A Sure Cure for Witchcraft Read online

  “You must stop teasing Lilli. You will have her believing in witches too, and we simply cannot have that,” said Mutter.

  Alisz’s house smelled strange inside. Spice and perfume—it was a mixture of both wrapped into one. Yet, there was something more, some strange fragrance, something that Lilli could not name.

  “Let me take a good look at you,” said Alisz, gazing down at Lilli as if she were a prized goose in the butcher’s shop. She touched a lock of Lilli’s hair. “It is fine—like a baby’s. The colour of flax,” she said, “and your eyes are as blue as an indigo sky. You are a very pretty girl.” Something hot pinched Lilli’s cheeks. She pulled at Mutter and hid her face in the fabric of her dress. No one had ever told Lilli she was pretty before.

  “Alisz is not going to bite you. Do not be so silly,” said Mutter, untwining her garb from Lilli’s fingers.

  “You just never know, Lilli. I might bite.” Lilli’s eyes grew wide once again. “But only if you were to bite me first. You would not do that, would you?” Alisz’s musical laugh startled Friedrich, and he let out a sharp cry. Mutter made a few shushing noises, and he soon quieted.

  “So tell me, Lilli Eickle, what have you done in the five years since I last saw you? I hope you have been keeping a record of sorts.”

  “Alisz was there the night you were born,” explained Mutter quietly.

  Lilli had been told the story of her birth many times, about the beautiful midwife who held her up to the night sky right after she was born.

  “The breeze carried the sweet scent of lily-of-the-valley,” Mutter would say.

  “Is that how I got my name?” Lilli would ask each time.

  “And a more fitting name has never been found. I knew it to be true the moment Alisz spoke your name into the night. And then a moonbeam touched you on the forehead, declaring that good fortune would follow you always,” Mutter would say.

  “I most certainly was there when you were born,” said Alisz now, smiling down at Lilli. “And if I must say, you were the sweetest babe I had ever laid eyes on. Of course you had more important things on your mind than being admired for your beauty. You came out hungry as a bear and you made sure everyone knew it.” Alisz’s words rained down like a thousand silky feathers tickling her all at once. Lilli could not stop a giggle from slipping out.

  “Come, I have made tea,” said Alisz, motioning for Mutter to sit at the table. Setting Friedrich on the floor, Mutter told Lilli to keep watch over him. As the women quickly engaged in conversation, Lilli became spellbound by the words and laughter filling the corners and crevices of Alisz’s small house. Strange that Mutter had not taken her to visit with Alisz before now.

  When the tea grew cold and the words finally slowed, Mutter picked Friedrich up off the floor. “It is time to go,” she said. “Alisz would like for you to stay, Lilli. So that you may get acquainted.”

  “Acquainted?” Lilli said in a small voice. She had only met Alisz a short while ago, and now Mutter wanted her to stay. Alisz looked down at Lilli. Her smile formed a warm place in Lilli’s heart.

  “Would you stay and keep me company today, Lilli? We can walk in the garden and talk to the plants. I have so much planned.”

  “Talk to the plants?” laughed Lilli, suddenly forgetting her shyness.

  “Why certainly, plants like to be talked to as well as you and I. Lonely plants do not grow very well.” Another ripple of laughter filled Lilli’s throat. No one she knew talked to plants. It sounded silly.

  “So, what do you say, Lilli Eickle, will you visit with me for the day?”

  Lilli looked toward Mutter with uncertainty.

  “Vater does not approve of my friendship with Alisz, but it is too late for him to complain now,” Mutter had said as they walked toward Alisz’s cottage that morning. “I told Vater it is high time you met Alisz. It is important that you get to know her.”

  When Lilli asked why it was important, Mutter did not answer.

  “Do not look so worried, Lilli. Alisz will take good care of you,” said Mutter as she waved goodbye. “You will be safe with her. We will be back before you know it.”

  Chapter Two

  Lilli watched Mutter disappear from sight as the papery wings of a moth fluttered inside her. “Come see what I have to show you,” Alisz said as she reached out to take Lilli’s hand. Lilli turned back toward Alisz. Her throat began to ache. Would Mutter really come back for her? How long would she be gone? Alisz’s smile did little to reassure her that all was well. She blinked away the tears from her eyes, hoping that Mutter would not stay away too long.

  A small gathering of song sparrows was perched in the trees outside Alisz’s home, releasing a sweet melody into the gentle breeze. Leaves whispered, blades of grass softly murmured when Lilli and Alisz walked past. Reaching the garden behind the house, Alisz searched through the foliage, moving the leaves and flower stems all about. She called out in a curious manner, “Mandrake, where are you, dear mandrake? I saw you just a few days ago. I want to introduce you to my friend, Lilli. She has come to spend the day with us. You must not be shy or she will not visit us again.” Alisz’s voice blended in with the song sparrow’s melody. Spreading the leafy foliage apart, she revealed a plant hidden closer to the earth. Her voice leapt with excitement.

  “Why, there you are, you little rascal! I knew you could not hide from me for long! Come Lilli, and see this shy devil.” Lilli stepped closer. “Do you think she should be punished for hiding on us?” Lilli looked at Alisz and quickly shook her head.

  “People used to think the mandrake roots resembled a human body and it would even shriek when pulled from the ground, and if someone heard its cry they would die.”

  “Plants cannot shriek!” Lilli laughed. What a preposterous notion. They giggled until it no longer seemed funny, and then the lines in Alisz’s face grew serious.

  “You will hear many strange things in life, but remember this, Lilli Eickle—lies are borne out of ignorance and fear. Nothing more.”

  Lilli had never met anyone like Alisz before, with the ability to make the most ordinary thing, like a plant, sound so interesting. And never before had she heard a voice filled with such spiciness. Together they explored all there was to see, from the tallest plant to the smallest bit of greenery. They chased after bugs, sang with the birds, and whispered secrets to the wind. As they walked about the garden searching for plants, Lilli soon forgot about Mutter and Friedrich.

  There were so many wonderful things to see. Alisz said that every plant had a special name, a special purpose. “One day you will know all there is to know about plants, dear Lilli. But today we will simply enjoy their beauty.” With so many plants in the garden, Lilli wondered how that would be possible. How would she ever know everything about them?

  The sun arced across the sky as the day dwindled away. When it began to touch the treeline, Alisz said it would soon be time for her to go. Lilli was not sure she wanted Mutter and Friedrich to come back for her just yet. She wanted to stay with Alisz a while longer.

  “Now, before you go on your way, you may choose a flower to take with you. It will be my gift to you,” said Alisz.

  “I like these,” said Lilli, racing toward the outer edge of the garden, where some tall plants were growing. She reached out to one of the bright blue flowers, touching its delicate petals. Would Alisz really let her take some of them home?

  “You have chosen wisely. That is a cornflower, a symbol of hope, and one of my favourites, although I must admit I have many, many favourites. So many that perhaps they are all my favourite. But that is impossible. Every flower cannot be your favourite. Can it?”

  Lilli shook her head. She couldn’t help but giggle. Alisz’s silly talk made her heart sing. Why had Mutter not taken her to meet Alisz before now? “Hurry,” said Lilli, anxiously waiting beside the cornflowers for Alisz. Bees were buzzing as they moved a
mong the flowers. Alisz seemed to be taking her time. Mutter and Friedrich would soon be here.

  “I want to take a big handful home to Mutter,” said Lilli when Alisz finally reached her. There were so many of the pretty blue flowers in the garden, surely Alisz would not mind. It would make Mutter happy. Sometimes they picked wildflowers for on the table.

  “No, Lilli,” said Alisz, “that is not the way it is done. One flower—you may have but one. Flowers are a gift from nature. If we take too many, there will be none left for others to enjoy.”

  Mutter would say she should be grateful for one, but one flower did not seem like enough when there were so many in the garden. Seeing Lilli’s disappointment, Alisz added, “It is our duty to honour nature. One day you will understand.” Lilli was not sure that was true. She did not know what it meant to honour nature.

  A large bumblebee landed on a flower in front of them and immediately began collecting nectar and pollen. “Hello, dear bumblebee,” said Alisz, reaching out to the buzzing creature. “What message do you have for us today?”

  “It will sting!” said Lilli, jumping back. Mutter had warned her not to anger a bee, to keep her distance.

  “Shhh,” said Alisz, holding a finger to her lips. “We must listen carefully to what the bee has to say, for bees are filled with a wisdom all of their own.” She held one hand to her ear and bent down toward the buzzing insect. Lilli watched in silent fascination as the bee hovered close to Alisz.

  “I see…that is quite interesting,” she said as if the bee were actually speaking to her. “I will pass your message along to my friend Lilli. Now, away you go.” Flying to a nearby cornflower, the bee disappeared momentarily from sight before flying away, its legs swollen with bright yellow pollen.

  “What did it say?” Lilli was desperate to know.

  “Our messenger today was reminding me to ask for the flower’s permission before we pick it.” Alisz bent down close to one of the cornflowers. Lilli waited to see what she would do next.

  Alisz closed her eyes. “May I have permission, lovely cornflower, to pick your beautiful bloom for my friend Lilli?” Several seconds passed before Alisz opened her eyes. She breathed in the flower’s delicate fragrance before carefully plucking it from the stem. “Thank you for your sacrifice, dear cornflower,” she said, giving it to Lilli.

  “But flowers do not know,” said Lilli as she waited for the sound of Alisz’s musical laughter to fill the air. This was just more of Alisz’s silly talk.

  “Flowers most certainly do know!” said Alisz, sounding surprised by Lilli’s statement. “That is why we ask for permission whenever we take something from Mother Earth. And always remember to say thank you. Do you understand? Ask first, and then give thanks.” Lilli could see how important this was. She nodded her head, and Alisz smiled. Lilli held the flower gently between her fingers. She would remember.

  When the sun dropped down into the trees, Mutter returned, carrying Friedrich in her arms. “I hope you behaved yourself,” she said as they walked the path homeward. Lilli held the cornflower proudly in her hand—her gift from Alisz. When they reached home, Lilli put the flower in a jar of water and set it on the table. She presented it to Vater that evening when he came in from working in the field.

  “What is this you have?” he said, taking the jar from Lilli. Smelling the flower, he smiled and said, “Only one?”

  “It is a cornflower and it is important only to take one,” said Lilli, repeating what Alisz had taught her that day.

  “I see,” said Vater as he continued to admire the indigo bloom. “And what else do you know about this cornflower?” He set the jar in the middle of the table.

  “That you must ask permission before you pick it,” she said, climbing onto Vater’s lap. Mutter hesitated while setting the table for the evening meal.

  “Permission? Who do you ask permission from?” said Vater. He looked up at Mutter, smiling. Lilli could see he did not understand.

  “Why, the flower,” said Lilli. “And after you pick it you must say thank you.”

  “Who told you this—Mutter?” said Vater, still sounding amused by Lilli’s whimsical talk.

  “It was the bee.”

  “The bee? You were talking to a bee?”

  Lilli sighed. Why could Vater not understand? “No, Vater. The bee told Alisz and then she told me what it said.”

  Cutlery rattled. “Come, Lilli,” Mutter said. “Help me set the table.”

  Anger flashed across Vater’s face. He jumped to his feet, facing Mutter.

  “Tell me, Marta, this is not so.”

  Mutter laid a hand on Lilli’s head and gently smiled. She pulled back her shoulders and looked directly at Vater. There was resolve in her voice as she quietly said, “You knew this day would come, Karl. You have always known this day would come.”

  Chapter Three

  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 lea
d 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.”