Flower Fairies of Autumn: Poetry and Illustrations by Cicely Mary Barker

Let me invite you again to the cheerful and wonderful world of Flower Fairies created by the worldwide-known British illustration artist and poet Cicely Mary Barker (1895-1973). Born in Croydon, a suburb of London, Cicely Mary Barker showed an early talent for drawing and painting. Her mother supported her artistic abilities, and the girl attended the…

Flower Fairies of Autumn: Poetry and Illustrations by Cicely Mary Barker

Let me invite you again to the cheerful and wonderful world of Flower Fairies created by the worldwide-known British illustration artist and poet Cicely Mary Barker (1895-1973).

Born in Croydon, a suburb of London, Cicely Mary Barker showed an early talent for drawing and painting. Her mother supported her artistic abilities, and the girl attended the Croydon School of Art. In 1923, she began creating her Flower Fairies series, for which she is best known. It is a collection of books featuring a whole universe of fairies associated with different flowers, plants, and trees. Not only did she illustrate them, but she also wrote poems to accompany her illustrations.

Barker’s art was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, which emphasized the importance of craftsmanship and traditional techniques. She used watercolors to create tender and detailed illustrations, and her artwork often features naturalistic elements like leaves, flowers, and insects. Barker’s poetry and illustrations aimed to capture nature’s beauty and magic, encouraging children to appreciate and cherish the natural world around them. And they really do, enchanting readers and artists through time and generations.

In one of the previous posts, I’ve already featured a bunch of her Alphabet Flower Fairies here. This time, let’s dive into the atmosphere of bright and cosy autumn: check the collection of illustrations of Autumn Flower Fairies and read the poems about them. Enjoy and get inspired!

The Nightshade Berry Fairy

“You see my berries, how they gleam and glow,
Clear ruby-red, and green, and orange-yellow;
Do they not tempt you, fairies, dangling so?”
The fairies shake their heads and answer “No!
You are a crafty fellow!”
“What, won’t you try them? There is naught to pay!

Why should you think my berries poisoned things?
You fairies may look scared and fly away—
The children will believe me when I say
My fruit is fruit for kings!”
But all good fairies cry in anxious haste,
“O children, do not taste!”

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Crab-Apple Fairy

Crab-apples, Crab-apples, out in the wood,
Little and bitter, yet little and good!
The apples in orchards, so rosy and fine,
Are children of wild little apples like mine.
The branches are laden, and droop to the ground;

The fairy-fruit falls in a circle around;
Now all you good children, come gather them up:
They’ll make you sweet jelly to spread when you sup.

One little apple I’ll catch for myself;
I’ll stew it, and strain it, to store on a shelf
In four or five acorn-cups, locked with a key
In a cupboard of mine at the root of the tree.

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Beechnut Fairy

O the great and happy Beech,
Glorious and tall!
Changing with the changing months,
Lovely in them all:

Lovely in the leafless time,
Lovelier in green;
Loveliest with golden leaves
And the sky between,

When the nuts are falling fast,
Thrown by little me—
Tiny things to patter down
From a forest tree!

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Hazel-Nut Fairy

Slowly, slowly, growing
While I watched them well,
See, my nuts have ripened;
Now I’ve news to tell.
I will tell the Squirrel,
“Here’s a store for you;
But, kind Sir, remember
The Nuthatch likes them too.”

I will tell the Nuthatch,
“Now, Sir, you may come;
Choose your nuts and crack them,
But leave the children some.”
I will tell the children,
“You may take your share;
Come and fill your pockets,
But leave a few to spare.”

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Elderberry Fairy

Tread quietly:
O people, hush!
—For don’t you see
A spotted thrush,
One thrush or two,
Or even three,
In every laden elder-tree?

They pull and lug,
They flap and push,
They peck and tug
To strip the bush;
They have forsaken
Snail and slug;
Unseen I watch them, safe and snug!

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Wayfaring Tree Fairy

My shoots are tipped with buds as dusty-grey
As ancient pilgrims toiling on their way.

Like Thursday’s child with far to go, I stand,
All ready for the road to Fairyland;

With hood, and bag, and shoes, my name to suit,
And in my hand my gorgeous-tinted fruit.

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Rose Hip Fairy

Cool dewy morning,
Blue sky at noon,
White mist at evening,
And large yellow moon;

Blackberries juicy
For staining of lips;
And scarlet, O scarlet
The Wild Rose Hips!

Gay as a gipsy
All Autumn long,
Here on the hedge-top
This is my song.

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Horse Chestnut Fairy

My conkers, they are shiny things,
And things of mighty joy,
And they are like the wealth of kings
To every little boy;
I see the upturned face of each
Who stands around the tree:
He sees his treasure out of reach,
But does not notice me.

For love of conkers bright and brown,
He pelts the tree all day;
With stones and sticks he knocks them down,
And thinks it jolly play.
But sometimes I, the elf, am hit
Until I’m black and blue;
O laddies, only wait a bit,
I’ll shake them down to you!

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Acorn Fairy

To English folk the mighty oak
Is England’s noblest tree;
Its hard-grained wood is strong and good
As English hearts can be.
And would you know how oak-trees grow,
The secret may be told:
You do but need to plant for seed
One acorn in the mould;
For even so, long years ago,
Were born the oaks of old.

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Dogwood Fairy

I was a warrior,
When, long ago,
Arrows of Dogwood
Flew from the bow.
Passers-by, nowadays,
Go up and down,
Not one remembering
My old renown.
Yet when the Autumn sun
Colours the trees,
Should you come seeking me,
Know me by these:
Bronze leaves and crimson leaves,
Soon to be shed;
Dark little berries,
On stalks turning red.

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The White Bryony Fairy

Have you seen at Autumn-time
Fairy-folk adorning
All the hedge with necklaces,
Early in the morning?
Green beads and red beads
Threaded on a vine:
Is there any handiwork
Prettier than mine?

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Black Bryony Fairy

Bright and wild and beautiful
For the Autumn festival,
I will hang from tree to tree
Wreaths and ropes of Bryony,
To the glory and the praise
Of the sweet September days.

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Blackberry Fairy

My berries cluster black and thick
For rich and poor alike to pick.

I’ll tear your dress, and cling, and tease,
And scratch your hands and arms and knees.

I’ll stain your fingers and your face,
And then I’ll laugh at your disgrace.

But when the bramble-jelly’s made,
You’ll find your trouble well repaid.

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Privet Fairy

Here in the wayside hedge I stand,
And look across the open land;
Rejoicing thus, unclipped and free,
I think how you must envy me,
O garden Privet, prim and neat,
With tidy gravel at your feet!

(In early summer the Privet has spikes of very strongly-scented white flowers.)

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Sloe Fairy

When Blackthorn blossoms leap to sight,
They deck the hedge with starry light,
In early Spring
When rough winds blow,
Each promising
A purple sloe.

And now is Autumn here, and lo,
The Blackthorn bears the purple sloe!
But ah, how much
Too sharp these plums,
Until the touch
Of Winter comes!

(The sloe is a wild plum. One bite will set your teeth on edge until it has been mellowed by frost; but it is not poisonous.)

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Hawthorn Fairy

These thorny branches bore the May
So many months ago,
That when the scattered petals lay
Like drifts of fallen snow,
“This is the story’s end,” you said;
But O, not half was told!
For see, my haws are here instead,
And hungry birdies shall be fed
On these when days are cold.

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Mountain Ash Fairy

They thought me, once, a magic tree
Of wondrous lucky charm,
And at the door they planted me
To keep the house from harm.

They have no fear of witchcraft now,
Yet here am I today;
I’ve hung my berries from the bough,
And merrily I say:

“Come, all you blackbirds, bring your wives,
Your sons and daughters too;
The finest banquet of your lives
Is here prepared for you.”

(The Mountain Ash’s other name is Rowan; and it used to be called Witchentree and Witch-wood too.)

(Cicely Mary Barker)

The Michaelmas Daisy Fairy

“Red Admiral, Red Admiral,
I’m glad to see you here,
Alighting on my daisies one by one!
I hope you like their flavour
and although the Autumn’s near,
Are happy as you sit there in the sun?”

“I thank you very kindly, Sir!
Your daisies are so nice,
So pretty and so plentiful are they;
The flavour of their honey, Sir,
it really does entice;
I’d like to bring my brothers, if I may!”

“Friend butterfly, friend butterfly,
go fetch them one and all!
I’m waiting here to welcome every guest;
And tell them it is Michaelmas,
and soon the leaves will fall,
But I think Autumn sunshine is the best!”

(Cicely Mary Barker)

Perhaps, you will also like other posts about book arts: