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Troughberry
One of the Many Berries of Battal.
Its plant is a long, snaking vine that often grows on fences and signposts to give it that natural flavour. The fence or signpost it's growing on, I mean. If a troughberry vine is allowed to grow on a piece of wood long enough, when that wood rots, it will be edible (see Troughwood).
Shaped like its namesake, the troughberry is a deep red in colour and tastes very sour.
Children love it and will eat enough to stain their teeth red.
Hence the children's song:
Troughteeth, troughteeth,
All day long.
Red mouth, dead mouth,
All day long.
Got ta suck it,
Got ta eat it,
Got ta hide it in my jams.
Troughteeth, troughteeth,
All day long.
Troughteeth is also a nickname given to a vicious disease that devours the gums of those infected. The copious amounts of blood stain the infected person's teeth red similar to a troughberry. This has only slightly diminished the troughberry's allure. Then again, well-backed-up claims that it is carcinogenic or induces a tendency to commit suicide would only slightly dimish the troughberry's allure.
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