THE WHITE FLOWER OF HAPPINESS
By Persis Richardson
The King sat in the library of the palace reading an old, old book--a bookwritten when the King's great-great-grandfather sat on the throne. TheKing had never seen the book before and it was very interesting to him.For the book told of a strange little plant that had grown in the kingdomin those days of the old, old king.
No matter how hard the people had to work, if the little plant was growingin their homes, they were happy. Indeed, the book said that the flower ofthe plant was so beautiful that no garden was complete without it; so inthe days of the long ago, it grew in the gardens of the rich and the poor,while happiness and prosperity reigned in the land.
Eagerly the king read the description of the little flower that grew onthis wonderful plant. It was white as the driven snow. It had heart-shapedpetals surrounding a wonderful heart of gold, and it was known as theWhite Flower of Happiness.
Now the King loved flowers dearly and there were many in his garden; buthe was sure he had never seen this little flower. So, because he wanted tohave one for his very own and especially because he wanted happiness andprosperity for his people, he determined to find it.
"Surely somewhere in the kingdom there must be a plant left if it grew socommon in the days of my great-great-grandfather," said the King.
Then calling the heralds to him he said:
"Ride forth and search. Go East, and West, and North, and South, and sayto my people, 'Search for the White Flower of Happiness, and when you havefound it, bring it to me that I may raise more seeds so that all may havea chance to own it. 'Tis a little flower, white as the driven snow, withpetals that are heart-shaped around a heart of gold.'"
Eagerly the people, both rich and poor, went to work, for they knew of thewondrous beauty of the flower and wished it for their own.
Now there were two people who were very sure they would be first to findthe flower. One was a rich woman who loved beautiful things. Her home wasthe largest of any on the finest street in the royal city. She had manyand large gardens, cared for by the best gardeners to be found. Yet in thesummer-time, when they were glowing with hundreds of flowers, few therewere who could enjoy them. A high hedge surrounded them all and only herfriends were permitted to go through the iron entrance gate.
This wealthy woman said to herself: "I will find the flower and it will beeasy to keep it secret from all others if I have it here behind the hedge.Then I shall be sure of happiness in the future."
So all of her gardeners were set to work to search for the White Flower ofHappiness. Wherever they found a plant of rare beauty, they bought ithoping that it might be the plant she sought. Seeds of all kinds also wereplanted. And in the blossoming time there were flowers in the gardens bythe thousands--but behind that great wall there was no flower that waswhite as the driven snow, with heart-shaped petals surrounding a heart ofgold.
There was also a man in the kingdom who thought he could surely find theflower. He was a business man.
"If I could find it," he said, "I would grow more plants and sell them tothe people at a great profit. Then I should quickly grow rich and therewould be no need for me to work."
So he set his office force all to work to write letters to the gardenersand seed-growers of the world. They described the little flower andoffered large sums for one single plant. But he, too, failed in hissearch. It was not to be found.
Down in the heart of the poorer section of the royal city there lived alittle old lady whom every one called Aunt Betsy. She was very poor; shehad only one room that she could call home, and her only companion was ascrawny cat that every one else had driven away. But it loved her and sheloved it, and was glad to have it share her home.
She was very lame and had to hobble away to her work every morning, yetshe was the cheeriest little body alive and every one loved her.
Aunt Betsy, like all of her neighbors, was seeking the White Flower ofHappiness.
"This old street with its tumble-down houses, and uneven sidewalks, andtin cans surely needs a heap of something to cheer it," she would say."Now, if I could find just one plant, I would make this old alley thefinest place ever. Then the little children here could have some chance. Iwish I might find it."
But no flowers grew where she lived or where she worked, so she couldn'thope to find the plant. The only thing she could do was to save everypenny she could so that, if the King found the plant, she might possiblybuy a seed.
Into an old tin cup she put the pennies, one by one, but it was very slowwork, for Aunt Betsy was very poor.
One winter night as Aunt Betsy returned from work, she found a queerlooking bundle on her door-step and, on unrolling it, she found Bobby, oneof the neighbor's children. Now Bobby had no mother and only a poordrunken father, who often beat him. And Aunt Betsy saw, as she unrolledhim, that his face was all tear-stained, so she knew what had beenhappening. Bobby had crept away from the blows to come to his best friendwhen in trouble--Aunt Betsy.
Carefully she picked the little fellow up, carried him into her barelittle room, gave him a hot drink, and then tucked him all comfortably onthe couch which served as her bed. Tired from his day of play and work,the little fellow was soon lost in sleep.
Not so Aunt Betsy. Sitting by the fire, all she could see were the greatholes in the shoes she was drying. Bobby needed some shoes very badly, butshe had no money with which to buy some.
"There is the money in the cup," said a voice within.
"But I couldn't give that, for I want so much to buy a seed to bringhappiness to this alley," thought Aunt Betsy.
"But a pair of shoes would bring happiness to Bobbie now," said thevoice.
She looked again at the little swollen feet under the cover on the couch.Then slowly, yet with a smile of infinite tenderness, she softly stole tothe cupboard, took the money from the little tin cup, drew on her oldshawl, and went out into the night.
'Twas a very happy Bobbie who went back to his home in the morning, andbehind Aunt Betsy's stove were the little worn shoes. A little later alittle old woman went down the narrow stairs to her work and she sang asshe went.
That night Aunt Betsy, hurrying past a florist's shop, bumped into abarrel of waste that stood on the walk. Stopping abruptly, she saw awilted-looking plant in an old broken pot on the top of the pile.
"Why, you poor little plant," said Aunt Betsy. "I'll just take you homeand love you; perhaps you will grow for me in my little upper room."
So she carried it home, transplanted it into the old tin cup from whichshe had taken the money, and then set it where the sunshine would find itthe very first thing in the morning.
In two days the plant showed signs of life. In a week it stood tall andfirm. In two weeks there was a bud which Aunt Betsy watched with greatcare. Would it be pink or red or yellow? She didn't care if only it were ablossom.
'Twas night when she came home from her work, but as soon as she openedthe door she knew that the little flower had opened, for the room was fullof the fragrance that it was sending forth. She hurried to the window andshe saw--oh, could she believe her eyes! She saw a little flower, white asthe driven snow. Its petals were heart-shaped and surrounded a heart ofwonderful gold. It was the White Flower of Happiness.
During the night, the little plant stayed with her in the attic room, butin the morning she carried it to the palace and gave it to the King. Thus,through a simple loving old woman, the White Flower of Happiness was givento a whole kingdom.
But the strange thing about the plant was this: Whenever its owner keptthe flower only for self and did not share it with others, it withered anddied; but, when lovingly shared, it grew and blossomed and made happy, notonly its owner, but all to whom it went. It was in very truth to all--TheWhite Flower of Happiness.
Fireside Stories for Girls in Their Teens Page 25
