Grasslands: A place filled with countless small creatures and unknown riddles.
When I think of the open country, I don’t merely envision a vast, unending patch of green; I see a busy place, full of life and activity. It is a world where rabbits and groundhogs scurry around in search of food and where there are a thousand little stories of the fields. The grass is no less important to these small creatures than the blades of grass and the rocks on which they feed and live.
Rabbits and groundhogs within the tall grass strive to obtain food. They fly in and out of burrows, eating the young shoots and roots and their senses are sharp for any threat. The grasslands are their playfield, their store, a place where they can live and support their families. The only problem is that their movement causes small disturbances, slight shakings, and movements in the green sea, which is a clear indication of the activity going on in the real world.
But there are more animals than just these in the grasslands. To me, they are also inhabited by little elves and trolls, who give the place a magical and mysterious touch. These tiny dwellers use their sharp eyes to climb rocks in order to have a better view of their surroundings, looking for any threat or resource. Each rock is a post, a vantage point, from which they can keep their eye on the situation and work out their plan of action.
Every blade of grass in this magical universe has its own story to tell. Some have been eaten by rabbits, some have been crushed by groundhogs and the rest are used as the elves and trolls’ hideouts. The grass tells stories of the yard and the present, its leaves rattling in a song of nature’s stories. The little people know every blade of grass as well as their own hand palm, and the ways and the schedules of the short grasses as well.
In this miniature society, the rocks which are spread all over the fields are not just mere stones. To the elves and trolls, each rock is a possible fortress, a place of shelter, or a vantage ground. They climb these rocks as if it is child’s play and their little shadows can be seen walking around the sky as they look around. They also offer shelter, a way to wait for the rain or coolness to subside and a vantage point in an attack or defense.
The grasslands with their sweeping hills of green and secret objects are proof of the beauty of the nature and the capability of the mind. They teach us that even in the places which are familiar to us there are many things that can happen and happen suddenly if one looks at them closely. It is a way of allowing these secret worlds to come to life, of showing the magic and the enigma which are present in this book through painting or writing about these enchanted fields.
In our effort to appreciate the enchanted grasslands, we would like to convince others to look at the world in a different light. We tell them that there are always events to narrate in the life of a blade of grass and that there are always small characters to play in a big production. In this article, we seek to recreate this magical realm and its essence and share it with others, so that they may use their imagination and go looking for the secret beauty of the natural world.
