Sargam and the Fairy of Inspiration (A Fairy Tale in English) : Karamjit Singh Gathwala

Sargam is a lively, cheerful, and remarkably thoughtful little girl. There is such a radiant brightness in her smile that even the saddest face would blossom with a new ray of happiness upon seeing it. She is endlessly curious—sometimes watching the tiny homes of ants, sometimes searching for animal shapes hidden among drifting clouds.

She likes all the children in her class, but her dearest friend is Kamalini.

Kamalini is gentle, beautiful, and quiet by nature. Her softly curled hair frame a face with large, innocent eyes. Yet one thing troubled her deeply—she struggled with her studies. Multiplication tables slipped from her memory, numbers tangled in her mind, and words became confused whenever she tried to recite a poem.

Sargam, however, always became her little teacher.

Sometimes she taught Kamalini to sing the tables:
“Two ones are two… two twos are four… hum it like a song, and it will stay with you!”

Sometimes she showed her how to remember poems:
“See—use your hands, make expressions. The poem will remember itself!”

Slowly, learning began to feel joyful for Kamalini, and their friendship grew deeper with each passing day.

* * * * *

One afternoon, as they walked home from school, Kamalini suddenly said,
“Sargam, will you come to my house today? I want you to meet my elder sister. She tells such amazing stories—you’ll be astonished!”

Sargam adored stories. Her eyes lit up at once.
“Of course! Let’s go right now!”

Laughing and skipping, they set off together. Trees cast cool shadows along the path, birds sang from hidden branches, and the air carried the scent of fresh flowers. Sargam felt delighted—new places, new people, and a new story.

* * * * *

Kamalini’s house was lovely. The floors gleamed, the walls were painted a soft pink, and a gentle floral fragrance filled the rooms.

But as soon as Kamalini led her into her elder sister’s room, Sargam stopped short.

The room was half-dark. The windows were closed.
Strange and frightening pictures covered the walls—
Ghosts with glowing red eyes,
Vampires with long, sharp teeth,
Witches dressed in black,
And shadowy figures with clawed hands.

Not a single ray of sunlight entered the room. The air felt heavy, as if a mysterious tale were about to begin.

Kamalini’s sister sat in one corner. Seeing Sargam, she exclaimed,
“Ah! Sargam is here too! Come—today I’ll tell you a story that will make your soul tremble!”

Sargam felt uneasy, but she sat down.

Taking a deep breath, the sister began:
“In a dense, black forest lived a terrifying witch…
At night she would fly through the air,
Searching for children…
And any child she found alone,
She would lift onto her broom and carry into the sky!”

With every sentence, her voice grew darker. The room seemed to sink further into shadow.

Suddenly she clapped her hands and shouted,
“And then—whoosh!
She would throw the child down from the sky!”

Kamalini clutched Sargam’s hand in fear.
But this time, Sargam herself was trembling.

The story pierced her mind like a thorn.

* * * * *

That night, Sargam ate her dinner but felt a heavy weight in her heart. When she lay down to sleep, the scenes replayed endlessly—

The black forest…
The whispering wind…
The laughing witch…
And the falling child…

She turned in bed.
Leaves rustled outside the window.
She felt as if someone were coming.

Suddenly, she sensed a shadow standing near her bed.

Terrified, she cried out,
“Mother!”

Her parents rushed in. Her mother held her close.
“What is there to fear? You are my brave little girl!”

Yet Sargam could not sleep the entire night.

* * * * *

The next day at school, Sargam was not herself. The buses, the children, the playground—all seemed blurred and unfamiliar.

In the classroom, a butterfly picture on the wall looked like a bat.

Her teacher’s smile felt strangely frightening—
as if the face were stretching,
the eyes growing larger.

Two classmates laughed together, and Sargam felt they were laughing at her.

She kept turning around, afraid of shadows behind her.

Even the soft tap of a falling pencil sounded like approaching footsteps.

The teacher asked gently,
“Sargam, why are you so frightened? Are you feeling unwell?”

In a trembling voice, she replied,
“Ma’am… everything feels scary… shadows are following me…”

The teacher tried to comfort her, gave her water, spoke kindly—but Sargam’s mind would not calm.

What if the witch is really coming?
What if the shadow returns tonight?

* * * * *

At noon, all the children stood in the playground for the prayer assembly. The sky was clear and blue, but Sargam’s heart felt heavy.

Her head was bowed.

Then—
a soft, calm, gentle breeze brushed her cheek.

She looked up.

Before her stood a radiant, beautiful figure—the Fairy of Inspiration.

Her wings shimmered with golden light.
Her face was serene, her eyes full of kindness.
For a moment, it felt as if the entire playground had paused.

In a tender voice, the fairy asked,
“Dear Sargam, why are you so afraid?”

Tears filled Sargam’s eyes.
“The story I heard keeps circling in my mind. I feel the witch will truly come…”

The fairy smiled.

“The fear lived in the story, not in reality. When the mind is painted with fear, even flowers feel like thorns. But when the heart is filled with courage, even wild forests turn into gardens.”

Sargam listened closely. The fairy’s words sank deep into her heart.

* * * * *

The fairy continued,
“When the mind is afraid, the world appears ugly—like a mirror darkened by smoke. Your mind is clouded by fear.”

Sargam whispered,
“Then what should I do?”

The fairy lifted her magic wand and gently touched Sargam’s forehead. She felt as if a great burden had been lifted.

“Remember this,” said the fairy.
“Whenever you feel afraid, say to yourself:
‘I am brave. This is only my imagination.’
You will see—fear will flee as darkness flees from light.”

Slowly, the fairy dissolved into golden rays and disappeared.

* * * * *

The prayer assembly ended.
Sargam looked around.
The walls were normal again.
Her teachers smiled warmly.
Children laughed, played, and talked.

Everything was just as it had always been.

The sparkle returned to Sargam’s eyes. She realized—when the smoke of fear clears, the world becomes colorful again.

* * * * *

At home she said to her mother,
“Some stories are meant only for fun. But if we believe them to be real, they can frighten us. I will stay away from such stories now.”

Her mother stroked her hair lovingly.
“My wise little girl.”

* * * * *

The next day, Sargam went again to Kamalini’s house. Kamalini was delighted.

Her elder sister was there.

Sargam said softly,
“Your story was exciting, but it can scare young children. Next time, could you tell stories of courage, laughter, and learning?”

The sister laughed.
“You’ve opened my eyes. From now on, I’ll tell stories that give children strength and inspiration.”

Kamalini clapped happily.
“Yes! Fairy tales with magic, courage, and friendship!”

Sargam smiled.
There was no fear left inside her—
only confidence, clear and shining.

* * * * *

That night, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves outside.

Once, Sargam would have been afraid.
Now she smiled.
“It’s just the trees talking.”

A toy’s shadow fell on the wall.
She laughed.
“That’s only my doll’s shadow!”

And when a strange thought tried to creep in, she repeated the fairy’s words:
“I am brave. This is only my imagination.”

And just like that—
the fear ended.

Moral of the Story : Fear is not defeated by running away from it, but by understanding it.

When imagination turns into fear, the mind grows heavy.
But when imagination takes the form of courage, a child can touch the sky.

Sargam did not merely meet the Fairy of Inspiration—
she awakened the fairy of courage within herself.

And from that day on, her world became brighter, more beautiful, and wonderfully magical.