This new plan required the Spoiled Queen to do something she was unaccustomed to: the Spoiled Queen had to, for the first time in decades, actually listen. (continuing to part 3)
To listen requires two very important attributes - patience and interest. The Spoiled Queen gave her full attention to the Poetic Gardener as he pointed out Podophylum, Artemisia vulgaris, Symphytum, Taraxicum officianale, and many other plants along their walks. The Poetic Gardener recited their uses and important healing properties and the Spoiled Queen repeated those to herself as they walked. She never interrupted him.
After 16 Saturdays of new plants and old plants and a full season winding into the next, the Poetic Gardener saw something he had never seen before. At the very moment he recognized the plant which he remembered from his own childhood walks with his mother, the White Witch appeared next to the plant.
Glancing back at the Spoiled Queen, he noticed she hadn't yet seen the White Witch and as he walked nearer to the plant, the White Witch spoke with words to the Poetic Gardener for the first time. She simply said, "Here, Gardener. This is what she needs." At that, she disappeared.
The Spoiled Queen recognized the plant now and its beautiful violet-edged flower drew her to it. As if enchanted, she asked the Poetic Gardener what it was. He responded carefully, "This is the medicine." As she fell to her knees and pulled a knife from her hidden sheath, the Spoiled Queen quickly lopped off some of her hair and put it next to the waiting medicine. As if by design, all of the servants had turned away at the moment she dropped, hearing a noise in the distance. None witnessed her on her knees except the Poetic Gardener. As the servants turned back around, the Spoiled Queen was on her feet again and the Poetic Gardener had gathered the medicine.
They began their long walk toward home; the healing had already begun.
No comments:
Post a Comment