Philip was seven years old and loved observing everything around him. When he came to visit his grandmother for the holidays, the first thing he noticed was her beautiful green garden on the windowsill. Among all the flowers, he was most enchanted by a small plant with fragrant leaves.
"That's my most precious basil," said Grandmother with a smile. "I use its leaves in soup and on pasta. But look, Philip, it's been rather sad these past few days."
Philip approached the window. The basil really did look strange. Its leaves were pale and some were already beginning to wilt.
"Grandma, why is it so sad?" Philip asked.
"I don't know, dear. I water it every day, and I even moved it here to the shelf so it wouldn't be too hot by the window."
Philip noticed that Grandmother had placed the basil on a dark shelf far from the window. He looked at the other plants on the windowsill – they were all green and fresh.
"Grandma, may I try to solve this mystery?" Philip asked determinedly.
"Of course! You're my little scientist."
Philip sat down on a chair and began to think. What do plants need to live? Water, air, and... wait, what else?
He decided to conduct an experiment. He found a small notebook and pencil.
"First experiment," Philip wrote. "Observation."
All day he watched the basil on the dark shelf. Then he observed the plants on the window where the sun was shining. The plants in the light were thriving, while the basil looked sadder and sadder.
"Maybe the problem is the light!" Philip exclaimed.
The second day, Philip asked Grandmother for help. "Grandma, can we move the basil back to the window?"
"But it will be too hot there," said Grandmother.
"Let's try it for just one day," Philip pleaded. "I want to see what happens."
Grandmother agreed and placed the basil on the windowsill next to the other plants. Philip wrote: "Second experiment – basil in the light."
By afternoon, Philip noticed that the basil's leaves had straightened up a bit. In the evening they definitely looked better than in the morning.
"Grandma, look! It's feeling better!" Philip pointed out excitedly.
"Indeed," said Grandmother with surprise. "But why?"
Philip thought. "I want to do one more experiment. May I borrow your desk lamp?"
On the third day, Philip set up two small pots with young bean sprouts – one in a dark place and the other he lit with the desk lamp.
"Third experiment," he wrote. "One sprout in light, one in darkness."
Every day Philip observed and drew how the sprouts looked. The sprout by the lamp grew straight and green. The sprout in darkness was pale and crooked, as if searching for something.
After a week, Philip called Grandmother: "Grandma, look! I have the answer to the mystery!"
He showed her the notebook with drawings and explained: "Plants need light! Without light they can't make their green color and can't grow well. The sprout in darkness was trying to find light, that's why it grew crooked upward."
"That's amazing, Philip! And how did you figure it out?"
"I observed and experimented," Philip said proudly. "The basil was sad because it was in darkness. When we put it in the light, it immediately felt better. And my beans showed me that light is very important for plants."
Grandmother smiled: "My little scientist! And you know what, you taught me something new. I thought direct sunlight harmed plants, but they actually need it."
Philip wrote his final entry in the notebook: "Plants need light to live. Without light they turn yellow and wither. With light they are green and healthy."
The basil completely recovered over the next week. Its leaves were dark green and fragrant again. Grandmother made Philip the best tomato soup he had ever eaten from them.
"You know what, Philip?" said Grandmother as they ate the soup together. "You would enjoy going to a real scientific laboratory. Scientists there do similar experiments to yours."
Philip was delighted: "Can I make my own laboratory at home?"
"Certainly! All you need is a notebook, pencil, and lots of curious questions. And don't forget – always tell your parents when you want to try something new."
Philip couldn't wait to go home and tell his mom and dad about his discovery. He already had many new questions prepared: Why do some plants have bigger leaves? Why do some flowers smell? And can plants grow under a flashlight?
"I'll be a botanist-scientist," Philip said contentedly. "And I'll discover the mysteries of plants!"
When Grandmother and Philip said goodbye to the basil that evening, Philip whispered to it: "Thank you for helping me discover the secret of light. Without you I would never have learned this."
And the basil swayed slightly in the breeze, as if answering Philip: "You're welcome, little scientist!"