in 1990 when Alexander moved back to Scotland his
Author:Elizabeth Langford Time:2024/12/23 Read: 2059in 1990 when Alexander moved back to Scotland his father had started to be a lecture at Strath Clyde university he was a very small boy the real life first story was very good
The year was 1990, and a wee bairn named Alexander, no bigger than a thistle down, arrived in Glasgow with his parents. His father, Professor Alistair MacIntyre, a man whose beard flowed like a silver river and whose eyes held the glint of distant lochs, had begun lecturing at the esteemed Strathclyde University. For Alexander, the move from the bustling city of London felt like stepping into a storybook. Scotland, with its rolling hills and whispering glens, seemed woven from the very fabric of myth.
Alexander’s first encounter with magic happened on his very first day at school, a grand old building that hummed with whispers of ages past. During playtime, he discovered a hidden grove behind the school, choked with ivy older than the university itself. There, nestled amongst the roots of an ancient oak, he found a tiny, shimmering creature. It was no bigger than his thumb, with wings like stained glass and hair like spun moonlight. It was a Kelpie, but not the fierce, water-bound beast of legend; this one was gentle, with eyes that held the wisdom of centuries.
The Kelpie, whose name was Corvus, explained that the oak was a Whisperwood tree, a conduit between the mortal and fae realms. He told Alexander tales of selkies transforming on moonlit shores, of mischievous brownies leaving gifts for deserving children, and of the Cailleach, the ancient winter hag, whose breath frosted the Highlands.
Alexander, enchanted, became Corvus’s friend. Every day after school, he’d visit the grove, learning the secrets of the whispering wind, the language of the birds, and the hidden paths through the city’s ancient stones. Corvus taught him that kindness, even to the smallest creature, held immense power, and that courage wasn’t about strength but about facing fear with a brave heart.
One day, a shadow fell upon the grove. A grumpy, earthbound gnome named Grubbs, obsessed with collecting rare wildflowers, was threatening to destroy the Whisperwood tree to obtain a rare moonpetal bloom. Corvus, despite his immense wisdom, was too small to confront Grubbs.
It was Alexander, the wee bairn from London, who stepped forward. He didn’t use brute force, but the very magic Corvus had taught him – the power of kindness. He shared his lunch with Grubbs, a simple ham sandwich, and spoke to him not as a threat, but as a fellow lover of nature. He explained how the moonpetal was essential to the Whisperwood’s magic, and how its destruction would harm the whole city.
Grubbs, touched by Alexander’s unexpected kindness, relented. He left the moonpetal unharmed, his grumbling replaced by a surprising apology. The Whisperwood was safe, thanks to a small boy’s bravery and an unlikely friendship.
Alexander continued his magical adventures throughout his childhood in Glasgow, never forgetting the lessons he learned in the whispering grove. He understood that even in the heart of a bustling city, magic could be found, not in spells and potions, but in kindness, courage, and the enduring power of friendship. And so, the story of the wee bairn and the Kelpie, passed down through generations of Glasgow children, became a reminder that even the smallest among us can hold the greatest magic.
