In a beautiful flower garden all in bloom, where the soft breezes played with the fragrant blossoms, there grew a little Flower named Flora. She was a nice little flower, but she felt very lonely, because no one seemed to notice her. All the big ones turned their backs to her, and even the little ones held themselves very stiffly and said nothing to her.
“Surely,” thought Flora, “someone will speak to me after a time. I have never done anybody any harm.” But no one spoke to her or seemed to mind if she were there or not.
At last a dear little Flower that grew close to her came out of her slumber one morning and said, “Why do you droop your head, Flora? You are very sweet, and I think you are the prettiest Flower I ever saw. I am only sorry you are not taller.”
“Oh, thank you! thank you!” cried Flora, raising her head, that all might see her lovely blush. “You make me very happy. I feared that no one noticed me.”
All that day the happy little Flower was so cheery that everyone stopped to speak to her. When the great sun went to his rest and the moon came up, the little Flower cried:
“All day long I have felt so happy and pleased at having one friend. But think, if all the Flowers were to take my part what a delightful world this would be! I will try and show them that by helping each other we can all do much more than by keeping to ourselves.”
So when the little Sunflower rose, Flora tipped her head to her as much as to say, “Good morning, sister,” and the big one smiled down on Flora, even while she overcame the little Flower’s reserve. All day she nodded at Flora, and in the evening Flora asked her: “Will you always be my friend, my dear sister?”
“I will if you will help me to blossom better than I do now. And you can help me if you will only open all your leaves and show all your petals, as I know you can do.”
“I will, I will! You shall be the happiest little Flower in the world,” and Flora kept her word. That very evening she spread her petals open and kissed her sister goodnight.
When Flora began to droop the next morning, she was thankful to think her sister had received the last look and kiss she could give her. But she did not think of herself; and the purpose she had in view brought all the Flowers to her that she might help each one of them by singing praise to the others.
“No one wants to hear me, so I will tell all my sisters each other’s good points,” was Flora’s remark each time she praised any one for their beauty. So when she had done, each Flower was called by her to see her prevail over another, and Flora’s eyes were closed each time she was rewarded by a Sister’s kiss for growing taller or throwing out her arms or doing anything that should please a Flower on her behalf.
This gave Flora the idea of asking a little Flower to remain by her side and repeat her praises to her, as it really was hard work, and no Flower could do it properly by herself, so Flora made her petition of the little Flower that was her best friend. She agreed to do anything Flora wished her and did her duty so faithfully that Fair Lady Moon rewarded her as much as she could poor little Flora.
Every night Flora questioned her little messenger as to the effects of her visit to each Flower during the day and if there was a Flower she could help to help all be friends and be happier than they now were?
The little Flower messenger reported how well Flora was liked and how sincerely each Flower endeavoured to blossom on Flora’s account alone when Flora first chose them as examples of her praises at their special request.
“Were they very much benefited?” asked Flora. “Very much indeed, sister,” was her only reply.
When she saw how well her sisters loved each other, she quite forgot her own health, but began to think that it was not so sad after all if those among whom she lived were happy, as Flora thought then perhaps that she was herself happy, for her sisters were all happy.
One day Lady Moon looking round to see the effect of sleep upon the mind and health of little people came to see the effect upon little Flora, and the next morning the little Flower messenger found Flora had changed into the simplest of all her sisters, and did not wish to care much if no one should visit her again.
“Ah, what a dear colossal blossom you have become! How tall and lovely,” cried her little friend. Then looking around she remarked her sisters were very near her now and growing down to her. Flora felt that this was the first pang of self.
“I am so ill. Help me dear, sister,” she said, looking around her, yearningly.
Lady Moon told her to help herself. “Be,” she said, “the part that makes the whole”; and Flora had the joy of doing so.
As she had forecast, when the first alarm was passed over, when her sorrow was changed to joy, she found much good in dying; for all her sisters were so pleased that they worshipped Flora and came every morning and kissed her, wondering how so lovely a crest had grown above her head and how the perfect blossoms could turn pink, and never lose their form and bloom again in next few days after Flora had departed.
You see instead of one her sisters could not do much by herself; but when they all came together to kiss Flora as she bloomed, each or all were much too large, by far, for any one of them to cherish her memory long.