• The young 5 year old looked up and watched her mother cook spicy mexican food.
    "Mommy. Me help cook."
    The tiny girl pulled on her mother's apron eagerly, wanting nothing more then to help. The mother, mind intent on her cooking, dismissed the girl and sent her outside.
    She pouted outside. Then something occured to her. Mommy always went outside to get her food. Maybe she could find food too.
    The deeper green forest appealed greatly to the little girl. She looked up at the trees. So big and tall.
    On the edge were tall delicious looking leaves. Bright green and veiny. The girl marveled at it.
    Then she remembered. Mommy always made a salad to go with dinner. Happily she grasped a bunch of the leaves and tore them off. She raced back to the house door and placed them there. Then ran back.
    There were so many leaves. She began gathering them up, then running back to the door and placing them down right in front of it.
    When most of the leaves were gone, the girl ran farther into the forest. There grew three leaved plants, these with a shinier color.
    Her eyes practically glittered with happiness.
    "Mommy be happy."
    She squealed gleefully and started picking these plants too. As soon as she had as many as she could carry she ran back.
    "Sydney! Dinner!"
    The young girl, Sydney, ran over to the door and held out her shirt. She piled the shiny leaves and leafy green in. Her hands were itching, but she was happy. Sydney opened the door and up the stairs.
    She raced past the kitchen and into the dining room, where her dad and mother were already seated.
    "SYDNEY! Why are your hands red and what is that foul smell!"
    Her mother wrinkled her nose. Sydney dumped the leaves onto the ground.
    "Look mommy! I made salad!"
    She smiled. Her mother went white.
    "Sydney! That's poison ivy and skunk cabbage."
    Her mother squeaked and picked the leaves up. Then threw them out the door. Sydney frowned as he mother picked up her red and itching hand and groaned, then smiled.
    "Next time, I let you cook."
    She smiled back at her mother.