On the lawn, among the daisies, cornflowers and bluebells, an unusual flower grew: a large dark red bud on a stem covered with sharp thorns. Everyone was impatiently waiting for it to bloom, but the flower seemed to be deliberately delaying - they say, wait, you’ll stop looking at it.
And so, early on a sunny morning, when tiny rainbows were still playing in the dew drops, the flower began to carefully open its velvet petals.
“Look, look, it’s blooming,” said the flowers. - How graceful! How good! What a wonderful aroma!
The aroma was truly amazing, and even those plants that were far enough away and knew about the new thing only by hearsay could not help but feel the appearance of a new flower.
Feeling this universal admiration, the flower became incredibly proud.
“I am a rose,” the young beauty arrogantly introduced herself and immediately demanded special treatment. When she woke up, all the flowers had to say “good morning” to her and wish her good night every evening. But she took it all for granted and never said anything good in response to anyone. But the flowers were so kind that they did it from the bottom of their hearts and did not expect any gratitude. They were very glad that such a beauty appeared among them.
Even insects and birds gladly fulfilled all the rose's demands. In hot weather, butterflies had to fan her with their wings, and birds had to bring water from the stream in their beaks to give her something to drink.
It is not known how long all this would last, but one day a tit bird flew onto the lawn. She had heard many stories about the capricious beauty and really wanted to look at her. The whole day the titmouse watched how everyone tried to please the rose.
- Why are you doing this? - she was surprised.
“But she’s still just a child,” answered the inhabitants of the lawn.
In the evening, like everyone else, the titmouse wished the rose good night.
“May you have a magical dream,” she added.
But the rose was already falling into slumber...
She woke up in a completely unfamiliar place. All around is bare earth and the hot sun above it. No one wished her good morning, no one admired her beauty, no one praised her wonderful aroma. Neither the birds flying over her nor the butterflies fluttering around paid attention to her. Alone, not needed by anyone... Sad thoughts did not leave her.
Rose suddenly realized that she couldn’t do without the inhabitants of the lawn. And it’s not at all about the admiration that they sincerely gave her. She probably could have lived without him. But it turned out that she absolutely could not do without many very simple things that the inhabitants of the lawn did for her every day, and she did not even notice it. Lush soft grass protected her roots from the hot daytime sun and night cold, the trees gave her saving shade, and the bushes protected her from gusts of wind, which, perhaps, could have easily broken her. And insects, and birds...
“But why?” the rose thought for the first time. “Is it really just because I was so beautiful? But what is beauty worth, what’s the use of a wonderful aroma if there is no one to please? And is it really my merit that I was born so beautiful? I didn’t do anything for this. I was just lucky. I’m so beautiful and so stupid.”
And she felt so ashamed...
- No, no, I don’t want to be like that! I don't want to at all! How I wish I could fix everything! - she screamed and... woke up from her scream.
Yes, it was just a dream. Just a magical dream. All the flowers were still sleeping peacefully, and the rose looked at them carefully for the first time. How beautiful they all turn out to be! The sky-blue forget-me-not always treated the rose, and all other flowers, with such tenderness. Chamomile is a yellow circle surrounded by snow-white petals - the sun among green grass. The purple bell made the most tender sounds, humming a melodic lullaby through sleep. And she? What good did she do for others?
Gradually the flowers began to wake up.
- Good morning! - the rose greeted each flower.
Some of them were so surprised that they didn’t even answer, but only smiled joyfully in response.
And the rose blushed with pleasure and became more and more beautiful. She finally realized that only by pleasing others would she truly be happy. After all, all our talents and virtues are given to us as a gift not so that we can be proud of them, but so that, using them, we can give joy to all those around us.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru