Why Roses Come in Pink
Have you ever smelled the sweet smell of a rose? Hold the stem carefully. Do not let the thorns poke you. Lift the flower up to your nose. Breathe in slowly. Ow! Look out for the bee!
I was just kidding! I love roses. I love the way they smell. I love the way they look. I love roses of all colors.
Did you know that long ago, all the roses were white? There were no red roses, or yellow roses, or pink roses or roses of any other color? All of the roses in the world were white.
One morning long, long ago, a little white rose woke up earlier than the rest of the flowers. She opened her petals and shook off the morning dew. She looked up at the sky. Do you know what she saw? She saw the bright sun looking right at her. The sun was smiling.
The little white rose looked around. The other roses were still asleep. The sun was not looking at them, only at her.
The little white rose did not know what to do. So, she looked up and said, “Why are you looking at me?”
"I am looking at you so hard because you are so pretty,"? said the sun.
The little white rosebud blushed. She turned all pink and stayed that way. When that rose grew up and had children, all of her children were pink also. That is why we have pink roses today.
Adapted from How to Tell Stories to Children by Sara Cone Briant, Houghton Mifflin, 1905, "How We Came to Have Pink Roses."? (Originally told to S. Bryant by Miss Elizabeth McCracken)
Dr. Mike Lockett is an educator, storyteller and children's author from Normal, IL. Dr. Lockett has given more than 4000 programs across the USA and as far away as eastern Asia. Contact Mike by writing to Mike@mikelockett.com in order to book him for a storytelling program or young authors program or to inquire about purchasing his books and CDs.