The Magic Potion (by Musthafa Kemal Pasha)

One day, in a deep forest, there lived a group of gnomes, tiny creatures who lived among the mushrooms and flowers. Voster Greeny was known as the smartest gnome in the forest because of his vast knowledge and love for books. One morning, after having breakfast and a cup of tea, he received a message from his friend, Timy Hoven. He took a letter from the mailbox and read it. The message in the letter was:

"Dear my friend Voster,

Sorry for interrupting your weekend, but I need your help. My cousin Harold has become forgetful lately. Last week, he forgot to deliver the apples I ordered, and yesterday afternoon, he even forgot to return my saw. I am so worried about him, which is why I am asking for your help. You are the smartest gnome in the forest. I hope you understand."

Sincerely, Timy Hoven.

That afternoon, Voster decided to visit Harold's house to see what exactly was happening. Arriving at the house, Voster noticed that the door was open, but no one was there. He entered and saw Harold pacing in the living room, looking for something.

"Excuse me, what are you looking for?" asked Voster.

"Ahhh... Mr. Voster, good to see you. I am looking for my pen. I have been searching for an hour, but... where is it?" Harold replied, still searching.

"Actually, Mr. Harold, it's in your back pocket," said Voster.

"Ahh, yes, of course, there it is..." Harold answered, digging his hand into his pocket. "Thank you, Mr. Voster. You know, I think I have a problem lately. There is something wrong with me. I feel like I am becoming forgetful."

"I see... What have you been doing lately, Mr. Harold?" asked Voster.

"Nothing much. I just take care of my apple orchard every day and sometimes sell the apples. That's all I do, Mr. Voster."

Voster paused for a moment and observed the messy state of the house and Harold's clothes. He then realized something and said, "All right, Mr. Harold, if you really need my help, please come to my house tomorrow morning, and make sure you come."

"It will be my pleasure, Mr. Voster," Harold replied happily.

The next morning, as Voster had instructed, Harold arrived at his house. Harold knocked on the door, "Excuse me... it's me, Harold Hoven." The door opened, and Voster greeted him, "Oh, it's you. Come in, Mr. Harold." Harold entered Voster's house, and they sat together in the living room. Voster brought out some vials and handed them to Harold.

"Here, Mr. Harold. This is a magic potion, made by me. It will help you heal your forgetfulness. But remember, before you drink it, you must wake up earlier, have breakfast, and walk around the forest for ten to fifteen minutes," said Voster, handing him the vials. "And also, you must change the color of your clothes every day."

"As you wish, Mr. Voster. Thank you for the magic potion," Harold replied.

 

Upon arriving home, Harold followed Voster's instructions before drinking the magic potion. He woke up earlier, took a walk through the forest, and changed the color of his clothes every day. Day after day, he did the same thing, and over the next week, he felt fitter and healed from his forgetfulness. It really worked, and he was delighted. He wanted to thank Voster by bringing him some harvested apples. He went to Voster's house happily and expressed his gratitude.

"It really works, Mr. Voster. Your magic potion is amazing," said Harold excitedly. "And I am curious about it. May I know what the ingredients of your magic potion are?" Harold asked curiously.

"Haha, actually, Mr. Harold, I just gave you mineral water, just plain mineral water. There is no real magic potion as you think. From my observation, I knew you had monotonous habits, Mr. Harold. You did the same thing every day without trying anything new. That's why I told you to wake up earlier, walk around the forest, and even change your clothes' color every day. Because of your monotonous habits, you were experiencing boredom, stress, and even forgetfulness," Voster explained with a thin smile.

"I see, that's why you told me to change my habits, Mr. Voster. I never thought about it before, haha," Harold laughed.

"Now you know what to do if you ever feel forgetful again, right?" Voster asked, laughing.

"Yes, I do. Thank you, Mr. Voster," Harold replied with a smile.