The Meadow People

Stories of elves, dwarves, gnomes, and faeries have been spread by humans for thousands of years. What about small humanoid creatures fascinates us? This story comes to us from MMer Anna who wants to help her mother Alice share her story about the miniature people she has taken care of for years. 

Starks Maine, located in Somerset County

Alice lives in Stark Maine, a haven for people of a naturalistic mentality, it is a place best known for its steps to legalize marijuana before it was a popular stance. Alice and her husband Charlie built a homestead in the hills near Stark nearly fifty years ago, and their cozy home oversees a large lush meadow.  Alice and Charlie were always very conscientious about their impact on the natural world, they only took what they needed and they tried their best to be self-sufficient. They composted, recycled, reused, and if they cut down a tree they used every part of it, thanks to Charlie’s skill as a woodworker and carver. Charlie passed away around ten years ago and for many years Alice couldn’t bring herself to go into his workshop. 

One time after a heavy rain that flooded the meadow down the hill from their home, Alice heard strange almost musical noises coming from Charlie’s old workshop. She peeked her head in and saw among the cobwebs and old woodworking tools several creatures no more than 7 or 8 inches tall. They had oblong heads, long necks, and a spindly torso and limbs. They were gathered around even smaller figures and seemed to be keeping them warm in the chilly and moist morning air. When Alice pushed the door open to get a better look the hinges squeaked and the creatures scattered to the darkest corners of the workshop. 

Over the next few years Alice gradually built a rapport with the creatures, leaving food scraps in the shed, and leaving small pieces of fabric from her knitting projects in there. Alice is slowly losing the fight of aging, she is finding it hard to move around as much now due to arthritis, and her glaucoma grows worse month by month. She says soon her family is going to make her move from her idyllic Stark home, closer to her daughter so they can take better care of her. But all Alice worries about is the little meadow people who live near her. She doesn’t want to leave until she is sure they will be taken care of. 

Alice asks us to inform everyone we can about the existence of the meadow people and tell them to check sheds, outbuildings, barns, and workshops for them and to try to help them out whenever they can. 

Help save the meadow people, and stay safe out there, Maine!