A fairy is a small, magical creature from folklore and fantasy stories, usually imagined as a tiny human with delicate wings. In traditional tales, fairies might live in forests, grant wishes, cast spells, or play tricks on people who wander into their territory. Some stories describe them as helpful and kind, while others portray them as mischievous or even dangerous if you break their rules.

The most famous fairy in literature is probably Tinker Bell from Peter Pan, who helps the hero but also has a jealous temper. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare wrote about fairies who meddle in human affairs for their own amusement. The tooth fairy, who supposedly leaves money under your pillow in exchange for a lost tooth, is a more modern fairy tradition.

Different cultures have their own versions of fairies. Irish folklore speaks of the fae or sidhe, powerful beings who lived in an invisible world alongside humans. These weren't always the sweet, tiny creatures of children's books: they could be tricky, dangerous, and unpredictable.

The word fairy tale has come to mean any magical story, whether it includes actual fairies or not. When someone describes something as a fairy tale ending, they mean it worked out perfectly, like magic, almost too good to be true.