Pirrewitje Catches a Cold

On a crisp autumn morning, as the leaves turned bright yellow and orange and the wind softly blew through the gnome forest, Pirrewitje woke up with a tiny cough. “Achoo!” he sneezed, and his nose felt a bit tickly. “Oh no,” he thought, “it seems I’ve caught a cold.”

Pirrewitje wrapped himself in his soft, warm scarf and stepped carefully out of his cozy home inside the old tree. He knew he needed to take extra good care of himself today, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to do something nice for his forest friends.

With a small pouch of warm herbs and a pot of honey, he went to visit his good friend, Grandma Owl. Grandma Owl was the oldest and wisest owl in the forest and always knew just what to do when someone caught a cold. “Grandma Owl, I feel a bit sniffly,” squeaked Pirrewitje when he arrived at her tree. “What should I do?”

Grandma Owl looked at him through her big, round glasses and nodded knowingly. “Oh, dear Pirrewitje,” she said softly, “that happens in autumn. But I have just what you need. Wait a moment.” She turned, rummaged through her kitchen cabinet, and returned with a teapot and a cup.

“Here,” she said as she poured a steaming cup of herbal tea for him, “this tea is made with mint, chamomile, and a touch of honey. It will soothe your throat and warm you up.” Pirrewitje took a small sip and immediately felt the warm tea soothe him from the inside, like a cozy blanket hugging him.

“Thank you, Grandma Owl,” Pirrewitje said with a smile. As he drank his tea, he heard some rustling in the bushes. His friend, the little hedgehog Bram, came scurrying over. “Pirrewitje, I heard you’re not feeling well?” squeaked Bram with concern.

Pirrewitje nodded. “Yes, I caught a bit of a cold, but Grandma Owl is helping me.”

Bram, always a thoughtful friend, took out a little nutcracker from his bag and placed it in front of Pirrewitje. “Here, these hazelnuts will make you strong!” he said. “My mama always says hazelnuts are good for you when you’re sick!”

Pirrewitje felt much better with all the love and care from his friends. He ate a few hazelnuts, finished his tea, and decided to take it easy today. And as he lay under a warm blanket in his tree house, he felt proud and happy to have such dear friends around him.

Just before he drifted off to sleep, he thought, “When I’m better, I’ll throw a beautiful autumn party for all my friends to thank them.”

Keep warm!