§475

‘In the cool of an Autumn evening, just on dusk, I stood by the edge of a mountain pool. A dozen or more dragonflies flitted lazily across the surface of the water. Some landed on lilly-pads while others clung to the branches of reeds. I stood under a huge willow tree. Looking up amongst the branches I noticed three dragonflies that did not move in the stiff, regulated darting patterns like the rest. They were more rhythmic and fluid and swarmed around each other in an almost synchronized dance. One of them flew down and buzzed passed my left ear. As it did so I distinctly heard the playful almost mocking high pitched laugh of a child. I spun to look behind me for the source but I was completely alone. When I looked back into the tree, the remaining two unusual dragonflies flew directly out across the surface of the pond and disappeared amidst the rest of the insects. I returned several times since but have never had the experience again.’ ‘Mocking laughter, like catch me if you can.’ ‘[Area has no] reputation for fairies but locals do tell stories of strange sounds and lights at night or on stormy days.’ ‘Small winged creatures about three-inches long that sounded like children playing. Hmmm, sounds like fairies to me!’ ‘If they exist at all, I would have to say they are the remnants of a time long gone. It is hard to believe that some eighth-century German storyteller could come up with tales of fae creatures like fairies, elves, pixies, nymphs, dryads, dwarves and gnomes, without some sort of inspiration. I firmly believe that inspiration came from first-hand accounts. Furthermore, I fully believe that if we were looking in right places we could find fossilized evidence of the existence of such creatures in antiquity.’