Fairyling

Alexandroff softened his heart a little to the pretty fairies and fairylings whom he had once despised.

When the Spirit of Christmas determined to call / Lovely legions of playmates to join in the ball, / Then the hollybush fairylings pricked at the legs / Of the Rogers and Lucys and Normans and Megs; / And the mistletoe fairylings fluttered about / On the chance of defeating some little girl’s pout / And persuading her apple-cheeked partner to dare / What the season allowed him to snatch from the fair!

When the fairies leaped into the air to cheer, Ralph leaped convincingly along with them. Then Cecil and his crew bid their farewells, with Fuchsia leaving to tend to the fairylings.