Accurate Labeling Is Key

Accurate Labeling Is Key

Mara picked up her ingredients list. It was tattered but perfectly readable since she’d conjured up a new pair of glasses. Picking up the first bottle on the shelf, she examined the level through the glass.

“My stars and blue moons, where’s the label? I can’t check it against the list without one! Many things are the same color or consistency. What do I do now?”

She went on to the next bottle. The label was fine, but she found it was almost empty, so she put an X on the inventory so she would remember to get more. So it went, every second jar had no labeling.

“How strange!”

Then she noticed her feline familiar licking at something on the floor.

“What have you got there, Tibit?”

The cat knew that tone of voice and took off for parts unknown. Mara picked up the wet piece of paper.

“It’s the sticker off one of the jars! “

Delicately, she sniffed it.

“The glue is made with catnip oil! I didn’t notice because I use a sponge to wet them.”

Mara began pacing. She stopped at the corner of the counter below the shelving where she had placed the containers without labels. Taking a tiny spoon from her pocket, she filled a bucket with the hottest water.

She washed and dried it since she would have to stickthe spoon in each unnamed bottle and taste, rinsing and drying in between.

“I’ll need to rinse and spit with horehound tea to prevent accidents!”

Decision made; Mara began. As she determined what each ingredient was, she made a dot on her list by its name. An hour later, she was totally exhausted.

“I’ll need citrus oil glue on the next batch of labels to keep Tibit away!”