| What wonderful peaches the little girl's mum brought | | | | some peach tea with delicious peach jam, and tell you |
| home from the market! First she washed them | | | | anyting you'd care to ask." |
| carefully and put them in a dish, and then she brought | | | | Soon the girl saw a tidy little house with a kindly man |
| them into the room where her daughter was lying in | | | | standing on the steps. He smiled and stepped aside to |
| bed sick. The little girl had a bad flu, and for three days | | | | let her pass. |
| she'd had a fever and felt sick to her stomach. | | | | "Please do come in, my dear, it's been ages since I've |
| The night before the doctor had taken a look at her | | | | had any visitors. And today I've baked a peach pie |
| and gave her mother some advice: "Go to the market | | | | using the fairy's own recipe, you're sure to love it." |
| and get her some peaches. They help fight off a sick | | | | Over the tea, delicious-smelling jam and flaky pie - |
| stomach and are very good for the digestion. They | | | | which absolutely melted in her mouth - the curious little |
| also have a lot of vitamin C and pectins, which are | | | | girl asked all about peaches and peach trees. |
| important for fighting off infections." | | | | "When do peach trees bloom, and what colour are the |
| "Look how rosy they are!" the pale-faced little girl cried | | | | flowers?" |
| delightedly, reaching for the dish. | | | | "The flowers are pinkish-coloured and usually come |
| "Yes, the peaches are really beautiful," her mum | | | | out even earlier than the leaves, in March or April," the |
| agreed and offered her daughter the juiciest one. | | | | old gardener answered. "Peach leaves and flowers |
| "That's why they have such a delightful name." | | | | are like medicine - they relax you. I gather them every |
| The peach turned out to be good and sweet, and | | | | year, and dry them." |
| smelled even better than usual. | | | | "Why have some of your peaches lost their fuzz? |
| "What a big pit it's got, like a little rock," the girl said in | | | | They're smooth." |
| surprise as she eyed the hefty, wrinkled-looking stone. | | | | "Those are nectarines - that's what we call fuzzless |
| "I wonder what's inside?" | | | | peaches. The nectarine fairy has a great big tree farm |
| "Bitter seeds that smell like almonds," her mum | | | | in China , our peach fairy gave her the pits to plant. |
| answered, happy that her daughter seemed to have | | | | The trees are a lot like peach trees - they don't like |
| got some life back into her. | | | | cold, either - and they get sick from the same |
| "Mum, if we plant the pit in a pot, will a peach tree | | | | diseases, grow the same amount of fruit which are |
| grow out of it?" the curious little one asked. | | | | just of full of vitamins and energy, just like fuzzy |
| "I think it would, if we remember to take good care of | | | | peaches. Honestly, I can't imagine what isn't inside a |
| it. But," her mum admitted, "I've never tried growing a | | | | peach or nectarine: they've got iron, and silicon, and |
| fruit tree at home before." | | | | phosphor, and plenty of sugar for energy." |
| The girl's mum had a lot of house plants. Thanks to her | | | | "I think that nectarines are like peaches that are all |
| wise care they had beautiful-smelling flowers the | | | | dressed up," the little girl said. "Peaches are like a patch |
| whole year round. | | | | of sun on a dull day, and nectarines are like bright |
| "Mum, let's plant the peach pit! Please, mummy!" the | | | | sunshine." |
| little girl said, thinking up everything she could to | | | | "You're very observant. Also, nectarine skin doesn't |
| persuade her. "Just imagine, we'll have our very own | | | | tear so easily as peach skin, so they're much easier to |
| peaches growing right at home. I promise I'll take care | | | | collect and store and move from place to place." the |
| of it." | | | | gardener commented with a smile. |
| "Okay, dear, let's do it," her mum eventually agreed, | | | | "Tell me, please, does the peach fairy have her own |
| and she brought a spacious pot full of earth in from | | | | house in the orchard, and where has she gone off to? |
| the balcony. | | | | Why did she disappear as soon as I got here?" |
| A few days later, when her daughter was feeling | | | | "Our peach fairy lives in every peach pit, in every |
| better, the big pot with the wonderful peach pit took up | | | | peach tree and every single peach. Sometimes she |
| its place beside her bed. For a long time the little girl | | | | sleeps in one of her little houses, sometimes she's busy |
| watched the dark earth that filled the pot almost to the | | | | flying about with her magic twig helping people to grow |
| brim, and dreamed of the little peach tree that would | | | | those marvellous peach trees," the gardener |
| grow from it. | | | | answered. "Of course, she only goes to those who |
| "Oh, I wish it would hurry up!" she thought. "I'm just dying | | | | want to make their trees happy." |
| to pick a peach from my own darling tree." | | | | Before long the friendly fairy herself came for the girl |
| No sooner did she think that thought than a beautiful | | | | and tapped her again with the magic twig, and ... she |
| fairy carrying a basket of peaches flew in and landed | | | | woke up. |
| on the pot. "I'm the mistress of a big peach orchard," | | | | "Good morning, darling," she heard her mother say in a |
| she explained in a cheery voice, "and I'm giving you this | | | | voice she knew so well. "How did you sleep?" |
| basket of my very best peaches. You're a clever girl! | | | | "Mummy, the good peach fairy came to see me, and |
| Not just everyone tries to grow a peach tree in their | | | | then she took me to visit her orchard. Just imagine! It |
| house, you know." | | | | was so beautiful! Now I know everything about |
| With a worried frown the girl asked, "What if my tree | | | | peaches, and my peach tree is sure to be wonderful, |
| doesn't grow?" | | | | because she tapped the pot with her magic twig." |
| "I'll tap your pot with my magic peach twig," the fairy | | | | Smiling, the little girl cast a fond glance at the pot, |
| assured her. "Then your tree will be sure to grow." | | | | where the fairy was asleep inside the cozy pit. And |
| "Oh good fairy! I'd love to visit your big orchard, I've | | | | her mother smiled too. |
| never seen a peach tree before," the girl said a little | | | | *** |
| sadly. | | | | Healthy Recipes included in the story: |
| "Well, now, that's not a problem. Just have one of my | | | | Fruit soup |
| juicy peaches to get yourself ready for the trip, and | | | | - 2 peaches |
| we're off! Did you know that peaches are one of the | | | | - 2 apples 1 pear |
| best fruits for you? They're just full of fructose sugar | | | | - 100g cherries |
| and organic acids," the fairy explained, and she took a | | | | - 2 tbsp soured cream |
| big rosy peach from her basket. | | | | Remove the peel and seeds from the peaches, apples |
| "My mum says that peaches have a beautiful name," | | | | and pear, chop the fruits into small chunks and place in |
| the girl said as she munched noisily on the fairy's gift. | | | | a bowl. Remove the stones from the cherries. Grind |
| "You must have a wonderful mum," the fairy said with | | | | together the cherries and fruit skins. Place the cherries |
| a smile, and then she tapped the little girl with her | | | | and skins in a pan of boiling water, and simmer for two |
| magic twig. Suddenly they were in the fairy's orchard. | | | | hours. Pour the fruit-infused water over the bowl of |
| "What a delicious smell!" the girl exclaimed as she | | | | fruit chunks and add the soured cream. |
| looked around in delight and breathed in the orchard's | | | | Cheese soufflé with peaches |
| peach-scented air. She set off down a narrow path | | | | - 500 g of cottage cheese |
| that ran beside the row of modest trees with | | | | - 850 ml. of peach compote |
| wide-spreading branches and reddish-brown, scaly | | | | - 1 cup of soured cream |
| bark. She ran her finger the length of a long, green leaf | | | | - ½ a cup of caster sugar |
| to its pointed tip. | | | | Mix the cottage cheese with half a cup of the peach |
| "Welcome, friend, we're glad you came to visit," the | | | | compote, and mix together thoroughly. Mix the soured |
| trees greeted her in friendly tones, and waved their | | | | cream with the caster sugar and add to the cottage |
| branches, which were absolutely covered with great | | | | cheese mixture. Add the rest of the peach compote |
| rosy peaches. "Continue along this path and you'll | | | | and decorate with slices of peach. |
| come to our gardener's house. He'll serve you up | | | | |