第7部分(第2/7 页)

room；　the　train　is　pausing　at　a　platform　to　refuel。　I　quickly　open　the　window；　toss　the　cookies　Peetaˇs　father　gave　me　out　of　the　train；　and　slam　the　glass　shut。　No　more。　No　more　of　either　of　them。

Unfortunately；　the　packet　of　cookies　hits　the　ground　and　bursts　open　in　a　patch　of　dandelions　by　the　track。　I　only　see　the　image　for　a　moment；　because　the　train　is　off　again；　but　itˇs　enough。　Enough　to　remind　me　of　that　other　dandelion　in　the　school　yard　years　ago　。　。　。

I　had　just　turned　away　from　Peeta　Mellarkˇs　bruised　face　when　I　saw　the　dandelion　and　I　knew　hope　wasnˇt　lost。　I　plucked　it　carefully　and　hurried　home。　I　grabbed　a　bucket　and　Primˇs　hand　and　headed　to　the　Meadow　and　yes；　it　was　dotted　with　the　golden…headed　weeds。　After　weˇd　harvested　those；　we　scrounged　along　inside　the　fence　for　probably　a　mile　until　weˇd　filled　the　bucket　with　the　dandelion　greens；　stems；　and　flowers。　That　night；　we　gorged　ourselves　on　dandelion　salad　and　the　rest　of　the　bakery　bread。

¨What　else？〃　Prim　asked　me。　¨What　other　food　can　we　find？〃

¨All　kinds　of　things；〃　I　promised　her。　¨I　just　have　to　remember　them。〃

My　mother　had　a　book　sheˇd　brought　with　her　from　the　apothecary　shop。　The　pages　were　made　of　old　parchment　and　covered　in　ink　drawings　of　plants。　Neat　handwritten　blocks　told　their　names；　where　to　gather　them；　when　they　came　in　bloom；　their　medical　uses。　But　my　father　added　other　entries　to　the　book。　Plants　for　eating；　not　healing。　Dandelions；　pokeweed；　wild　onions；　pines。　Prim　and　I　spent　the　rest　of　the　night　poring　over　those　pages。

The　next　day；　we　were　off　school。　For　a　while　I　hung　around　the　edges　of　the　Meadow；　but　finally　I　worked　up　the　courage　to　go　under　the　fence。　It　was　the　first　time　Iˇd　been　there　alone；　without　my　fatherˇs　w