One day, Laila brought some mushrooms home. “Where did you get those?” said her mother.
“I picked them in the woods.”
“The mushrooms are poisonous,” said her mother, throwing them in the bin. “Promise me you won’t pick them again.”
A few days later, Laila was out again in the woods when she met an elf on the path who was whistling and singing to himself, “With a Hey and a Ho and Hey Nonino!”
The elf walked ahead of her, whistling and singing away.
At length, they came to a patch of grass. The elf bent down to pick some mushrooms. He put them in the basket he was carrying. “Now,” he said, “I believe that is quite enough for our purposes.”
So saying, he took out a pan from his knapsack.
“Are you going to eat them?” said Laila. “My mother says they are poisonous.”
“Poisonous! They are quite delicious with a little seasoning.”
When the mushrooms began to sizzle, the elf took out a cellar from his knapsack, “Now for the seasoning,” he said, shaking the cellar over the sizzling mushrooms.
When the mushrooms were cooked, the elf handed Laila a plate. “All it takes is a little seasoning,” he said.
Though she still felt guilty, Laila had to admit the mushrooms were quite delicious. “I have never tasted anything better,” she said, closing her eyes.
Laila fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, the elf was gone, but she was no longer ashamed of herself.
*
“Have you ever tried mushrooms, Mabel?”
“I like them with a little garlic on toast.”
“I was talking about the magic variety.”
“Good gracious, no. My imagination is vivid enough without opening the doors of perception.”