ride like elves! That's why no one ever talks about them anywhere.Right now, however, the poor things, they need help: in their village something strange is happening and no one can figure out what it is. Yet, there is an absolute need to find out, otherwise it will all end in ruins soon!”

And the ferret, while speaking, sighed and stopped talking to take a moment to think. He seemed very sad. Richard and Rebecca looked at each other in disbelief. They had read many books with their mother about fairies and gnomes, elves and sprites, but truthfully, these pixies they had never heard of. Rebecca hadn’t heard of them at all, Riki, perhaps he remembers having read something about them somewhere, but he could not remember where or if he would be able to find any more information.

"Well, then – resumes the ferret, staring at the children again with his bright eyes - since you're the only ones who recognized my hat, you are also the only ones who can come with me to the village of the pixies, talk with them and see them without anything happening. You know? We absolutely need your help!”

The children looked at each other, even more in disbelief. Were they awake or were they dreaming?

Curiosity and their desire to help the little ferret was very strong, but…

“Our mother will worry if she does not see us coming back down the slope..." Rebbi said thoughtfully.

"It 's true! –confirmed Richard - But don’t worry! I will go down now, tell her to wait a moment and not to be worried, because we will return shortly. Rebecca, you stay here, so I do not lose too much time, and anyway you have Pigtail here with you to keep you company!”

While speaking, without waiting for an answer, Richard, slid off really fast with his skis, returned to the slope and rushed to the valley to tell their mother.

The mother, who was just looking to see where her children had ended up, and also to tell them to hurry up because it was time for them to return, saw something coming down that looked like a human avalanche, in a flurry of snow powder that was saying, "Mom, I cannot explain now, but it will all be okay, do not worry, we will return shortly. Rebecca is waiting for me, I will go back and get her and then we will come down!”

Then, like a thunderbolt, and without waiting for answers, Riki sped off to the chairlift, now virtually empty, climbed on and began the trip back up to reach his sister and Pigtail as soon as possible.

His mother, who was just opening her mouth to answer, closed it because at this point Riki was already too far away to hear her! She knew, however, that she could trust her children, and she also knew that they would not behave recklessly, because they were good kids, even though she could not really understand what they needed to do so urgently and important at that time and in that place.

Rebecca, meanwhile, was left between the slopes and the edge of the forest with the little animal.

Among the trees, at that time of day, it was almost sun set, and there was already a lot of shade. The ferret was looking at her, but she was not as animal friendly as her brother, who felt safe around them. There was an eerie silence around and strange forms seemed to stand out among the tree trunks. Richard still had not arrived, her mother was not there, and there was no one on the slopes... The little girl was afraid. Pigtail noticed it right away, looked at her and said, "Do not be afraid! Learn to feel with your heart, as well as see with your eyes. The eyes are used to see, to understand what's around, and to control the external situation: they are very important, but your feelings can be deceiving! The heart never deceives! You do not know me and therefore cannot recognize my face in a way that might give you security, but close your eyes and listen to your heart, and listen to my heart along with yours! Try it!”

Rebbi decided to follow the suggestion of Pigtail, so she closed her eyes and listened. At first she felt nothing, actually, it seemed that she was almost not able to look inside at all because the fear inside of her was getting worse, but then she felt obligated to calm down and listen. She concentrated on herself. She felt her little heart beating a bit too strong, so she sighed and waited. She knew that in front of her was a little ferret, she did not know, but that certainly did not want to hurt her, actually: he asked for their help. She tried to imagine how he must feel there, Pigtail, next to her: he was also very small, alone and helpless, actually, much smaller, alone and helpless than her. She focused again on her feelings and, after a while, there was a warm sense of friendship that slowly filled her, and so she knew what the ferret was trying to say. O.K. Pigtail was right. You see with your eyes, but you feel with your heart, and so they were friends. Rebecca felt it. There was nothing to fear!

"See?" Confirmed Pigtail, as soon as the little girl opened her eyes. Rebbi nodded, even if she was still a little bit embarrassed around him.

"Listen! - Continued the ferret - I want to tell you a very old story, that happened very far away from here, many, many, many years ago, that is still being told among us animals.

During that time, men and animals were friends and lived together. Only the eagle lived far away up on the highest peaks, he circled undisturbed, almost touching the clouds.

One day, a woman was cultivating her field and had put her baby to sleep in a little basket in the shade of a hedge. The same day a young eaglet, who had just learned to fly, was circling high above the field, and, having caught a glimpse of the baby who was asleep, turned aside to get a better look. He understood that he was a little man cub and wanted to ask him to play: he was tired of always being alone in the middle of the cliffs. So the eaglet came down, flew lower and lower, until he came to rest near the baby. During the flight to descend, however, he repeatedly passed in front of the sun, and each time he did, for a moment, he created a shadow on earth with his large wings. The mother of the child had seen the shadows, and had taken fright and called her husband. The man immediately ran over to them with a stick in his hand, and, without fully understanding why, only thinking to defend his son, he had struck the eaglet. The eaglet, aware of the incident, picked up his little wounded wings, and brought himself to safety, but he was very angry with man, because they were blind and could not manage to understand the intentions of others.

Since that day, unfortunately, man and eagles were no longer friends.

And from that day the Eagles never came again to the places inhabited by men and only look at them from above.

See how easy it is to ruin everything, all because of a misunderstanding? Only for failing to enter into communication with others?”

Rebecca thought about the story and nodded, because yes, it was true, and several times she had wished to ascertain. It can often be prevented with someone you perceive as evil before even giving them the chance to show how and who they are.

Once again Pigtail was right, the girl looked at him again, more and more convinced of his friendship and smiled at him.

At that moment, Richard arrived and joined them.

"Well - Pigtail said, without a moment's delay - come with me!”

The three headed into the woods, the ferret hopped among the trees at the edge of the path and the two children traveled on their skis down the narrow little road, as far as they could. Then they were forced to take off their skis and continue by walking, even if their boots prevented them from moving very fast.

After quite a bit of road the ferret stopped, turned and said:

"Now listen to me well. I was told that only those who had been able to recognize my hat could come to the village of the pixies, and it is true. It 's true, because it means that you are very careful and perceptive children.

But there is also another detail: to see the village of the pixies, you must pay close attention and concentrate well. It 's like watching a drawing done with a laser. If you do not concentrate to the fullest, you will only see a white surface that is shiny and silver, but if you look carefully you will discover shapes, colors, and all of the pixies marvelous world. Always remember what I said before to Rebecca: look with your eyes, but listen with your heart!

So now, watch out, because we are arriving!”

While saying this, the ferret climbed over one last little bump, walked around a large boulder and, in a small clearing, he stopped.

"Here we are! - He said - we have arrived!”

Chapter 2

Pixies village

At the last glimmer of the sun, which at this time was truly setting, the children saw logs, piles of snow, stalactites and stalagmites, small shrubs, dead branches, large leathery fungi, lichens and berries, all arranged in a certain mysterious order that they thought they recognized. Though, they could not figure out what it was. They focused and looked closer, then even a bit closer, then stared at each object so that one by one, all of the buildings and details of the village emerged in their eyes. It was a miniature village, a beautiful place! It looked like the village of the fairies!

There were small houses made of crystal, with windows already all lit up, there were lace curtains hung at the windows, there was even a castle and a cathedral whose pointed steeple seemed to be a small little visitor standing at attention, indeed, it was nothing more than the stalagmites that they had seen in the beginning. There were fountains and manicured gardens with water games; and, where the water was freezing cold, you could see the beautiful statues of ice. There were small trees, shrubs and flowers; there were fences with little arabesque gates that divided one garden from the other.

Richard and Rebecca could not believe their eyes.

This was nothing, because the wonder and amazement became even greater once the ferret called out to the pixies with a loud voice and they all peeped out their windows or rushed out of the doors of their houses to the gates of their gardens.

The pixies were really shiny and bright little beings, they also seemed almost transparent, like glass, some with small wings on their shoulders, many with little graceful faces, and small noses and chins that were pointed.

They also had little pointed caps, both males and females had long hair, although the females kept theirs a bit longer and, at times, it was pulled back into a ponytail or tied into braids. Even their ears were slightly pointed.

The children rushed to see the show with their eyes and mouths wide open in amazement, and hurried to quickly close their mouth and return their eyes to a normal size when Pigtail spoke:

"Good evening, dear little King of the pixies! Here are the humans who are trying to understand what is happening here and would like to help your people!”

Upon hearing the words of Pigtail, one of the small beings, young and with a crown on his head, walked over to inspect Richard and Rebecca, who in turn were watching him.

"Welcome - said the little king – we have been waiting for you anxiously! Fortunately Pigtail has finally managed to find the humans that could do something for us, because we are really desperate!”

"What happened to you? – asked Richard, who was already attached to the little pixies, even though he had just met them - and what can we do to help you?”

"Now I will explain! - said the king of the pixies, lowering his voice – Open your hand, I will climb up in there, and I will accompany you back a ways along the path to return home, so that Pigtail can bring me back easily. I'd rather talk with you in private, without anyone else hearing ... it is better to be careful ... you just never know ...”

And so, with caution and mystery, the small creature, first turned to his subjects telling them all to go inside and not to worry because he would return right away, then he climbed into the palm of Richards hand and invited him to retrace his steps, towards home. Richard and Rebecca looked questioningly at Pigtail, who made ​them an affirmative sign in agreement with his head, then turned their gaze back to the village of the pixies, not knowing if they would ever see them again, and trying to transmit this well to their eyes. They were also trying to move as gently as possible, so as not to raise the snow, making sure not to damage the enchanting place and its small inhabitants, and then they turned and began to retrace their steps back.

Once they were several meters away, the king of the pixies presented himself:

"My name is Gudrun - he said - and I must be able to understand what is happening to my village and my people, because it has been quite some time, that slowly, but always in greater numbers, my pixies are changing character, they are no longer how they used to be, they are becoming wicked and mischievous. They do not want to collaborate, when they work together; instead of helping each other they are disrespectful and they damage everything. If we have to continue like this, I do not know how our village will end up! Before, we were always in agreement and united, we did everything together! That is how we were able to build everything: houses, streets, gardens and even the cathedral and the castle, for which we had to be really organized and work in perfect harmony! It was like this every year, in the summer, we gathered all the supplies we needed for the winter! But now, not anymore! While we are planning or working, there is always someone who comes and starts to disturb, doing things backwards, the mischief-maker, and any work or any project never amounts to anything! And that's not all! Sometimes it happens that some of the pixies suddenly disappear and you can’t figure out where they went! In all of this confusion there is no way of knowing which of the pixies are good and which ones are becoming or have already become bad, also because, at some point, they leave and where do they go. If they are questioned directly, in fact, or if they are asked the things you want to know, or why they have behaved badly, they deny everything and only tell a bunch of lies!

The few, like me, who can still be trusted and who have not been affected by this strange fate, are by now desperate and do not know how to find a remedy to this disgrace! We need your help, children, I beg you, can you give it to us?”

Richard and Rebecca did not have to really consult to make the decision, and both answered in unison: "Gudrun, of course, there is no doubt!”

"Thank you, thank you very much! - cried the little king of the pixies, finally a bit relieved - So, I will wait for you tomorrow morning to start the research. Pigtail will accompany you back up to us and together we will try to figure out what can be done. I will wait for you a bit outside of the village, so we can devise our plan without anyone hearing or seeing us! As long as things are not clear, no one is to be trusted! Now, children, go, run to your house because your mom will be waiting! Good night and see you tomorrow!”

As he was saying this, the little pixie jumped out of the hand of Richard, he dove into the snow and walking quickly toward the woods, disappearing into the darkness. The children and Pigtail rushed to the ski slope and then they parted, giving way for the meeting for the next day. Then also Pigtail disappeared into the woods, to go and recover Gudrun and give him a faster ride into his village.

Richard and Rebecca put their skis back on and made the descent faster than ever before in their life towards their mother and father who were waiting for them, already really worried, because on the slopes there was no one anywhere.

"Mom, Dad – the children were shouting, aimed at their parents - do not get angry and do not yell at us, please! We had to stay a little longer than expected, we will explain later, now let’s run to the house because we are very hungry…"

"All right - said the father - for now get in the car and we will go down into town, after dinner we'll talk!”

To be continued...