Are Fairies real?
17:30 Share

And now it's time for Who Smarted? Oh, hey, smarty pants. You caught me waking up from a smarty nap.

Oh, wow. Gotta say, I feel much better. And now I can start the... Whoa! I just looked at myself in the mirror and I have one serious case of bedhead. You know, when your hair is all crazy and matted down and, you know, knotted up from sleeping. Oh, that's not bedhead. Those tangles are fairy knots. I would know because I tied them myself while you were sleeping. Whoa, who's there? Who's talking to me?

Come out where I can see you. Nah. What do you mean, nah? Isn't it cool to hide in the dark in someone's bedroom and talk to them after tying their hair in knots? You make a good point, trusty narrator. But what can I say? Fairies don't like to be seen by humans. Uh, did you say fairies? That's right, smarty pants. Hey, that's my word. Come out now and show yourself. Let's go. Fine. Here I am. And there I go.

As you can see, and then not see, fairies have the ability to appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. Wait, do that again. I can see you. No, I can't.

And now you're laughing at me. Okay, that's enough. Do you have a name, or do I just call you Fairy? The name's Stinkerbell, but you can call me Stink. Mm-hmm. I don't suppose your name is meant to deliberately sound like Tinkerbell, the famous fairy from Peter Pan? I don't know. Ask the writer. But what I can tell you is, I'm called Stinkerbell because, like some fairies, I can be a little stinker. Which

which means I can be pretty mischievous when I want to be and play tricks on humans. Lucky me. You are lucky because I am well-versed in fairy lore and I just love to tell people everything I know about fae, which you may not know is another word for fairies. Ah, now you're talking, Stink. That's great. Smarty Pants, how would you like to dive into the mythical, magical...

magical world of fairies and learn things like where do fairies live? What are fairies' magical powers? And has anyone, other than me right now, ever actually seen a fairy? Oh boy, get ready for a little stinker of a whiff of science and history on Who's Smarted? Who's Smarted? Who's Smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science? Or history? History!

Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun on Who's Smarted? It is estimated that over 4 million people have been abducted by alien life forms, but only one of them asked for it. This is Elio of Earth. If any aliens are listening, come and get me. From Disney and Pixar. Yes, please.

Okay, okay, enough with the appearing and disappearing. Pick one. Fine, I will remain a mystery.

You do realize this is a podcast. None of the smarty pants can see you. But whatever, suit yourself. What I want to know is, what exactly is a fairy? That's easy. Fairies are, by and large, tiny creatures that can stay invisible and only appear to humans who genuinely believe in fairies, or are specifically chosen by us. Really? So you chose to reveal yourself to me? Relax. You were the only one home. Never mind. What else can you tell us about fairies?

Some of us have wings and can fly. A lot of us love nature. Some of us want to help humans, while others like to stir up trouble. But either way, magical creatures like fairies have appeared in mythology and folklore from all over the world since ancient times, although the word fairy first appeared in the Middle Ages.

Wow, sounds like people have been imagining fairies for a very long time. Imagining? Yes, imagining. There's no way this is really happening. Whatever. Whether real or imagined, fairies are pretty popular. That's why people love fairy tales, which are stories with magical creatures in enchanted places. Ooh, smarty pants. Can you name some famous fairy tales that have famous fairies in them? Go ahead, shout some out.

Ah, I heard the Fairy Godmothers from Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, the Sugar Plum Fairy from the ballet The Nutcracker, and your favorite and mine, the Tooth Fairy. Ah, you like the Tooth Fairy, huh? Uh, yeah. Who doesn't love a magical fairy who trades the lost baby tooth under your pillow for cold hard cash?

I am kind of curious what she does with the teeth she collects. Sorry, that's a trade secret. Please, please, please. Fine. She grinds them up to make fairy dust. But you didn't hear it from me. Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. And you too, smarty pants. Shh. Don't tell anyone.

But now I'm wondering, what's fairy dust used for? All kinds of stuff. For example, if I sprinkle you with fairy dust, you'll be transported to fairy land, deep in the heart of the Pixie Forest. Really? That sounds like fun! Can we go? Please, please, please? Eh, why not? Oh, wow. This place is amazing! Ah, there you are, Stink. Yep. There's no need for me to hide in fairy land. I gotta say, now that I can see you clearly, you're really, really shiny.

Oh, yeah. Fairies love bling. Pretty shiny objects like jewelry, gems, pennies, glitter. The shinier, the better.

Anyway, welcome to Pixie Forest. Oh, and just FYI, pixies are a type of fairy from English folklore. They have pointed ears, like to play pranks, and they will do anything to protect nature, like this forest. I see. So, do most fairies live in forests? Well, a lot of us do live in forests and meadows. We love moss, the green plant that grows on trees and rocks, and some of us can communicate with plants and animals. Hello?

That's why we're sometimes called nature spirits. But where we live depends a lot on what type of fairy we are. Oh, I didn't realize there were different types of fairies. Did you know that, Smarty Pants? The fairies with wings tend to live in the sky. Then there's water sprites, which is another word for fairies, that live in rivers, lakes, and streams.

And then there are fairies who like to hide in houses. Really? What do they do? You know, they protect the house and do housework and chores like washing dishes and doing laundry while the family who lives there is asleep. What? I want a fairy in my house cleaning and doing dishes and laundry. How do I get one of those? Oh, I thought we were just imaginary, remember? Right. Anyway, what's the delicious smell?

Whoa, is that a buffet of delicious fairy treats? I see yummy cakes, fruit, milk? Yep, those are some of our favorite foods and drinks. Mind if I borrow a fairy donut? I haven't had breakfast yet. You can, trusty. But just be warned, if a human eats or drinks in Fairyland, you won't be allowed to go back home. What? That's crazy. Smarty Pants, did you know about that? Hey, I didn't make the rules. I'm just saying.

Never mind. I can wait to eat. What else can you tell me about fairies? Let's see. Did you know that in Irish and Scottish folklore, the she or fairy folk hang around fairy hills that are entrances to a magical otherworld? I did not know that. Did you, Smarty Pants? There's a lot of folklore about fairies from Ireland and Scotland. Oh, yeah? Like what? Like, according to one legend, humans defeated fairies in a big battle thousands of years ago.

and fairies were banished to the fairy world. Some people thought this made fairies angry, which is why in Ireland and Scotland, people tried to get on a fairy's good side by calling them a nice name. Smartypants, can you guess the name? Are fairies called A, the Grand Wee Ones, B, the Good People, or C, the Magical Mates?

The answer is... B. The good people. But fairies aren't people. Don't be so literal. Say, did you know in some forests and meadows in Ireland, there are these fairy trails for fairies to travel through? If you or the smarty pants are ever in Ireland, you can visit them. Ooh, that sounds fun. Sometimes you'll see miniature fairy doors or toadstools in people's gardens or homes to welcome fairies.

Fairies love toadstools, and people want to be nice to us so we bring them good luck and don't play tricks on them. Hmm, maybe if I fill my house with toadstools, I can get one of those housekeeping fairies to come and do the laundry? I wouldn't count on it. Right. Say, Stink, a little fellow just appeared, and he's staring at me. He's dressed all in green with a buckled hat, a long pointy beard, a pipe, and he is holding a shamrock. Why, that's the most famous type of fairy in Ireland.

Smarty Pants, can you guess what they're called? The answer is coming up right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Hey parents, Trusty here with something really smart for your Smarty Pants. I've got nieces, nephews, and close family friends, some homeschooled, some traditional school. And lately, there's one tool they all seem to be using, iXL.

One of my nephews was really struggling with reading comprehension. His parents tried IXL, and within a couple of weeks, he was not only keeping up, he was excited to read. Then my niece, who's super into math, started exploring topics way beyond her grade level. That's the beauty of IXL. It's flexible. Kids can move at their own pace in any subject across any grade.

A friend's daughter loves the instant feedback and little rewards. It's fun, not stressful. And the parents, they love how easy it is to find the exact topic they're covering that week.

iXcel is organized, saves them time, and actually helps the kids feel more confident. If you're homeschooling or just want to supplement what your child is learning in traditional school, iXcel is a game changer. Get 20% off at iXcel.com slash smarted with the code smarted. That's iXcel.com slash smarted, code smarted.

Learning that's flexible, fun, and perfect for your smarty pants. That's IXL. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. So I'll be honest, I put off building our new website for way too long. I think part of me was waiting for the perfect moment or thought I needed to hire someone or take a design course or something. Total nonsense, because then I tried Squarespace. And yeah, I was hooked in an hour.

Squarespace is this all-in-one platform that makes it ridiculously easy to bring an idea to life online, whether you're starting a business, launching a project, or just want to finally claim your little corner of the internet. I used it to build a clean professional site in a weekend. No coding, no overwhelm, just drag, drop, done.

I used their Blueprint AI tool to start, and it generated a smart, customized layout just from a few questions about what we do. So if you've been waiting to launch your site, this is your sign. Head to squarespace.com slash smarted for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use code SMARTED to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Now back to Who Smarted.

Smarty Pants, any idea what the most famous type of fairy in Ireland is called? Here's a hint. They love hiding gold at the end of a rainbow. It's none other than a leprechaun. Yep, leprechauns are fairies too. And do you know what a leprechaun's job is in fairyland? Hmm, I'm not sure. Do you know, Smarty Pants? Are they A, chefs, B, software engineers, or C, shoemakers?

The answer is...

When they're not hiding their gold or playing tricks on humans. I see. Also, he's still staring at me. Does that mean he wants to play a trick on me? No, I think he's confused by your plain ugly sneakers. Hey, these are very comfortable sneakers, I'll have you know. He say, oh yay, I'd yay easy, and yay oh yay, easy rainbow ray. Whoa, what did he say? He said, see you at the end of the rainbow. Oh.

But he said it in fairy speak, which is a magical language fairies use to communicate. I see. So, Stink, what other magical powers do fairies have? So many. Good fairies can bring luck, grant wishes, break curses, create magical potions, guide people who are lost, and protect people, especially children. Ooh, just like the smarty pants. Sounds like fairies are mostly good. Yes, exactly.

But not always. You don't want to get on the bad side of a mischievous fairy by disrespecting nature, being rude, entering their world uninvited, or using this metal around them because it makes them feel sick and weakens their magic. Smartypants, do you know what metal fairies fear? Is it A, iron, B, titanium, or C, steel? The answer is A, iron.

Iron makes fairies run and hide, not to mention get pretty angry. If you offend fairies, they can become little stinkers and hide belongings, break plates, or make scary noises. They can even make people lose track of the time. Speaking of, what time is it? It's time for a dance party.

Fairies love to listen to music and dance, dance, dance. There are actually fairy rings, or dark green circles that appear in meadows and grassy areas. People believe the rings were created from fairies dancing. Right, but it turns out scientists discovered those circles are actually caused by a fungus. What?

Sorry to be a party pooper. Okay, last and most important question. Has anyone ever seen a fairy who wasn't the narrator of Who Smarted? There have been accounts of people reporting seeing fairies. They say the best time to see a fairy is at dusk on the night of a full moon. Or at sunrise. But the truth is, science has never proved that fairies exist. But that's okay, because I love living in people's imaginations.

You know, you're not such a stinker after all, stinkertel. I'll never forget my time here in Fairyland. But I better get back before I eat something and get stuck here forever. A big shout out to a dynamic duo of smarty fans, Harper and Harrison in Phoenix, Arizona. We're so glad you have lots of fun listening to all the Who Smarted episodes and that you love learning and experiencing new things. Keep up the smartness, you two.

This episode, Fairies, was written by Leanne Fairyland French and voiced by Taya Nomalone-Garland, Mischievous Max Kamaski, and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hobgoblin-Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Waterspring Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Darkwoods-Davis, whose Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production. ♪

Too smart.