The Three Sisters

A School in the Garden

"Stop it," whispered the fairy, and they all stopped.

Then the Earth Fairy continued in a kinder voice, "If you learn to work together, then you will all live happily ever after."

These words made the three sisters very happy. Karimba started to dance, Maraka laughed, and Okarina began to sing.

"The first thing you must learn is to ask questions," the fairy explained. "Every day go out into the garden and talk to the flowers. Talk to the mushrooms under the old beech tree. Talk to the lizards on the rocks and the frogs in the pond. Talk to the rocks as well. Ask every creature you meet. Ask them about life. And ask them especially how they work together."

Karimba, Maraka, and Okarina looked at each other and giggled.

"Learn from them!" the Earth Fairy continued. "This garden is your school. The plants, rocks and animals are your teachers."

"How do we learn from them?" Karimba asked, and her sisters nodded. They were curious to hear the answer too.

"Just play with them and talk to them," said the fairy. "Talk to them about life and about working together. You'll find it is really easy."

The three sisters were excited and delighted. They danced around the fairy and asked when they could start. Like all children, they loved to learn new things. They were curious, and they loved learning in fun sort of ways.

"You can start right now," the Earth Fairy suggested. "Karimba, ask the vegetables who wants to be picked for lunch today. Maraka, ask the lettuces which one wants to go in the salad today. Okarina, ask the herbs which ones can make your lunch taste nice."

The girls wanted to run off immediately, but the fairy called them back. "Wait, after lunch, go out again. Go out as much as you like every day. And have fun!"

These were the last words of the Earth Fairy before she disappeared.