The proud rose

This is a folktale that is being told to kids around here. It is based on loose memories of the stories from my childhood. Cheetah should take a chill as there may be similarities elsewhere.

A long time ago when plants and animals can talk. Plants and animals do interact and they are friends.
There was a garden where lots of plants grow. In this garden, we can find the mango tree, cactus, pine tree, Baobab tree, some elephant grass and some animals inhabiting there.

One day a beautiful rose grew there. The rose was the cynosure of all. Most of the other plants envied the rose beauty. The Baobab tree can be heard telling another tree

^{That is a gorgeous flower. I wish I was that beautiful.}

The other tree replied that,

_{Don’t be sad, one cannot have everything in life}

The rose observing their conversations looked around and said

_{Well, I think I am the most lovely plant in this garden. Just imagine how all of you are admiring me and talking about me.}

The cactus replied that

_{You can’t say you are the most lovely plant in this garden, have you seen the sunflower with its beauty. Every plant here is lovely and beautiful in its own respect.}

The rose on hearing the cactus burst in to laugh hahahaha and looked at the cactus saying

_{Look at you, just take a good look at yourself. Very ugly with big thorns that can injure another plant. Look at my own thorns and see how beautiful they are. Yours are just big green for nothing.}

The other trees and plants were surprised and cautioned the rose from making such utterances. They said such words can hurt the cactus feelings.
Days went by and the rose do abuse the cactus reminding it of its ugliness.

Suddenly there was drought, shortage of rainfall and all the plants including the rose begin to wilt. The animals too were thirsty because they needed water.

One day the rose noticed some birds taking water from the cactus. The birds were sticking their beaks into the cactus to get water. The rose couldn’t understand what was going on and had to ask the sunflower what the birds were doing. The sunflower explained that, the birds are getting water from the cactus.

The rose even more confused replied that

_{Making holes in the cactus will hurt it.}
The sunflower told the rose that the cactus is kind and don’t like seeing any plant or animal thirsty. The sunflower urged the rose to ask the cactus for water or else the rose might die from the drought.
The rose thought

_{How will someone I abuse everyday help me? It will be a shame for me to ask for help after everything I have said about the cactus being ugly.}

Days went by and there was no rain. The rose was forced to ask the cactus for water. The cactus accepted and told one of the birds to take water and water the rose roots.

The rose learnt its lesson to always respect everyone and appreciate everyone irrespective of his/her appearance

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sankofa (49) 6 years ago

That's beautiful. Glad the rose learnt its lesson. And too many morals there from the cactus we can all imbibe. Thank you for sharing, and your entry has been accepted and it's being re-steemed on our blog. Good luck.

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zoneboy (70) 6 years ago

Thank you for reading through and accepting

prechyrukky (66) 6 years ago

Lovely write up with a great life lesson.
Never laugh at anyone because of their current condition, the fact you are better today doesn't mean they won't be the best tomorrow.