In a sunny clearing, right next to Auntie Swallow's garden, something very important was happening. Three little bundles of energy were leaning over a strawberry bush. They were the best of friends: Vicky the squirrel, Joey the hedgehog, and Sonia the titmouse.
"Are they ready? Are they red yet?" Vicky asked impatiently, hopping from one paw to the other.
Joey, whose spines were always neatly combed, inspected one strawberry up close. He twitched his whiskers. "It's still as green as a frog and as hard as a pebble."
"And surely sour, too," chirped Sonia from the branch above them. "I tasted a small one yesterday. My little beak almost puckered!"
Vicky sighed. "But I want a strawberry treat NOW! Why is it taking so long? It's unfair!" she stamped her paw on the moss. "We have to do something about it!"
First Attempt: Painting Them Red
"I have an idea!" Vicky exclaimed. "If they're supposed to be red, let's paint them red!" And off she scampered to the hollow of an old oak tree where she kept her treasures. A moment later, she returned with elderberries and a piece of beetroot she had found in the garden.
"This is our experiment! That's a word for a clever test," explained Joey importantly.
Vicky crushed the berries and beetroot with her paws, creating a rich, red juice. Carefully, using a small leaf, she painted the green strawberries. "Look! They're beautiful! Just like in a picture!"
The strawberries indeed looked red and tempting. "Excellent, Vicky! Now let's taste them!" Sonia cheered.
Vicky picked one of the "painted" strawberries and, with great anticipation, popped it into her mouth. In an instant, her little face scrunched up. "Yuck! It's even worse! It tastes like dirt and sour grass mixed together!"
"Hmm," Joey pondered, writing in the dirt with a small stick. "So, our first hypothesis—our guess—was incorrect. The colour doesn't make the taste."
"It didn't work? Great!" laughed Sonia. "Now we know one way not to do it!"
Second Attempt: More Heat
"Hmm, the sun is warm and it shines on them," Joey thought aloud. "Maybe they need more heat to 'cook' and sweeten. Like a cake in an oven!"
"Excellent observation!" Vicky agreed. "Let's warm them up!"
Together, they brought over large burdock leaves and covered the entire strawberry bush. They made a little green tent. They sat down and waited.
After a while, a quiet buzzing was heard from under the leaves. It was Agatha the Bee, who was just flying by. "Good day, friends! What are you up to here? Are you hiding those lovely strawberries?" she asked kindly.
"We want them to ripen faster!" explained Vicky. "We're giving them more heat!"
Agatha the Bee smiled. "That's an interesting idea. But isn't the sun the best heater in the world? What do you think, little ones, why do plants always turn towards the sun?"
Sonia flew up and peeked under the burdock leaves. "Oh! It's dark and colder under these leaves! The sun can't get to them at all!"
Joey tapped his paw on his forehead. "Oh, of course! They need direct sunlight, not just warmth under a blanket of leaves." They quickly pulled off all the leaves and let the sun's rays caress the green fruits once more.
"Our second attempt showed us that the sun is very important," Joey noted in his clay notebook.
The Third Attempt and Wise Advice
"Okay, so they need sun," Vicky summarized. "And what else? They drink water when it rains. Maybe they're thirsty! Let's give them more water!"
They carried water from a nearby stream in nutshells and watered and watered. Soon, the entire bush was standing in a small puddle.
Just then, Hedwig the wise owl stopped by, perching on a branch and observing them curiously. "I see you're working hard," she hooted softly. "But I'll tell you a secret. Do you know what a plant makes from sunlight and water?"
The little animals shook their heads.
"It 'cooks' its own food! It's a complex process called photosynthesis. And thanks to this food, it grows and its fruits get stronger. Then, special colourings, pigments, and sugar are created in the fruits. But for all of that, it needs one very important thing that neither you nor I can give it."
"And what is that?" they asked in unison.
"Patience," the owl smiled. "It needs its time. You didn't learn to run and fly in a single day, either. All good things need time to ripen."
Application and Discovery
The little animals fell silent. That hadn't occurred to them. Time cannot be rushed.
"So... we just have to wait?" Vicky asked, disappointed.
"Not just wait!" said Joey with determination. "We will observe! We'll start a Strawberry Observation Journal!"
And so they did. Every morning, Sonia would report from up high if the sun was shining. Joey drew in the journal how the colour of the strawberries was changing. And Vicky? Vicky had the most important job. Every day, she counted how many new red dots appeared on the strawberries. On the first day, zero. On the second day, she found three little dots. On the third day, there were already ten!
They watched as the green fruits slowly changed. First, they turned paler, then took on a yellowish tint, and finally began to blush red. And with every new red dot, their joy grew too. They were no longer impatient. They were curious scientists.
About a week later, the big day arrived. The bush was covered in bright red, fragrant strawberries. They smelled so sweet that the aroma spread throughout the entire clearing.
Carefully, they each picked one. "One... two... three... let's feast!" shouted Vicky.
And the taste! Sweet, juicy, perfect. It was the best strawberry they had ever eaten. It tasted not only of the sun and water, but also of their shared discovery and patience.
"So, what have we learned?" asked Joey, while wiping the sweet juice from his whiskers.
"That painting them doesn't help!" Vicky laughed. "That the sun is the best cook!" Sonia added. "And that the most important ingredient for all good things is time," finished Joey, as he drew a big, smiling, red strawberry in the journal.
And what do you think, children? What other fruits or veggies need sun, water, and a lot of patience before you can enjoy them? On your next walk in the garden or trip to the store, try to notice what colours unripe and ripe fruits have! And if you have a little garden at home, try planting your own plant with your parents' help and keeping your own observation journal. You'll see what an adventure it is.