Spotted Mushrooms
After a heavy rain, the sky turned blue, the wind became gentle, and the air was exceptionally fresh.
In the pine forest, Little White Rabbit and Little Gray Rabbit were chasing each other, having a great time.
Suddenly, Little Gray Rabbit noticed many red mushrooms growing on the pine tree trunks. Little Gray Rabbit loved eating mushrooms, so he excitedly pointed out the red mushrooms to Little White Rabbit.
“These mushrooms have just started growing and are still small. We need to protect them and come back to pick them after a few days,” said Little White Rabbit, who also loved mushrooms.
To protect the red mushrooms and prevent others from picking them, Little White Rabbit and Little Gray Rabbit came to the pine forest every day to check on them. A few days later, the red mushrooms had grown a bit bigger. However, they noticed that the caps of the red mushrooms had developed tiny white spots.
“These mushrooms look even prettier with the white spots! Such beautiful things should be shared with our friends,” Little White Rabbit thought and decided to collect the mushrooms and bring them to school to share with their classmates.
“Why do the mushrooms have spots?” Little Gray Rabbit felt something was strange but couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong.
After another heavy rain in the pine forest, Little White Rabbit and Little Gray Rabbit were surprised to find that all the white spots on the red mushrooms had disappeared.
Seeing that the red mushrooms had grown quite large, they collected them all and brought them to school.
“Thank you for bringing so many red mushrooms,” Teacher Goat first praised Little White Rabbit and Little Gray Rabbit, then changed his tone, “But these mushrooms can’t be eaten.”
“Why can’t we eat such beautiful red mushrooms?” Little White Rabbit and Little Gray Rabbit felt it was a pity.
“These are called fly agaric mushrooms and contain neurotoxins. If ingested, the effects can range from nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea to hallucinations, agitation, and in severe cases, they can even be life-threatening,” Teacher Goat recognized the poisonous mushrooms at a glance.
“That was close! Luckily, we didn’t eat them earlier,” said Little White Rabbit and Little Gray Rabbit, feeling relieved.
Mushroom Knowledge Card
The fly agaric mushroom likes to coexist with pine trees and other plants in pine forests. The red cap is covered with white spots, making it easily recognizable. However, after a heavy rain, the white spots may disappear, making the fly agaric mushroom look similar to regular mushrooms. Therefore, it’s important to observe carefully to avoid accidental ingestion.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
