Folksburywoods

Fern drank her morning tea when suddenly she found herself staring straight into the face of a plump fairy.

The tiny messenger urgently requested her presence in Willow Hollow to deal with a strange new illness sweeping the land.

Fern learned that the oxen had recently become ill and refused to eat. Without oxen hauling grain from the fields, the harvest would spoil, leaving the elves hungry for the winter.

The marsh wizard gathered her hat and pouch and headed for the hollow.

Approaching her destination, the wizard felt troubled by a lack of bird song and insect buzzing, a sure sign that things were not right.

Fern noticed dying plants near the river’s edge and was shocked to see no frogs or fish in the water.

The wizard arrived at Willow Hollow to find a dreadful sight. The willow’s long, graceful green limbs were now golden brown and saggy, reminding her of a rusted bird’s cage.

Fern learned that the land suffered from dry bone sickness because the trees looked like skeletons after being killed by the ailment.

Since the rains stopped, many plants had been stricken, and now the oxen became ill. Fern inquired why the people did not show signs of the sickness, and no one could say.

Fern began investigating the area for clues. The wizard asked for purple cabbage, which she chopped and heated in water to make a dark purple liquid.

Fern dropped the purple liquid into a sample of the river water. It changed to a light pink. “Just as I suspected,” said Fern. “The water is highly acidic,” she explained.

Fern shared how cabbage contains flavin or anthocyanin, which reacts to a change in pH. “The liquid’s change to pink indicated it was acidic,” said the wizard.

“Normally, river water is slightly alkaline or basic, but this water is acid, killing the plants and making the animals sick,” said Fern.

Fern traced the trouble upstream to a shed used for tanning hides. The tanner allowed acid to overflow from his tank and flow directly into the river.

Argus, the tanner, told Fern there was no problem before, so how could it be him? The marsh wizard was puzzled herself. What had changed, she wondered? 

Standing beside the river, Fern noticed the high water mark from the last rainy season. “That’s it,” shouted the wizard.

“When the waste first flowed into the river, it was the rainy season, so the poison was washed away,” Fern explained. “In the dry season, the poison builds up and harms plants and animals,” said the wizard.

Argus did not think it was from him. After all, people were not harmed and used the river water. 

“The villagers use river water for their animals and crops. They drink from wells where the water comes from deep underground, not tainted by the river’s poison,” explained Fern.

Argus looked shocked and promised to stop the waste from flowing into the river. Fern told the village elders that Argus’s tank overflowing caused the problem and he would fix it immediately.

Fern explained they must use healthy well water for the animals and crops while the contaminated water drifted away.

Within days, the willows regained their color, frogs, and fish returned, and the oxen were back in the fields hauling grain for winter storage.

Relaxing at home again, Fern sipped tea and wondered if she would always be able to help Folksburywoods or if there would be a time when the wood was beyond her help.