The Bigest Fairy Story 9 25
tremely delicate balance did seem to have shifted in favor of the ladies'
honesty during the 1970s, but, obviously, many points could still bear
being elucidated by further research."
Elsie and Frances both expressed themselves satisfied with Cooper's
write-up, for which they each received from him forty pounds as
compensation for the information they had supplied. It was then that
Cooper was conlmissioned to write a book on telepathy for the pub-
lishing company Constable, and the idea germinated of writing a book
with Elsie on the fairies.
Elsie showed interest and while discussing the project with Cooper
remarked blandly of the first photo: "If we hadn't seen the fairies, I
don't think I'd believe this photograph. That leaping fairy jumped up
five times... .The photo's blurred because Frances was throwing her
head back."
Cooper: "Do you remember the first time you saw fairies?"
Elsie: "No."
Cooper: "Who saw them first?"
Elsie: "I think we both saw them together."
Cooper: "You weren't surprised at all?"
Elsie: "No. I don't think so. No.. .The fairies were wonderful, and
I try to forget all about them... .You get tired of talking about them
down the years. But they seem to be pulling me back-pulling me
back to ideas... that we're all one, and if we don't come together there
won't be any of us left."
Encouraged by Elsie's attitude and anxious for more material,
Cooper went down to see Frances at Ramsgate where she lived in
what he described as splendor in an apartment of the Georgian build-
ing she owned. He says he encountered a woman with a sharp mind
and waspish humor, who, unlike Elsie, did not seek media attention. By
then a widow, Frances was riddled with arthritis "but still active in so-
cial and civic affairs, bemoaning the lack of intellectual and amusing
company, sustained by visits from her children and grandchildren."
Cooper asked Frances to tell him exactly what had happened all
those years ago at the beck.
"Well.. ."said Frances,"it was like waiting for a bus.We waited...
until they came along... and then we photographed them."