🌳 The Fairy of the Olive Tree

Once upon a time, in a quiet Greek village by the sea, there grew an olive tree so old that no one remembered when it had been planted. Its trunk was wide and twisted, its roots as deep as the earth itself, and its branches spread like arms welcoming the sky.

The villagers believed the tree was guarded by a Neráida, a fairy of shimmering beauty, with hair the color of golden wheat and eyes as green as the leaves. At night, she was said to dance among the branches, singing songs that made the olives swell with sweetness.

The people loved the tree and cared for it, and in return, the fairy blessed them with rich harvests, healthy children, and homes filled with laughter. But she had one rule: never harm the olive tree.

One day, a greedy villager decided he would cut it down and sell the wood for money. The others warned him:“Beware the fairy of the olive tree! Her anger is as sharp as her blessings are sweet.”

But he laughed at them and struck the trunk with his axe. That very night, black clouds gathered, and a furious storm swept through the village. His crops were ruined, his animals vanished, and his house shook as if the earth itself rejected him.

From that day on, no one ever dared harm the olive tree again. The villagers still say, when the wind rustles through its silver leaves, it is the fairy’s voice whispering:“Respect the gifts of the earth, and they will bless you forever.”

And so, the olive tree stands tall, eternal, a living bond between the people and the Neráida who guards it.