Julie's Magical Forest

By Dora Elia

We cannot change everything, but we can start by being aware of the animals that suffer when trees are cut. They lose their shelters and source of food. This book portrays a young girl and her dog who, with the help of angels and fairies, protect the forest and animals any way they can, on a daily basis. Although it is a fictional children's novel, there is some truth to what is happening with regard to climate change. I hope it makes people reflect and adjust their lives to try to protect our planet with one little step at a time.

The book is meant to bring an urgent awareness to climate change. Therefore, the main character, Julie, a ten-year-old girl, tries to save the forest and animals against intruders such as loggers, hunters, poachers, and bad weather. She achieves her goals throughout the book with the help of her deceased mother, her dog Audry, and the angels and fairies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781098081959

Book preview

1

Early Spring

Ten days into spring, the green grass begins to peep from under the melting snow, and the birds are chirping in twos around the trees and up in the sky. Georgia, the cow, has a newborn calf; and Snow, the mare, is cleaning her newborn black colt. Activities flourish on the small farm as farmer Gerry and his ten-year-old daughter Julie scramble about to provide lots of fresh food and clean the bedding for the mothers and newborns. After her chores are over, Julie decides to take a walk in the forest with her dog Audry. She wears her boots and a coat with a warm hat covering her long brown hair. She has big oval-shaped brown eyes and always ties her hair in a yellow ribbon.

Julie picks up a loose stick on the ground to help her walk into the forest, and Audry is always at her side. Once in the woods, Julie notices deer tracks and decides to follow them. Along the way, she sees Mrs. Fox in the hollow tree with her pups nursing them. She says to Audry, Look, Audry, how beautiful the two pups are. Audry looks at Julie and lets out a yelp. Around her are chipmunks scurrying, and groundhogs stick their heads from their burrows as Mrs. Racoon passes by with her brood of babies looking for food. Come, Audry, we have to get back before dark, says Julie to Audry.

They arrive at the house and are greeted by farmer Gerry. Hello, daughter, says Gerry, and how was your walk?

Oh, Daddy, the animals have babies, and I saw deer tracks!

Gerry begins supper with the help of Julie and while doing so tells her that tomorrow they have to fix the fence around the barn because winter has lowered some of the posts. Later that evening, farmer Cain drives in the driveway at a fast speed. Gerry goes out to greet him. Hey, Cain, what brings you here? asks Gerry.

Cain approaches Gerry with a fury in his face and says, I don’t appreciate your livestock eating on my property.

What do you mean? urges Gerry, as he gets closer to Cain.

Well, I guess they jumped their enclosure, and I have them in my barn now.

Gerry says, I was meaning to fix the posts in the morning. Very well, I will come to pick them up now if it’s okay with you.

Yes, says Cain as he strolls off to his truck. Farmer Cain is not too friendly with Gerry because they believe in different things. For example, Gerry does not hunt, but Cain does.

The fence is fixed, and the animals are back in their enclosure, and the calm returns to Gerry’s farms as the days get longer. Spring is slowly awakening, and the snow is almost all melted. Signs of life show as the trees begin to bud, while the weeds have new seedlings. The wind shakes the dry leaves off to prepare nature with the growth of new ones. Nature is removing its winter coat as the animals change their color and shed their fur. A new beginning is on the rise for everyone and everything.

2

Midspring

At the farm, Nelli and Goofy each give birth to healthy calves, which gives Gerry a total of three calves and one colt. Julie sees Pete, the donkey, and Bessy, the mule, looking at the calves. What a wonderful picture it is , thinks Julie; but Maxi, the bull, looks left out as he swoops a mouthful of hay into his mouth. Upon the roof of the barn, there is a row of black crows ready to have a chance at picking worms amid the cow patties and horse patties. Snow and Blacky look at their frisky young colt awkwardly by prancing around the enclosure. Julie is itching to take a walk into the forest a little bit farther this time to see if she can spot the pregnant doe that she was seeing all winter come out from the forest to feed close to the house. Mrs. Doe ate plants and twigs under the snow, and she would jump into the farm animals’ enclosure to steal some hay in the mangers.

This morning the sun is shining and warm. Julie slaps on her jeans, a pair of water boots, a jacket, and the yellow ribbon in her hair. She ventures into the woods without her dog, Audry, in search of Mrs. Doe, the deer. As she walks deeper into the brush, she suddenly hears panting. She stops and listens more attentively and turns her head to the right and witnesses the birth of the spotted fawn. Oh my, says Julie, what a beautiful sight!

She looks up in the distance and spots the fawn’s father standing proudly on a small hill. He is majestic, an albino buck with a large set of antlers. This outing made her day. She found what she came to find: Mrs. Doe with her baby. Julie thinks, I’d better get back before dark, as she walks faster through the trees and finally into the clearing where she can see the house. She runs to tell her father what she saw in the forest. Dad, I saw her and the fawn, and best of all, not too far away was her father, Mr. Buck, as white as snow on the hill.

Gerry looks surprised. Why, my dear, you’ve seen the great albino buck, a very rare find; and I think it means good luck for all of us.

The following day, Julie cannot stop thinking about Mrs. Doe and her newborn. She wants to bring her some special treat. Oh yes, she thinks, I’m sure she will like some apples. After her morning chores, Julie decides to go back into the forest to find Mrs. Doe. She puts a small bag of apples into her backpack and starts skipping through the woods passing seed plants, stepping on dead twigs and ferns. She hears a twig crack and turns around, hoping it’s Mrs. Doe. Alas! She turns her head, and there he is, the alpha wolf licking his lips and the she wolf beside him.

Hello, sweetie, hoarsely utters the wolf. Are you lost? I can show you the way home, if you only follow me. Julie is frozen on the spot. She holds her breath and stands very still. She can’t believe her eyes and ears; she can actually understand the beast speaking.

Finally, Julie replies, No, Sir Wolf, I am searching for someone.

I see you can understand me, says the alpha wolf with his red eyes glaring at her and thinking how juicy she would be.

Yes, I am surprised myself. Oh, it’s nice to be able to hear you, sir. They are too busy to notice that someone quite formidable is approaching.

Excuse me, excuse me, says Mama Black Bear with her two cubs. Say here, wolf, you have no business frightening the poor child. Mama Black Bear looks at Julie and says, Come, little girl, I’ll show you the way home. The two wolves tuck their tails in and vanish into the thick of the forest. Mama Bear spots the barred owl up on an old tree cavity and asks, Hey, you there, can you see the farmhouse?

Awho, awho, awho, says the owl, turning her head all around. Can’t say that I do, but if you follow the creek to your right, it should lead you to the clearing.

Thank you, Mrs. Owl, we shall do that, says Mama Bear.

Julie asks Mama Bear, How is it that I can understand the animals speaking to me now?

Dear child, you are innocent and kind. Therefore, you can hear us because your heart is good and pure.

After her encounter with the alpha wolf and she wolf, Julie’s fear goes away as quickly as it came once she could understand the animals speaking to her. She is anxious to see if she could now speak with her dog Audry as well. Julie decides not to tell her father what she discovered, because if she did, she would have to explain her meeting with the wolves, and her father might stop her from going back to the woods.

Days pass. Julie stays close to home, and she still cannot speak to Audry, her dog. As she works with her father and the farms animals, Julie wonders often how Mrs. Doe and her spotted fawn are doing.

3

Late Spring

This morning, Julie must feed the farm animals because her dad has to go to town to fetch some grains for them.

Good day, says Julie to the donkey, Pete, and the mule, Bessy.

Hello, Miss Julie, where is Gerry?

Today I will feed you and the rest, and stop kicking Bessy.

The donkey looks at her and says, It’s a tick I have, and I can’t seem to stop.

Bessy replies, He always says that. Tick, my hooves. The colt and the calves are playing, running through haystacks and bumping into each other. The parents are lying down trying to catch a nap.

"Well, my friends, I’m all done for now; and I will see you all later.

You know, Audry, I would like to see if I can catch a glimpse of Daisy, the newborn spotted fawn, today.

Audry, the Great Pyrenees, answers her master, Good idea, Julie, I will come with you.

Julie turns to Audry and says, You can talk?

Of course, I could always talk. You just didn’t understand me.

Why do you think I can hear what the animals are saying now?

Audry looks at her and says, "The animals told me that when you were face-to-face with the