The Story of the Dandelion
An Angel came down to earth once a very long time ago. She wandered here and there around the world. She walked in fields and through forests and in gardens trying to find one deserving flower to give a special gift. The angel saw a beautiful tulip, all orange and red, standing stiff and proud in a garden. The Angel said to the tulip, "Where would you like most of all to live?"
"I should like to live on a castle lawn in the velvety grass," said the tulip, "where my colors would show against the gray castle walls. I should like to have the princess touch me, and tell me how beautiful I am."
But the Angel turned away with sad eyes from the proud tulip, and spoke to the rose.
"Where should you like to live?" she asked the rose.
"I should like to climb the castle walls," said the rose, "for I am fragile, and delicate, and not able to climb of myself. I want to grow high where I can be seen by everyone but where it is hard to pick my flowers.” The Angel turned sadly away from the rose. She let the rose remain where it was, happy - but with a short life for its lovely blooms.
She traveled on until she came to the violet growing in the forest. She said to the violet, "Where would you like most of all to live?"
"Here, in the woods, where I am hidden from every one," said the violet. "The brook cools my feet. The trees keep the warm sun from spoiling my beautiful color." But the Angel turned away from the violet. She left it to grow happily with a short lifespan for its blossoms.
The Angel went on until she came to a little yellow dandelion growing in the meadow grass. "Where should you like most of all to live?" asked the Angel of the dandelion.
"Oh," cried the dandelion, "I want to live wherever the happy children may find me when they run by to school, or romp and play in the fields. I want to live by the roadside, and in the meadows, and push up between the stones in the city yards, and make every one glad because of my bright colors."
"You are the flower that deserves my gift the most," said the Angel. Then she laid her hand upon the dandelion's curly, yellow head. "You shall blossom everywhere from spring till fall, and be the children's flower."
That is why the dandelion comes so early and pushes her head up everywhere—by hedge, and field, and hut, and wall; and has such a long, sweet life.