Finally, the long-awaited summer holidays arrived. A girl named Zhenya and her mother Katya came to visit their grandmother in the village. It's wonderful in the village at the beginning 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. Grandmother Maria Alexeyevna was baking her favourite pies in the kitchen and humming a little song. The girl stepped out onto the porch, where her mother 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 supplies and go to the river!
That's an excellent idea, especially since the day promises to be warm
Her mother agreed.
Having gathered everything they needed for their outing, Zhenya and her mother set off for the river. Not far from the small stream, there was a meadow filled with wildflowers. Finding a cosy spot near a willow tree, they settled down on the grass.
Can I go for a walk in the field? Look at all the different flowers! I want to pick a big bouquet for Grandmother
Zhenya asked.
Of course
Her mother replied
Just make sure you don't wander out of sight! I'm going to sunbathe.
Zhenya walked along the river towards the forest edge, where beautiful yellow flowers grew, their heads resembling the sun—just as round. The girl picked a large bouquet and ran back to show her mother. When her mother 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, Zhenya! The flowers are very beautiful, and they're among my favourites!
Her mother replied
But you see, these flowers are very rare—they're listed in the Red Book of Russia.
What is the Red Book? Is it called that because it has a red cover?
Zhenya asked with interest.
You see, Zhenya!
Her mother began to explain
Although our planet is large, it is 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 can we do that?
Her mother 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 plant it there.
Zhenya and her mother found a piece of plywood in Grandmother's shed, a stick from an old shovel, and some oil paint. They worked all evening and created a beautiful sign. The next morning, they took a shovel and went to that same meadow where Zhenya had picked the flowers the day before. There were still several globeflower bushes there. They dug in their sign next to them.
Forgive me, little flowers. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to pick you, 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 the autumn that there are plants that shouldn't be picked because they're protected by the state. Let's come back to this meadow tomorrow to look at your favourite flowers.
Mum agreed with Zhenya.
