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[She does not know the word 'Oimelc', but Esclarmonde grew up around farms and farmers. Planning for the spring in the midst of winter is familiar.]

Seeds to grow?

Yes! We plant many things and wait for spring to wake them up! And we have to give presents to the fairies so they'll help them grow.

Ahh. And do they not grow without the fairies, or is it just that they help if you are friendly? [Her smile is nostalgic. She grew up in France for most of her childhood; the stories are similar.]

What seeds do you need? The farmers where I once lived often saved theirs in the Autumn.

They do not grow! If you plant on fairy ground without their permission and do not pay them, they do not let your plants grow. It's only fair. You must be nice to the fairies.

All kinds! I like apple trees and sunflowers and roses. Plant one oak tree too, those are my most favorite trees! And barley and wheat! For fresh bread!

I see. If you are growing on their ground, it is only prudent to abide by their terms. [Esclarmonde was skeptical of fairies, as a child, but she always liked the stories, somewhat guiltily.]

Oaks take a very long time to grow, don't they? But they are beautiful trees.

I like red roses, and white narcissus. Do you tend the plants?

Yes. You have to follow the fairies rules or you don't get to grow anything and all your animals will get sick.

Uh huh. It takes a long time for an oak to even start making acorns! But they are my most favorite tree of all. I have a very big oak tree in my forest, and if you climb to the top you can see everything!

I do! I make sure they grow up big and strong. I'm the best at growing plants.

[Clearly, Esclarmonde still thinks she is speaking to an ordinary child. She seems to be enjoying the conversation, though, smiling genuinely now.]

When I was very young, there was a flame tree in a walled garden near my home. An ambassador or a politician's, I think. I couldn't reach the tree, but I would pick up the flowers when they fell and the wind blew them over the fence to me.

My uncle was angry; I used to scatter pockets full of them all over the floor, and he would make me sweep them up. [Uncle is a bad memory, but the flowers are good ones.]

I do not save seeds, as I have no place to garden, but I do have an apple. Would you like to take it for planting?

[Aisling doesn't seem interested in ruining the look for the time being. There's plenty of other ways she can show she's no ordinary five year old]

Was it a very big tree? I haven't seen a flame tree before, were the flowers all red and yellow and gold? Did it smell very nice? Did it have fruit that was very good?

I'll take the apple. I'll plant the seeds after I eat it so we can have apples after it grows up all big.

Taller than me, but I was very small. Perhaps not quite as tall as a house. They were red, bright red, with yellow stems in the center. We used to call them phoenix tails.

I do not think the scent was strong. It's hard to remember; I was very small.

[She has a small bag at her side, and rifles through it until she finds a little apple, mostly yellow with a red blush on one side. She hands it over with no regret; she's not lacking for food, and the idea of apple blossoms pleases her.] Here. I hope it will grow well for you.

May I have your name? I am Sister Esclarmonde.

What kind of seedses, my Precious?

It sounds pretty! I want a fire tree! Where do I get fire tree seeds?

[She grabs the apple and starts just chowing down on it immediately, as if it's candy]

Who's sister are you? I'm Aisling.

All kinds of seeds! I want flowers and fruit and trees! And wheat and barley for bread and drinks!

Rose seeds too! White and red. And big oak tree acorns!

Fruitses can be nice . . . but we like fishies better.

I only eat fish sometimes. I like sweet things! Lots of sweet things. Wild strawberries and junipers and apples!

We's not used to sweet thingses no more.

No? What if I got you something? Like a fresh apple? Or a nice strawberry?

We might like it, but we'd still not be used to it.

Well that's okay! You'll get used to it again if you eat a big whole lot of them!

Nice fairy tellses truthses, Precious. But it will take a long time, yesss. We's not sure fairy has enough berrieses.

We'll find them all and eat them. It's one of my favorite games, looking for wild strawberries.

We shall play, then.

Okay! When it gets warm and green again, we'll go looking for wild strawberries! All the good apples are with humans right now though, and we have to wait until fall for them to be really good. But strawberries come in the summer, and you can find juniper berries in fall.

But you have to get them before all the birds and deer eat them.

We can wait, Precious. We's spent eighty yearses and more in the wild, a bit more won't hurt usss.

Yeah! Just a few months! That's like almost nothing. And then it'll be all fresh and green again and we can play in the mud and climb trees and go swimming!

We is always going swimming. Cold water not botherses usss.