Theme: Envy, pride, self-esteem

The Daisy and the Rose

There was a garden with many flowers, which was very well taken care of by the gardener. He cared to plant each species in the best place, according to its need for sun or shade. He watered properly, pruned and fertilized his plants from time to time.

The gardener was very fond of his garden and was very pleased when he realized that his plants were healthy and flowering.

There was in this garden a beautiful rosebush called Rosa. She enjoyed of all the resources the gardener gave her and produced many wonderful red roses. Besides the color and the delicacy, they had a delicious scent which the wind spread all over the neighborhood. The rose bush was very happy and made the gardener happy too.

But not all the plants in that garden were like that. Not far from Rosa, there was Daisy, and she, unlikely its neighbor, did not do well. She did not absorb the fertilizer's nutrients or the water the gardener gave. She did not produce many flowers and the ones she produced were small and faded.

What Daisy did, it was to repair the rose bush and always said in a bad mood:

- How exaggerated! It just wants to show up! As all the extravagance was not enough, it still wants to spread its scent everywhere. This rosebush is very vain and snobbish!

Daisy was envious of Rosa but she did not work hard either to improve itself.

One day its friend Mockingbird came to take a walk in the garden. He was a very nice bird and loved by all. He visited that garden from time to time, to review its friends and hear the news.

The Mockingbird greeted Daisy, and they began to talk. Seeing that the plant was not as good as the others, the bird was interested in asking about its health, but annoyed, it replied:

- Yes, I'm fine! I don’t know why everyone thinks I'm depressed! - Answered Daisy - It must be because I'm not fussy like any of the others - it said, pointing with a leaf to the sides of the rosebush.

- Sorry, I did not mean to offend - said the Mocking bird. And continuing the conversation, it asked - But are you talking about Rosa?

- Yes, the one! I have never seen so much pride and vanity! - Answered Daisy.

- Wow! Strange to hear you talk like that! Because I find it quite humble. I have talked to Rosa many times and it always speaks well of others, praises what each one has of good. it is also very grateful to the gardener, who takes such good care of everyone here. Even of your flowers, Rosa said Daisy that it likes the combination of white and yellow that you make, because they are very cheerful colors.

Daisy was surprised. In fact, it had never talked to Rosa before. It just imagined Rosa should be snobbish, since it was so pretty.

The bird continued the conversation:

- Daisy, aren’t you mistaken? It’s not because Rosa has self-esteem that it is proud. Proud is who thinks to be (or who wants to be) better than others. Each of us is different because God created us unique, but we are all equal before Him. God loves us equally and gave us the same opportunities to evolve and be happy. If the gardener only appreciated the roses, do you think he would have planted you and the other plants? He wants all of you! Think about it, my friend.

The Mockingbird said good-bye and flew, but left Daisy very pensive.

In the days that followed, she started looking at Rosa in a different way and even greeted it with a "good morning" one morning. Rosa was very happy about it and returned the greeting sympathetically.

From then on, Daisy began to be inspired by its neighbor's behavior and to take better care of itself. Daisy enjoyed the good dealings of the gardener, sucking the water and nutrients from the manure. It stretched its leaves to sunbathe and dedicated itself enough to make its flowers, which were having more and more, large and beautiful.

The result was that Daisy began to feel better and better, more cheerful, more humorous. It praised what it saw in others and thanked them for the compliments it received.

One day the gardener approached Daisy and said:

- My Daisy, how beautiful you are! I love your flowers, they are so wonderful they seem to be happy, smiling at me. I am very happy!

Daisy, then, felt a happiness it had never experienced and much gratitude to the gardener, who loved it so much and had so much patience with it.
 

Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com

marcelapradacontato@gmail.com