Japi fairy-tale - Miraculous herbarium

The summer holidays began and the days were full of sunshine and well-being. Amy spent part of the holidays at grandparents. She was a playful little girl who was never bored. She always had some fun, discovered insects in the garden, watered vegetables, played with pets, and helped Grandma cook.

One day, Amy found a copy book in an old box. It was no ordinary copy book. It was more like a rough book with hard papers bound in a string. She carefully picked up the box with the book and began to read it. She was excited about what she found in it. It was an herbarium.

Herbarium

Herbarium is a book in which pressed plants are drawn or glued. Each plant has its own name. Sometimes there are texts next to the plant where you can read about where you can find it, when it is the time of its blooming, and what are its effects.

Amy ran out with the herbarium in her hand to find an herb that would heal her grandmother's sore hand. She had an ugly scar left after the last time she cut herself. She was looking for the plant, but she couldn't find it. In the evening she was sad, and her last wish before going to bed was to find this amazing plant the next day. She put the herbarium under her pillow and fell asleep.

Do you know what happened? This herbarium was miraculous and an incredible story began. The moonlight tickled Amy's nose and woke her. Fire flies flying around pulled her out of bed and led her into the meadow behind the house. Amy took the herbarium and ran to follow them.

Meeting

The moon shone beautifully, and every single plant and every animal that came to greet Amy was clearly visible. A doe mother said to her: “Hello Amy, welcome to our kingdom.“

“Good evening, how do you know my name is Amy?“ - she asked in surprise.

Herbs rustled in the meadow and the animals jumped in joy. ”We saw you during the day with this herbarium, which your great-grandmother once made. We are always here, only you do not always see us."

“Lady doe, and do you know these herbs, please?“ Amy asked, pointing to the herbarium.

“Yes, we know them, these herbs help us when we are sick. We teach our children which herb is for what pain. Your great-grandmother also learned that from us. And she compiled this herbarium so you could learn it too.”

Amy quickly began leafing through the herbarium to find an herb that was said to heal wounds. On the side was drawn a plant with yellow flowers called Alchemilla xanthochlora.

“Yes, this plant does heal wounds and rashes. Come on, I'll show you where to find it.” - said the doe mother and together with the locust flies and animals led Amy to a small stream, because this plant grows by streams and in humid places.

Did you know that the plants also sleep at night? Some close their flowers, which open in the morning when the sun rises. Others track the sun’s motion across the sky all day and turn not only flowers but also petals against the sun. Plants have different scents that attract bees and other insects that pollinate them.

Animals also know the healing effects of some herbs. Therefore, you can see a cat or dog eating grass if their stomach hurts.

The doe told Amy to come to collect this plant during the day, when she is full of energy and will have time to process it. Next to the doe mother, her little cub was pattering, and little girl admired it from every side.

“Mom, show it to her! Mom, please!” the little doe begged.

The doe mother smiled and took Amy to the middle of the meadow. “Touch this herb, Amy.“ And Amy touched the herb with the pink flower that was crawling on the ground. The herb rose and flooded them with a beautiful scent and glowing pollen.

“You know, Amy, the herbs are here to help us. They have the power to cure certain diseases. We need to learn which plant has what power, when and how to use the herb. We should treat nature with respect, because nature is powerful. It can heal and soothe. You have found this herbarium and you can learn a lot from it. Read this herbarium with the love that your great-grandmother prepared it when she gathered and wrote all this knowledge. In time, you can supplement it with your own knowledge and come here at any time and have a natural pharmacy at hand.”

Amy liked what the animals were saying. She liked to be in the middle of the meadow, along with locust flies, the beautiful scent of awakened plants and shining pollen. Well, it was time to go to bed. She was determined to return here in the morning.

The next day, Amy went to the meadow and learned about herbs from the herbarium. She found a number of herbs there, of which she had no idea. Breckland thyme, Chamomile, Oregano, Milk thistle, Agrimony, Nettle and many more.

WARNING:

The collection and processing of herbs, as well as their effects, method of processing and use, should be thoroughly studied from professional articles and books. If you are not sure about the plant, you should not process it.

This article is for informational purposes only and serves as a fairy tale for children.