There was once a cherry dogwood that had just bloomed its flowers in the spring sun. Next to the dogwood there was a trickling stream . The stream had finally come to life after the winter ice had melted and newly awaken hop queens were flying in the air looking for something to eat. The cherry dogwood observed nature's activities with great interest. Suddenly the dogwood saw a newcomer - a little fairy girl. The girls eyes were blank and had swollen from all the tears that had flowed down her cheeks. The cherry dogwood knew exactly where the girl had come from. Recently she had taken care of several other fairies that were in the same condition. But this girl did not come alone. She had brougt the spring storm with her. Immediately, the dogwood sensed trouble. The spring storm had evil intentions, and the cherry dogwood understood this. She shouted to the fairy and the spring storm that they had to cross the stream if they wanted to continue on and that it would probably be good if the fairy got some rest - she looked tired. "You can stay with me for now," said the cherry dogwood. The two newcomers accepted the offer. The cherry dogwood explained to the spring storm that they could take wood from her branches to build a raft and that the fairy could not travel any further until the dogwood's fruits had ripened. Every day the spring storm built more and more on the raft and every day he asked if they could now travel - afterall, the fruits were red and nice now. But, time after time, the cherry dogwood replied that the fairy was not ready yet. In the end, it was no longer possible to keep the two guests. They were now preparing to leave. The cherry dogwood told the spring storm that he must be the first one in the raft. It was a requirement from the cherry dogwood. And so they did, they put the raft in the stream. The spring storm settled onto the raft but before the fairy could step onto it, the raft sank. Even now, the spring storm lays on the bottom of the stream. And the fairy is still with the cherry dogwood recovering, one day at a time.

Being an unaccompanied child without a guardian in a foreign country means increased vulnerability. An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. Many of those children have also experienced terrible things, which no child should have to experience. Even if it is not visible on the outside, the bad experiences take a long time to process.
The cherry dogwood blooms in early spring. Later in the autumn, the berries will arrive. The berries are not ripe until they fall to the ground - even though they are completely red in color.
Cherry dogwood wood is the heaviest and hardest European wood, it sinks in water and is elastic.