A Hint of Rosemary
written by: E.S. Canela
“…and rosemary, girl. Don’t forget the rosemary.”
“Yes, Mother Thyme.”
Bru (Brunilda, to be fair but… seriously?) scampered away from the hut and into the woods. She’d been the hedge witch’s apprentice for five years now, and every spring it was the same. Love potions, love potions, love potions.
However, after five years, Bru had come to realize that Mother Thyme used not one iota of magic to make what were, inexplicably, very effective love potions.
That evening, washing off the dirt from her hands, she had summoned the courage to ask.
“Mother…?”
“Yes, dear?” Mother Thyme was sitting in her favorite recliner, by the hearth, smoking her pipe.
“The… erm… the…”
“The what, dear…?”
Bru felt her tongue tie. Oh, she knows, she does. But she’ll make me say it now, won’t she?
“It’s that I’ve been wondering…”
“Through the woods, dear?” Mother Thyme liked a tease like the best of them.
“Erm… No, Mother Thyme. A-thinking…”
“Ah.”
Puff, puff went the pipe. Squeak squeak went the old wooden recliner.
“About the… well… I ain’t forgot the rosemary and…” Bru looked down. How did one question somebody like Mother Thyme?
The old witch smiled and decided to let Bru off the hook.
“You want to know why the love potions work when they have no magic at all in them, don’t you?” She asked her apprentice.
Bru blushed a very bright red but nodded.
“It’s simple, really. Why waste perfectly good magic when the townsfolk, after being holed up all winter, are hornier than rabbits in heat?”
“So it’s just a trick?”
“Oh no, my dear. It’s rather powerful liquor, it’s what it is…” She paused and winked at her apprentice. “…and a hint of rosemary.”
- A Hint of Rosemary - May 9, 2025
