The Blue Bird of Happiness

By S.M. Shigemitsu

Cursed by an angry fairy king, Princess Jana is ill, and her brother, Prince Lander, disappears. A few years later, Tyltyl encounters an old fairy who tells him of a quest: unless the princess has the Blue Bird of Happiness, she will die on Christmas Day. With a magic diamond, Tyltyl, his sister Mytyl, their dog, cat, and a guide, the five travel to the fairy realm to find the Blue Bird of Happiness. But they had to hurry, for they began their journey on Christmas Eve.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.M. Shigemitsu
• Release date: Mar 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215520789

S.M. Shigemitsu

Born to Japanese immigrants in Calgary, S.M. Shigemitsu grew up in Edmonton. She worked overseas as a teacher in Mongolia, Japan, and Bangladesh. She presently resides in Canada. “The Blue Bird of Happiness” is her first book published.

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The Blue Bird of Happiness

A retelling of Maurice Maeterlinck’s

The Blue Bird

S.M. Shigemitsu

Chapter 1 – A Prince and a Princess

In the West was a small kingdom called Mehrchen, where a king and queen ruled from their castle in the city of Berlingot. The king and queen could not have children for many years.

The queen became sad, fearing that she had failed her duty as a woman, and asked the fairies for ideas and ways to have a child. However, even the fairies did not know how to help the queen. After inquiring about nearly every fairy in the kingdom, the queen gave up. She would have asked the evil fairies and witches who dabbled in things of a dark, hidden world, but the king and his advisors strongly went against that idea.

One day, the queen sat on a swing that hung from a large apple tree in the palace garden. A little girl who was the gardener’s daughter approached her and said, If your majesty had met my fairy godfather, he surely could bless you with a child.

When the queen asked the little girl who her fairy godfather was, she answered, He is the king of fairies. He adopted me when I found him in the woods.

Excited by the news, the queen got the directions to the woods and searched for the king of fairies.

Taking a small entourage, the queen travelled to the woods at the edge of her kingdom. She left her entourage and went further into the woods on foot. Then, just as the little girl taught her, she called, Fairy king, fairy king, please come and meet me.

A warm, gentle wind blew through the trees. Birds sang into an exciting chorus as small animals from the woods gathered at the foot of trees and high in tree branches. The queen sensed a majestic presence when she turned and saw the fairy king.

He looked nothing like the fairies the queen had previously encountered. He wore soft robes woven with spider webs trimmed with soft birds down. His shirt was the colour of cream; his breeches were dove-grey with a belt of braided ivy holding it in place, and his feet were covered with boots made from what looked like soft velvet the colour of reindeer antlers.

His physical features were even more curious. He had short, fluffy, and snowy hair. His amber-coloured eyes were arresting and wild but gentle and bright as the sun. His skin was dark, like the colour of walnut. Despite his strange appearance, the king was breathtakingly beautiful with almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and high cheekbones. He was both young and ancient at the same time.

What brings you to see me, child? he asked.

The queen told the fairy king her desire to have children. He listened until the queen finished.

You will be blessed with a child if you do two things for me.

The queen eagerly answered that she would grant those requests.

Lander, the fairy king called.

A young boy appeared behind the trees and stood beside the fairy king. The boy seemed to be about five years old. He shared similar features as his father except for his eyes, blue as the summer sky.

This is my son, Lander, the Fairy king introduced him to the queen.

My first request is that you would take him as your own and let him live with you in your household. He is to learn the ways of man, and in return, he will teach you and your people the ways of the fairies. My second request is that you would make me the godfather of your entire household. I will watch over and bless your family and your kingdom. I will provide your needs freely if you ask me.

The queen looked at the fairy prince, who shared his father’s features. She briefly hesitated, for there never were dark-skinned people in the kingdom, yet because her desire for a child was so great, she agreed. And so, the queen returned to the castle with young Lander.

At first, the people of the castle shied away from him, unsure of how to react to the foreign-looking boy, but when the servants learned of his kind nature, they approached him with respect. Soon everyone in the castle got to know the young boy, and they all fell in love with him.

One year since Lander came to the castle, the queen finally had a child—a beautiful little girl they named ‘Jana.’ She had a crown of golden locks; her eyes were blue but later became green like summer fields; her skin was fair with a rosebud mouth. Though some advisors voiced their concern that Jana was not a boy who could take the throne, it did not bother the king. The royal couple finally have a child of their own! As years passed, the prince and the princess grew up together as brother and sister, and they loved each other’s company.

Then, one day, Princess Jana was given a special ball in honour of her eighth birthday. The king invited all the nobles and royal relatives from neighbouring kingdoms to come and celebrate the princess’s birthday. At the ball, Jana met other young princes and princesses who had a life quite different from her own.

Why does your brother look so strange? one of the princesses asked Jana.

He looks nothing like anyone from your family. He doesn’t even look like one of us, addressed one of the princes.

Well, Lander is my brother. He looks different because he is adopted into my family, Jana explained.

And what do you like to do? another princess, the eldest of the group, asked.

Lander and I play in the woods and castle grounds. Jana continued, We find beautiful things like baby birds in their nests, new flowers in spring, and fresh berries in summer. We once saw a doe and her fawn one winter; it was enchanting!

The other princes and princesses looked at each other. Then turned to her and said, We think it’s better to play together—without Prince Lander.

But Lander and I always play together, Jana argued.

Little Jana is a baby and needs her big brother to hold her hand! someone teased.

She is like those other girls; you know, the ones who are filthy and smelly because they look after pigs and geese, another person commented.

She’s a goose girl! Quack! Quack!

Honk! Honk!

No, she’d be a pig girl! Piggy! Piggy! Oink! Oink!

In that case, she’d smell! At that comment, the entire group withdrew from Jana, holding their noses while fanning their faces with their free hands.

I am not a pig! And I am not a goose! Jana stamped her foot in anger.

Oh, look at her! This goose thinks she is a princess! Goosy! Goosy! More laughter erupted from the group.

As Jana shot back at them, hot tears filled her eyes. Stop it! Stop it!

If you want us to stop, you must leave your brother. The eldest prince pointed out.

But... a tear trickled down her cheek, I love my brother.

Someone snorted. She loves her brother! What a sap!

Royal brothers and sisters are not supposed to love each other. If they love each other, they need to share the throne!

And who would do such a foolish thing? There is only one throne per kingdom!

Go on! Go to your brother!

Jana ran to her brother Lander, now a youth, speaking to a group of older, learned men.

Jana, what’s wrong? Lander asked the moment she threw herself at