User:Ubcoenglish212kro/sandbox

=Plot= The story begins with the introduction of a young fairy who is a good fairy for the most part, with only one bad habit: she loves to judge others. One day the fairy makes some unkind judgements about her friends, and her mother tells her she needs to see and experience more of the world in order to become nicer. The young fairy is happy to set out on her journey, and bids goodbye to her mother and her nurse.

The fairy flies until she comes upon a large meadow by a river and a grove of tall oak trees. The fairy notices her shoes have begun to grow shabby and decides to craft some new slippers from the petals of a yellow snapdragon. As she is flying back to the tree, she discovers a young, miserable-looking lark sitting on the grass. When the fairy asks the lark why he looks so sad, he informs her that he wants to build a nest, but has no wife. The fairy tells the lark to sing and fly around to search for a wife, but the lark confesses that he cannot because is ashamed of his claws, which he feels are too large and scary-looking. The fairy suggests he pulls off his claws, and upon the lark's declaration that he has tried, the fairy tells him he must be mean if he has such awful claws. The fairy tells the lark that nothing is given without a use and she wants to know what it is. He denies knowing the cause for his claws and begs the fairy to tell his friends that he is not a bad bird, but the fairy refuses.

After the fairy returns to her tree, a grasshopper tries to console the lark. The grasshopper says he will tell everyone about the lark's friendliness, but also confesses that he wants to know the reason for the lark's talons. Again, the lark denies knowing why he has huge claws, and the grasshopper leaves to spread the word. The lark is so overjoyed that he flies into the air and sings a beautiful song that catches the ears of all the animals in the vicinity, including a pretty female lark. The female lark remarks on the beauty of the song, and the grasshopper sitting nearby is quick to inform her of the male lark's good temper. When the lark returns from singing his song he is introduced to the pretty lark by the grasshopper. The lark asks the female if she is willing to overlook his large talons and be his wife. She considers it, and declares that she prefers his large claws, although is she is unsure of the reason.

The birds get married and build a lovely nest in the grass, and the lark forgets about his claws. The fairy has flown from field to field and continues to say unkind things to everyone. One afternoon she returns to the oak to make a new pair of shoes from the snapdragon. Once there, she spots the grasshopper and the two get into a discussion about the lark and his mate. The fairy refers to the lark as quarrelsome and is rebuked by the grasshopper. The grasshopper ignores the fairy's rudeness and invites her to view the larks' eggs in their nest. They set off and find the female lark sitting unhappily upon her eggs. The grasshopper asks why she is so upset and she tells them about the farmer and his son who wish to cut the grass in the meadow, and will soon discover her eggs. The male lark returns and upon his wife’s sad explanation, he examines his large talons thoughtfully. The fairy scoffs at his lack of care towards his mate, but then the lark grasps one of the eggs in his large talon. The lark realizes the reason for his large claws, and is able to assist his mate and move all of the eggs to a safe spot.

The grasshopper cheers and celebrates, but the fairy doesn't say anything. She feels ashamed of herself for judging the larks and steals away quietly gently away, knowing in her mind that she was wrong about her judgement.

=Character Descriptions= The Fairy: young and judgmental, sets out to travel the world and develop compassion.

The Lark: a gentle bird that can sing beautifully, but is ashamed of his large talons and is worried he will never find a wife.

The Female Lark: a sweet, pretty bird that marries the male lark and becomes concerned that her eggs will be damaged.

The Grasshopper: a kind friend to the lark who spreads word of his good character and introduces the lark to his future wife.

The Fairy’s Mother: concerned about her daughter’s unkind judgements and sends her to travel and see the world.

The Nurse: only briefly mentioned as the young fairy is departing, she gives the fairy gifts for her travels.