A Tale Of Tuliptime

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 258, 29 July 1939, Page 7 (Supplement)

A Tale Of Tuliptime

(Original, by Peter (17), Mukaretu.)

THE old Dutch garden looked wintry and forlorn when the tiny green ulmot A poked its head through the soil. No one saw the shoot, for it was »ueh a little leaf in a big garden, and bare brown earth was all that met tin gaze of most. But if you looked closely there it was, and it was looking » round rather anxiously.

“Good gracious!” it said in worried tones, “I believe I’m up too e.,rly, and I can’t go back I” It was looking quite limp with worry when, suddenly, it stood up a little taller than before and was quite stiff with excitement. “Why. I believe this is the same place!” the young tulip exclaimed aloud. “What place?” asked u gruff voice, and the tulip looked arouix-, surprised to see another fat shoot quite close. "Oil, I’m so glad to see you,” said the tulip. "I was afraid I lorn v.>me up too early." “What place were you talking about?” persisted the new tulip. “Well, it's about this garden. It’s connected with the story of how ;inii > first learned to grow so straight and stiff. You probably know it." rmnrued the first tulip slowly. "I did hear something about it once when we were stored in a shop, but someone else started gossiping and I didn’t hear it all. So tell me the full story, because we're too early to bother about growing much yet ” “Once upon a time,” began the first tulip, "before this city of botterdam was teeming with people, and those noisy motor tilings, and before- there were fine buildings ami aerodromes, even then there was a small park here. In those days flower-beds were not so carefully planned and tended ►<> it was no wonder that one day a little tulip grew among a mass of golden irises. ‘Keep off the grass' signs were not known,then, and children and animais played carefree. Just as the little tulip was sending up its bud. a frolicking puppy pranced over the garden, and |d‘od on the tulip. Its bud stem was broken, but still it grew and it flowered.

“it was then early summertime, and all the gardens in the park were ablaze with flowers. The people were very proud of them, ami whin the queen’s daughter, the princess, cafne to visit Rotterdam, they took her to see it. She was charmed witli the park, and when she admired the flowers they told her she could have any of the blooms she desired. “ ’No.’ she said, ‘please don't pick them. They are more beautiful there, and it would be a pity to disturb them. But,’ she added, ‘there is oiu. little red tulip growing among those golden flowers. Could I have it?' “ ‘But, your Royal Highness,’ they protested, ‘it is only a miserable little broken and crushed flower! Surely you would like a more beautiful blossom than it?' “ ‘No.’ she replied, ‘there is no more beautiful blossom in all these gardens. Look how, in spite of the broken stem and crushed petals it has ’timed and grown up straight and borne its flower. See the courage it has, the dignity and pride in the set of its head. And the crushed petals only shew the beauty of its heart which, in its modesty, it usually hides from all blit tlie sun. Indeed, it is true yon have no lovelier flower than this, and 1 all honoured to wear it.’ The people were silent, and the kindly princess bout and picked the broken little red tulip and wore it. “And so,” said the first tulip, “that is how we learned to bear ourselves with pride and dignity. Even though we may lie broken bodily, we must not let our spirits break. That little tulip set an example, and each tulip since has tried to follow it to this very day.” “How is it you know so much about it?" asked the second tulip.

“Well, after the princess’s praise for the little tulip, the people respected it and decided to leave it grow where it was. It lived there many.years, till the original bulb died, but by then it had produced many more. These were carefully planted out and multiplied into hundreds. I am one ■>:’ the descendants," said the first tulip proudly. “I know this is the very garden of tlie red tulip, for I have heard about it so often. I am proud to grow here, but wherever we are we descendants of the red flower stand s’lst a little straighter and taller than other tulips.”