Mama's Home Remedies: Discover Time-Tested Secrets of Good Health and the Pleasures of Natural Livin, Svetlana Konnikova [classic fiction .TXT] 📗

“The Elf of the Rose”

I n the midst of a garden grew a rosebush in full

blossom. In the prettiest of all the roses lived an

elf. He was such a wee thing that no human eye could see

him. Behind each leaf of the rose, he had a sleeping chamber. He was as well formed and as beautiful as a little child could be. He had wings that reached from his shoulders to his feet.

Oh, what sweet fragrance there was in his chambers! And how clean and beautiful were the walls! For they were the blushing eyes of the rose. During the whole day he enjoyed himself in the warm sunshine, flew from flower to flower, and danced on the wings of the flying butterflies. Then he took it into his head to measure how many steps he would have 74 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

to take to traverse the roads and crossroads that are on the leaf of a linden tree. What we call the veins on a leaf, he took for roads; ay, and very long roads they were for him; for before he had half finished his task, the sun went down—he had commenced his work too late.

It became very cold, the dew fell, and the wind blew, so the elf thought the best thing he could do would be to return home. He made himself as small as he could, but he found the roses closed and he could not get in. Not a single rose stood open. The poor little elf was very much frightened. He had never before been out at night but had always slumbered secretly behind the warm rose leaves.

Oh, this would certainly be his death. At the other end of the garden he knew there was an arbor, overgrown with beautiful honeysuckles. The blossoms looked like large painted horns, and he thought he would go and sleep in one of these till the morning.

He flew thither . . . but hush! two people were in the arbor—a handsome man and a beautiful lady. They sat side by side and wished that they might never be obliged to part. They loved each other much more than the best child can love its father and mother.

“But we must part,” said the young man. “Your brother does not like our engagement, and therefore he sends me so far away on business, over mountains and seas. Farewell, my sweet bride, for so you are to me.”

And then they kissed each other, and the girl wept and gave him a rose, but before she did so, she pressed a kiss upon it so fervently that the flower opened.

Then the little elf flew in and leaned his head on the delicate, fragrant walls. Here he could plainly hear them say,

“Farewell, farewell,” and he felt that the rose had been placed on the young man’s breast. Oh, how his heart did beat!

Stop Sneezes and Sniffles and Stifle a Cold @ 75

Your heart will beat happily and with great health as you continue your natural treatments.

R 71. Grate garlic and add one tablespoon of honey. Ratio: 1:1. Take one tablespoon of this medicinal kasha and drink one cup of natural spring water. Mince five tablespoons rose hips berries and combine with one quart cold water in an enamel pot. Bring to boiling and boil 10 minutes. Cover and steep in a warm place, wrapped in a towel for 8–10 hours. Add honey, sugar, or fruit preserves. Drink one cup in the morning and every two to three hours for two days. Gargle with warm water to prevent tooth damage from excess acid.

R 72. Make the medicinal drink “Trio” as we named it in our family. It includes chamomile, sage, and wood betony. (Wood betony is not commonly used in the United States. It may be hard to track down. Consult the listing of herbal resources in this book.) The root of this herb is bitter and useful in liver treatment with a gentle laxative action. In ancient Europe wood betony (flowers and stems) was used to treat about 30 diseases, including headaches and digestive problems and as a stimulant and cleanser for the system, with a mild diuretic action. In the Middle Ages, this herb was a popular amulet to ward off il nesses or evil. My grandmother knew about it from her old books and used to give it to us when we had colds.

Mince and mix three teaspoons each of chamomile, sage, and wood betony. Combine one tablespoon of the mixture with one pint of boiling water in a glass jar. Cover with a lid, wrap with warm fabric, and let steep for 30–40 minutes. Then filter, add one teaspoon honey, and drink one cup of hot Trio during the day. Also drink one cup of this herbal tea hot before bedtime. R 73. If you have cold or flu together with headache, add peppermint leaves to the herbs in remedy #72. The method of preparation is the same.

76 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

R 74. If you feel cold as a result of flu, add black elder to the herbal composition: wood betony, chamomile, sage, and peppermint (#72). The method of preparation is the same.

R 75. Combine equal portions of fresh raspberries, linden flowers, coltsfoot leaves, anise seeds, and wil ow bark. Combine one tablespoon of the mixture with boiling water, steep covered for 20 minutes, filter, and drink one cup of this tea hot