Streaks of light streamed through the canopy of trees as Lilli and Alisz followed a narrow footpath, wet with late morning dew. Lilli looked up in time to see a hawk soaring in the cloudless sky.
“Look, Alisz!” she said, pointing upward at the majestic bird now screeching down at them. It circled gracefully, gliding with its wings spread wide open.
“The hawk is a sign meant for you, Lilli—from the Goddess,” said Alisz, sounding pleased.
“A sign for me?” Lilli didn’t like the sound of that. Vater said that hawks would sometimes steal chickens from the dooryard. How could a hawk be a good sign?
“Oma used to say a hawk was a symbol of freedom and flight—the freedom to answer the call that stirs deep inside your heart. Healing is your calling, Lilli. The hawk is a sign. Now come, we must continue on our quest. We still have far to go.”
Birds flittered along the path, releasing their songs into the wind. Lilli became distracted by the sights along the way. Two squirrels ran down a tree not far from Lilli, racing across the ground near her feet. She pulled her basket close, afraid they might jump after the small round loaf of unleavened bread inside. The bread was a gift for Mother Elder, the tree spirit that lived inside the elder tree. They dare not pick the elderflowers without leaving something in return.
“Our elders are teachers and wisdom keepers and we must always honour them,” Alisz had said before they left the cottage that morning. “The same is true for the elder tree.”
“Why are we taking bread?” Were they to stop for a lunch along the way?
“The bread is for Mother Elder, the goddess of all the elders, and we do not wish to anger her in any way. It is why we take an offering and ask permission to harvest her bounty.”
Lilli knew about respecting the elders. Frau Schubert, an elder from the village, would sit outside her home and call out a greeting to the people passing by. Many people would mumble a quick greeting in return but continue on. She was near blind; her face and hands were weathered and old. One day she called out to Lilli and Mutter, and Mutter slowed her steps. Lilli had begged her not to stop.
“Do not be afraid,” Mutter had said. “Frau Schubert is lonely and in need of company. The least we can do is listen.”
It did not take long before Frau Schubert was telling them a story of a village long ago that had become overrun with rats. The mention of the furry rodents made Lilli gasp, but that did not stop Frau Schubert from continuing. She told them how the villagers promised to pay a stranger to lure the rats away.
“He had a pipe with magical powers and called himself the Pied Piper.” Frau Schubert leaned in closer to Lilli. Her eyes lit up and her face filled with expression. “Thousands of rats scurried out into the street that day and followed the piper when he played,” said Frau Schubert, stretching her arms out wide. But the story did not end there. After the piper had rid the village of all the rats, the villagers refused to pay him for his work. To get back at the villagers for cheating him, he used his magical pipe to lead all the children out of the village, the same way he had the rats.
“Beware those who do not keep their promises,” came Frau Schubert’s stern warning when she reached the end of her story. She pointed a gnarled finger at Lilli and smiled.
“Why did Frau Schubert tell us a story about rats?” said Lilli as she and Mutter continued on their travels. Rats were horrible creatures, even rats that followed a piper and ended up drowned in a river.
“You must remember, Lilli, that with age comes wisdom,” Mutter had said. “The story was not about rats, but about the importance of keeping one’s word.” Lilli vowed then that she would always keep her promises.
Still preoccupied by the squirrels, Lilli suddenly realized that Alisz was nowhere in sight. What if she became lost? She called out, her heart thumping like the quick beating of partridge wings.
“I am here,” Alisz answered through the trees.
“Wait for me!” cried Lilli. She hurried toward the sound of Alisz’s voice, frantically pushing aside bushes in her way. She hoped she would not be scolded for lagging behind. But when she caught up, Alisz smiled and said, “Did you see anything interesting in your travels?”
“Two squirrels chasing each other through the trees. I thought they might steal the bread,” said Lilli, catching her breath.
“And is the loaf safe?”
“I kept the basket close,” said Lilli. She lifted the cloth to show Alisz.
Alisz nodded. “Very good,” she said. “Today, you are the guardian of the bread. You have done your job well and learned a valuable lesson in the process.”
Lilli’s face became warm. She should not have allowed herself to become distracted.
“Now come,” said Alisz. “Mother Elder awaits.”
Determined not to be left behind once again, she stayed close to Alisz’s side.
“Will Mother Elder tell us stories?” Lilli asked as they made their way through the trees, but Alisz did not answer. Lilli was anxious to learn more about this elder wisdom Alisz spoke of. She didn’t think that Frau Schubert was nearly as wise as the elder tree, but Mutter had said there was wisdom in the stories she told and they should pay attention when she spoke.
Their quest to find Mother Elder led them past saplings and evergreens as they continued their journey through the dense forest growth. Many trees looked old to Lilli. Surely one of them was the wise elder they sought, but Alisz walked on.
“We will soon be there,” said Alisz when Lilli finally asked how much farther they had to go. She stopped when they came to a small clearing in the forest where the sun had room to frolic and dance.
“We are here,” Alisz said at last. In the distance was a large tree, its boughs heavy with creamy white flowers. They walked slowly, approaching the tree with reverence and respect. Alisz motioned for Lilli to step forward with the small round loaf. When the offering was in place at the base of the tree, Alisz closed her eyes and opened her arms wide.
“Mother Elder, we come respectfully asking permission to pick your beautiful flowers. If it pleases you, we will use your flowers to make a healing tea to cure others of their ailments.” The elder leaves rustled as Lilli waited for Mother Elder to speak, but she could not hear anything coming from the wise tree-spirit. Moments passed. Alisz bowed her head slightly and whispered a quiet thank you, satisfied that Mother Elder had granted them permission.
“The elder bark has valleys and hills,” said Alisz, touching the sacred tree. Lilli laid a hand on the wrinkled tree trunk; she was sure she could feel this elder wisdom Alisz spoke of. She removed the harvesting bag from her basket and gave it to Alisz.
“We must be careful not to bruise the blossoms,” said Alisz as she pulled the white clusters from the stems. She gently shook the elderflowers before placing them inside the bag. “And we certainly do not want to drink tea that has bugs in it.” Lilli curled up her nose. Smiling, Alisz invited Lilli to help. As Alisz explained the many medicinal purposes for the floras, Lilli paid close attention, carefully sealing Alisz’s words in her memory. Little by little, she would learn the language and wisdom of plants and trees.
“This I find very interesting,” said Alisz as they walked homeward, their harvesting bags now full. “It is said that women would often kiss the elder to ensure their babies would have good fortune, and another story tells that it is unlucky to chop down the elder and make a cradle, for the spirit living inside the tree will pinch the child black and blue and the child will not sleep.”
“Is there really a spirit living inside the tree?” asked Lilli. She had learned not to laugh about the unusual stories Alisz told.
Alisz thought for a moment. “We all have different beliefs, Lilli, and if those beliefs do not hurt others, then where is the harm? Besides, it is fun to hear these stories. Tell me, dear Lilli, do you want to believe?”
“Yes,” Lilli said quickly.
“Then you have answered your own question. Now, let us get these elderflowers back to the stillroom. There is more work to do.”
Back at the stillroom, they spread the blossoms out on the worktable to dry. “We have had a most productive day,” said Alisz as she looked at the blossoms spread before them. “We will return when the elderberries are ripe and we will make a winter remedy.”
“Winter remedy is for coughs,” said Lilli, remembering Alisz’s teachings.
“Indeed it is. You are a most eager student, my young apprentice,” said Alisz, laughing.
As the sun arced across the afternoon sky and began its slow descent below the treetops, Alisz brought out a brown leather-bound book. The cover appeared aged, the pages slightly turned and yellowed with time. “Come sit with me,” she said to Lilli. “It is time I shared this with you. I have been waiting for a sign, and that sign came today. There is much to be learned, and it will take years.”
“How many years?” Lilli looked up into Alisz’s smiling face. The book was thick. Lilli was entering her eighth summer. How many more summers would it take before she knew everything in the book? It was a question Alisz did not have the answer to.
Settling onto a bench in her garden, Alisz carefully opened the book.
“What are those?” Lilli asked, pointing to the tiny symbols on the page.
“They are words.”
“What are words?” Lilli looked up at Alisz, perplexed. She had never heard of words. What were they used for?
Alisz smiled. “Words convey ideas. They are knowledge and wisdom, and will one day bring about the end to all the ignorance and fear in the world. This book belonged to my oma,” Alisz said, slowly turning the pages. There were drawings of plants on some pages, while other pages were filled with the symbols Alisz called words.
“She was accused of being a witch. Mutter and I were there when they took her away. I was about your age. I told Mutter we needed to help her. ‘There is no help for someone accused of witchcraft,’ she said. ‘They will only take us away, too.’ We were helpless to do anything.”
Alisz paused as a long shadow passed over her face. She stared off into the distance. Clearing her throat, she looked down at Lilli and forced a smile.
“But that was a long time ago. We cannot live with one foot stuck in the past. Life is to be lived in the here and now.”
“Was she a witch?” asked Lilli, suddenly curious to know. Vater often spoke about witches and their evil ways. He worried that a witch might one day cast a spell on their family.
“Not a witch, dear Lilli. She was a healer. Just like you and me.”
“Like me?” Surely Alisz was mistaken. She was only seven. She did not know anything about healing.
“Yes, Lilli, like you. I saw it the night you were born. There are people in this world—chosen ones. They are born with a gift to heal others. You have that gift inside you. As I said earlier, the hawk today was a sign from the Goddess.”
Lilli looked down at the book filled with words and drawings. “Someday, I will learn to read all the words in the world and I will make a book just like this one,” she said as Alisz closed the covers.
“Who knows, dear, sweet Lilli,” said Alisz, smiling, “perhaps one day this book will be yours.”