Selene’s First Time Going by Herself Up the Hill

Selene's First Time Going by Herself Up the Hill

    The sun shone like a golden nugget in the sky. Selene and her family were at home, and she was feeling lonely. Suddenly, a wail of pain sounded from Selene’s father’s room. It turned out that her father had fallen ill. However, their family was poor and could not afford a doctor, so they got their medicine from the hill just beside their house. Since Selene’s mother was busy working, she asked Selene to climb up the hill to harvest some medicinal herbs (such as river mint, ginseng, etc.). She had already taught Selene about the various plants that were required to soothe each ailment, so Selene could make the trip by herself. “Selene, go get medicine for your father! He is running a high fever,” Selene’s mother called, after checking on and figuring out what was wrong with her father. Selene groaned inwardly. She was playing her favourite game and was winning. However, she knew that she was the only person who was free and her father's recovery was of utmost importance, so she agreed.

    “Here’s one of the herbs,” Selene thought, bending down to pick it up. “Hello, Selene!” Selene whipped around to see who had called her. “There’s no one here. Who said that?” she thought, as a trickle of fear ran down her spine. “Yoohoo! I’m here!” Selene surveyed her surroundings again. Just as she was becoming convinced that her mind was playing tricks on her, she caught sight of an old oak that seemed to be shaking. "Hello, Selene..." This time, she was sure that the tree was speaking! “Hi, um…. How am I able to talk with you?" Selene asked the oak tree. It told her that she had a special power that allowed her to understand what plants, animals and places were saying. “I found the rest of your medicine for you, Selene. My friends helped to bring them to me. Here they are,” rumbled the oak tree, handing the medicines to Selene.  It was just the right amount that she needed. "How did you know what I needed and take them?" Selene asked curiously. "My friends include Skayla the squirrel, Monty the monkey, and Denise the donkey. They were standing outside your house and heard what illness your father was experiencing. They are experts when it comes to illnesses and medicines. So, they picked all the herbs and laid it at my roots. That is why you saw them there just now. " the oak tree replied. “Thank you! Thank you!” Selene rejoiced. She then headed back home.

    From that day onwards, Selene no longer felt lonely and went to the hill to visit her new friends every day. They always helped her get everything and in return, she treated them to nutrients and food from her own garden. They became the best of friends and lived happily ever after.

The End