Once upon a time, in a far away magical land where the Happy Shining People lived, there was a girl named Glue. She wasn't always named Glue, but over time, as she worked her magic to bring people together, everyone called her that, and the name stuck.
But, as it is everywhere, even in magical far away lands, though Glue was very much beloved by the Happy Shining People, there were still some that were discontent with Glue's popularity and kind-heartedness.
"She has no right to be so carefree!" they grumbled, "Doesn't she know that life is serious? She shouldn't be using her magic to bring people together! She should be using her magic for more serious things!"
But Glue, confident of her abilities to make everyone happy, worked especially hard to make these folks content and as joyful as she. For these creatures were not bad nor evil, but merely saw the world differently and didn't understand that for Glue, bringing joy to the world was a very serious job, and just as important as anything they deemed "proper".
One day, after a terrible storm, and all the people of the Happy Shining Lands were out helping resort their farmlands and towns to rights, Glue's infectious laugh and cheerful demeanor grated upon her distracters' nerves.
"Doesn't she know how serious the storm is?" they raged, "she's too flighty! She needs something to stable her. We wish that she could feel the tragedy of loss! We wish that she would feel the hurt and the sadness that is in this world!"
However, with Glue's goodness and the love of the people of the Shining Lands over her, the wish was not tremendously effective. But it did work in its own way, and Glue became unhappy. She had many friends, and everyone loved her, but yet...still...the wish, as weak as it was, was able to block off something within her that just wouldn't allow her to be like everyone else.
Oh, that's not to say that Glue was sad all the time, but her ringing cheerful laughter was replaced by a slow sad smile. The twinkle in her bright eyes was now gone, and her once skipping run, was replaced with a sedate, quiet walk.
Unable to bear seeing their friend like this, Chuckles, Pink and Nook gather together to decide what to do.
"Maybe she just needs some more cuddling," Nook suggested, "if we show her how much we love her, maybe she will feel better!"
"No, I don't think that would work," Pink said, looking thoughtful, "I think we may have to go on a Quest!"
"A Quest?" Chuckles exclaimed, "you mean, we have to leave the Happy Shining Land? Oh no!"
"I agree with Pink," Nook said, "it seems like the only thing to do! The doctors and magicians in all the land have tried everything. There is nothing that can help Glue here. We have to venture forth and find a cure for her!"
So, with a tearful farewell, the intrepid three friends left the Happy Shining Land, in search of a cure...
They traveled all over the known world, but when their search turned fruitless, they bought more supplies and went to lands that they have never heard of before. They were ragged from a year of travelling by the time they arrived at the outer reaches of the Eastern Lands. There, they found funny little people, running around, always busy like little ants. It was here that they found the little store.
As stores go, it was not much to look at. Small and brown, with dusty windows, they almost walked past it, but something about this unobtrusive little store intrigued them and drew them to it.
When they went in, they found a funny little man with a long beard and shallow cheeks. His eyes are so dark that it seemed to absorb all the light that was coming in from the doorway. So still was he, that for a moment, they thought that he was a statue.
"Welcome to my shop, young travelers," he said, startling them. "You are on a Quest, are you not?"
"Why yes we are!" replied Chuckles, who was undoubtedly the talker in the group, "how did you know?"
"I know many things, young traveler," the man replied, not moving a muscle except for his lips, "and you seek to find a cure for your young friend?"
"Yes, yes!" cried Pink, a buxom young lass with boundless energy and a great love for her friend Glue, "do you know how to help her? She's so incredibly sad, and none of the doctors in our land has a cure!"
"Here," said the strange old man, thrusting a small wooden box at them. "Do not open this. When you get home, give this to your little friend, and have her open the box. And the cure will come."
With many thanks, the intrepid left the shop, all feeling giddy and uplifted that they might just have found the cure for their friend.
"What a wonderful and strange little man!" exclaimed Nook, as he lead his friends out of the town and the strange lands; back to their magical home in the Shining Lands.
"I think he's gay," Chuckles pondered, looking very sure and knowledgeable, "I'm sure he was checking me out." Both Pink and Nook just rolled their eyes.
"I wonder how he knew what we were looking for?" Pink asked, but by then, they were already out of town and the day was getting dark. They set up camp and vowed to go back in the morning to find out. By the time rosy dawn colored the skies, these three were so relieved at having found a cure for their beloved Glue, that their enthusiasm for going home was stronger then their curiosity.
They reached back to the Shining Lands just before the winter snows came, and with a glad cry, Glue threw her arms around her brave friends and shed many tears of happiness.
Eagerly, they thrust the box at her, and begged her to open it. With wide excited eyes, she slowly ran her hands across the deep mahogany box when she heard a scratch. Eyes even wider, she timidly opened the lid, and out flew a little fairy! It was barely the size of her hand, and it tinkled like the sounds of little silver bells in the wind.
"It's so cute! It's adorable!" Glue cried, "What IS it?"
Her friends all shrugged, but told her the story of the strange shop with the even stranger man. Thoroughly enchanted, Glue laughed for the first time since the horrid curse.
To everyone's delight, day by day, Glue was getting better. The little fairy was never far from Glue's side, constantly amusing her, and getting her into all sorts of innocent scrapes that set her off laughing. Every night when she went to bed, the fairy was the last thing she saw, before she drifted off to bed, and the first thing she saw, when she woke up.
As the days past, all her friends could tell that Glue was getting better and better, but there was still an aura of sadness around her...
One day, with the fall of the first snow, the odd little man from the strange little shop in the Eastern Lands appeared in the Shining Land. Before Nook, Pink and Chuckles were able to do more then give a glad shout of delight, the strange man waved of his hands toward Glue and the little fairy that was running to greet him.
The little fairy fell to the ground with a thump, and never moved again.
Distraught Glue cried and cried, and her friends all looked at the strange little man in horror.
"Why? Why did you do that?" Nook yelled. "She was so happy! She was getting better!"
"Ah yes," said the odd little man, "but she was not cured! If you remember the words of the curse, she needed to feel sorrow, for the curse to be broken. Glue's heart is too big and too filled with joy to be able to feel the hurt of every little creature. But the loss of a friend would wound her greatly. Better a silly little magical toy, then if some horror shall befall one of you."
Nook, Pink and Chuckles went to the inconsolable Glue. When the turned back around, the odd little man had disappeared; but as the days passed, everyone could see that the curse was truly lifted, for Glue never had the aura of sadness about her.
However, if there were unguarded moments where her face was pensive, and her eyes darting, as if looking for a little flying fairy...no one was able to ever again say that she did not feel the sorrow of the world.