“Choose one.” He said. Intrigued, Hoxley took a moment to look them over before plucking one off the shelf just above her head. The item inside was a bright red color with little white puffy spots all over

  “What’s this?” She asked

  “Ah, Amanita Muscaria, or Fly Agaric. Edible, but poisonous if you don’t boil them first. It won’t kill you but can make you very ill.” Impressed, Hoxley put it back and selected another that had a yellowish one with a wide cap.

  “And this?”

  “The Chanterelle, very edible. One of my favorites! Has a nice peppery taste!” He said confidently.

  “What about ones that don’t feed or kill you?” She asked.

  “Oh, then what you want is this,” He pointed to one that looked like a clumpy wad of fuzz. “Hericium Erinaceus, or Lion’s mane. It can be used as medicine to aid in the healing of wounds.”

  “Wow. Are there any other kinds?”

  “There are many variations of those same attributes, some are even flammable. There is one other……” Morell said. His expression lost its pleasantness but didn’t take one of sourness either. It was the strangest look of great concentration. “There is one species that has um…peculiar properties.” Morell walked past her to approach one specimen jar that was set apart from all the rest. He walked directly over to it and held it up to the light for her to see. When she got closer, she noticed that unlike the others, the ones in the jar had a distinct blue hue to the cap. “These are called polyphylectic. Fungi like these contain a special substance within them that have the most unusual effect on anyone who eats them. Some people call them magic.” He handed it over for her to see. Curiosity pulled her in and Hoxley held the jar up to the lantern hanging nearby. The blueness of the cap seemed to change in the light, twisting its hue like a cloudless sky.

  “Magic, you say? Like what the witches use?”

  “Ummm. A different magic perhaps. It’s a magic that mostly affects the mind.”

  “Fascinating.” She said before handing it back to him. “And you know how to control this…mind magic?”

  “Not control, but I know how to introduce it.” He put the jar back in its place. “Accounts of its use say it works for about six hours. Some say it summons heavenly beings from the sky while others claim it conjures evil that can drive people mad.”

  “Is there a way to separate the good ones form the bad ones?” She asked

  “I don’t think that’s how it works, BUT I am eager to conduct experiments to better understand them better…all of them.”

  "What will you do with all your knowledge once you’ve collected it all?”

  “That’s what this is for.” He beckoned again, this time to a small table. She followed him over and laid upon it was a sizeable leatherbound tome, the same one he’d been carrying when she and the prince had stumbled upon him in the woods. “This..” He held it up with pride. “This is my compendium of mushroom knowledge. Everything I know and have learned is contained within its pages and the book isn’t even a tenth of the way full.” He handed it to her and she opened its thick cover. Inside was not only names and notes of each of the specimens he’d collected, but meticulously hand drawn pictures of each of them in such detail that even she could tell them apart from one another.

  “This is all so marvelous, Morell. Thank you for sharing this with me. I think you have a great talent.”

  “You may be the only one who thinks so. I try and tell others about what I do but they either make fun of me or pay no mind. To be truthful, I would prefer that someone make fun of me than be ignored.”

  “Don’t think like that, Morell. There are elders five times your age who don’t have this kind of knowledge. I think maybe you’re not telling the right people and I believe that if you shared your knowledge with everyone in the land, what you’ve learned could solve a great number of problems.”

  “Do you really think so?”

  “I do. Don’t give up on your passion just because other people don’t understand or enjoy it as much as you do. If what you do doesn’t harm others and brings you joy then it really doesn’t matter what other people think. And look what you do,” She waved her hand around to reflect the span of specimens. “This is wisdom beyond all of my understanding. I think you’re smart for doing all of this and you should never listen to people who discourage you from learning, no matter how many legs they have.” She handed him his heavy book back and he held it against his chest with pride.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Wow. Thank you. No one’s ever told me I’m smart before.”

  “Not even your parents or your grandfather?” She asked

  “My parents are gone. I came to live with grandfather years ago and he has never encouraged me but he’s never not told me not to.”

  “Then don’t stop. It would be a terrible shame for all this knowledge to go to waste.”

  “Then I won’t quit. Thank you, Hoxley.” He said, placing the book back upon the small desk. It was then that Elder Brookum’s voice filled the entire cabin.

  “Morell! the pot is ready! come upstairs and get the dishes ready for our guests!”

  “Coming, grandfather!” he shouted back. “Come on, the food is ready. I’m sure you’ll like what we have. I picked the crimini mushrooms myself.”

  “I’m sure it will be delicious.” Upstairs, Elder Brookum was setting out some bowls from the cupboard. Prince Damron was slowly rousing from his nap and rubbed his eyes. Morell made himself useful and collected the bowls and some wooden spoons before placing them on a raised section if the hearth next to the still simmering pot. He removed the lid to fill the room with a smell succulent enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

  “Ah yes.” He smelled deeply . “Everything is ready.” He used a long ladle to fill each of the bowls before handing them out. The first went to his grandfather who was already seated at the table. Then he handed one out to the prince who wasn’t looking at him. “One to John Buttersby.” He said to which the prince paid him no mind. “John Buttersby… Johhhnnnn Butterrssssbyyyy.”

  Hoxley smacked his ankle with her hoof to get his attention before motioning to the outstretched. Bowl. Prince Damron came to his sense and accepted the bowl with both hands, thanking Morell. A quick glance to the old man saw his eyes squint as he looked upon the prince before lowering his head to taste the broth. Hoxley couldn’t take a seat as the others did but instead folded her hooved legs under her which coincidentally put her at the same approximate height as the others. Morell pulled out a stool and sat between his grandfather and Hoxley. For the longest time the room was quiet save for everyone slurping from the bowls.

  The broth was succulent, the rabbit tender, the onions and mushrooms flavorful and filling. Happy smiles passed between the younger diners while the grandfather seemed to lean over his bowl and slurp quietly. The old man finished first and left his bowl on the table before walking into his bedroom. He emerged a moment later with a sizeable armload of blankets only to dump them upon a crude bed next to the door made up of wood stock and crisscrossed thin branches.

  “I’m afraid I don’t have bedding large enough for you, Hoxley, my dear.” He said. “However, that small recliner should suffice Mr. John Buttersby quite well.”

  “But that’s usually where I sleep.” Morell said.

  ‘Yes boy, and it will be where you sleep tomorrow after our guests have departed. Tonight, you and Ms. Hoxley will sleep in your den. Since their clothes will be dry before you retire, and you have blankets and a few lanterns, you’ll sleep nice and warm.” Considering the hot meal and the circumstances of being indoors, Hoxley didn’t protest. She’d secretly hoped to lay herself down next to the fire for the night. Against the alternative of sleeping outdoors with no food, she accepted his terms without a word. Morell seemed a pleasant enough soul with which to become bunkmates.

  It wasn’t much longer after that when elder Brookum said goodnight and retired to his room. Morell went on to tell his guests more about the properties of fungi as they each helped themselves to a second bowl of hare, onions and shrooms. By the time those bowls were scraped clean, the clothes in front of the fire were toasty and dry. The prince put on his pants but left the shirt on the rack before climbing into his bedding. Hoxley dressed herself left her saddlebags upon the rack to continue drying overnight. The prince made his bed of blankets and reclined upon it. Content he wouldn’t be straying for a while, Hoxley gathered some blankets and followed Morell down into the basement. It wasn’t as warm as it was upstairs, but it was preferable to sleeping outdoors. Morell sat himself at the table with a few extra candles and continued penning into his compendium. She normally slept standing up with her hand resting upon her pugil staff for balance, but for now she decided to settle down on the ground before draping herself with blankets. She tried to get comfortable but her general sense of unease would not leave her to slumber.