Finally, the long-awaited summer holidays had arrived. A girl named Zhenya and her mum Katya came to stay with her grandmother in the village. It's lovely in the village at the start of summer—all of nature has already awakened, everything around is blooming and the air smells of wildflowers. The June sun is warm and gentle, rising high above the horizon.
That day, Zhenya woke up earlier than usual, and through the window the bright sun was already shining warmly. Her grandmother Maria Alekseyevna was baking her favourite pies in the kitchen and humming a little tune. The girl stepped out onto the porch, where her mum was sitting on a bench by the house, sunbathing.
Mum, let's have a picnic today!
The girl exclaimed
We'll pack a basket with provisions and go to the river!
That's an excellent idea, especially since the day promises to be warm
Her mum agreed.
Having gathered everything they needed for their outing, Zhenya and her mum set off to the river. Not far from the small stream, there was a meadow filled with wildflowers in bloom. Finding a cosy spot near a willow tree, they settled down on the grass.
Can I go for a walk through the field? Look how many different flowers there are! I want to pick a big bouquet for Grandma
Zhenya asked.
Of course
Her mum replied
Just make sure you don't wander out of sight! I'm going to sunbathe.
Zhenya walked along the river towards the edge of the forest, where beautiful yellow flowers grew, their heads round like the sun itself. The girl picked a large bouquet and ran back to show her mum. When her mum saw the flowers, she frowned.
Mum, don't you like my bouquet?
The girl asked in surprise
Look how beautiful these flowers are, I've never seen ones like them before!
No, of course I do, Zhenya! The flowers are very beautiful, they're one of my favourites!
Her mum replied
But you see, these flowers are very rare—they're listed in the Red Book of Russia.
What's the Red Book? Is it called that because it has a red cover?
Zhenya asked with interest.
You see, Zhenya!
Her mum began to explain
Although our planet is large, it's very fragile. Modern human activity—deforestation, environmental pollution, poaching—all of this leads to the disappearance of certain species of plants, animals, birds and many other living creatures. To preserve animal populations and endangered plant species, people created the Red Book, which contains information about each endangered species and measures for their protection. Each region has its own Red Book. These flowers, which are called Globeflowers, are listed in the Red Book of our region.
Time passed unnoticed, and the sun was already high in the sky. Mum and Zhenya returned home, and the girl placed her bouquet in a vase.
Mum, let's help protect the remaining flowers in that meadow so that no one else picks them by mistake!
The girl exclaimed.
How will we do that?
Her mum asked.
I've thought of everything! We'll draw a flower on plywood that looks like a globeflower and write that it's listed in the Red Book. Then we'll take it to that meadow and stick it in the ground.
Zhenya and her mum found a piece of plywood in Grandma's shed, an old spade handle, and some oil paint. They spent the whole evening on it, and made a beautiful sign. The next morning they took a spade and went to that same meadow where Zhenya had picked the flowers the day before. There were still a few globeflower bushes there. Next to them, they planted their sign.
Forgive me, little flowers, I didn't know you weren't supposed to be picked, but now we'll tell everyone that you're rare in our region
The girl said to the globeflowers
Mum, I'll definitely tell my classmates in autumn that there are plants that can't be picked because they're protected by the government. Let's come back to this meadow tomorrow to look at your favourite flowers.
Her mum agreed with Zhenya.
