Happy Dandelion

Happy Dandelion was a friendly flower. She was the tallest flower in her garden. One day, though, a mechanical beast cut her down and she was uprooted, placed in a big paper bag. She was with her kin in the bag. In sheer darkness, she found her way to the bottom of the bag quickly where she spotted a hole. She signalled to the hole for her kinsmen to see how to exit. Their fright was too much. They were so anxious that they did not know what to do and simply fought each other for breaths. Happy Dandelion began to grab them all, one by one, and push them from the bag. She had finished pushing six other sad flowers out of the bag when the bag was lifted from the ground and began jostling. After what seemed like an eternity, the bag was dropped and Happy Dandelion had to find the hole in it again. She found it quickly and began ushering frightened and sad dandelions toward the hole. Again, bag was lifted and tossed somewhere. Happy Dandelion set her crown of flowers forward and continued ushering flowers toward the hole. All of the flowers had escaped. Except her. At that moment, bag was lifted and chucked high up in the air. Where it landed with a thump. Happy Dandelion wiggled out from the hole in the bag and found herself smiling into the sun's glorious heat. She was next to a dumpster the humans used for disposal of their trash. She walked about eagerly, seeing a couple of glorious morning glories climbing to the sky along the posts of a fence. The fence posts appeared about to have been pulled down by the weight of the morning glories. The morning glories, at seeing Happy Dandelion approaching, smiled, nodded their flowers and whispered in a glorious way, "A glorious day to you, lass!" Some of the morning glories whispered amongst themselves, 'my goodness! Have you ever seen a flower so yellow and so bright?!' 

Happy Dandelion smiled, tipped her crown of flowers proudly but then sunk somberly to the ground in a heap. 

"My word," Morning Glory said, "what is the matter?"

Dandelion's crown of flowers curled up and hid themselves. Happy Dandelion shed a tear, whispered, "I lost my family today. I have no where to go. No one to be with."

Morning glories all looked at one another with pity, smiled and said, "A flower as glorious as you deserves to have a home! You may nest and share our soil if you'd like."

Happy Dandelion's flowers curled out, one by one, fanning out, until she was again crowned as if with the sun itself. She ran over, as fast as her little plant feet could carry her, and nestled into the soil next to the morning glories. 

The human dumpster behind her, the fence in front of her, she was given the most perfect view. She was gazing along at the human sidewalk where she was given the opportunity to see many humans passing every day! 

Until one day, a human stopped and stared at her. He withdrew something from his pocket and pressed a button on it, until it flashed. He knelt down, smiled at Happy Dandelion and whispered, "my, my, you sure are a very beautiful and joyful dandelion, aren't you?" Happy Dandelion noticed the boy had some difficulty walking. He didn't walk like the other humans. Human boy smiled at Happy Dandelion and said, "I'll be back to see you tomorrow. I promise!"

Human boy kept his promise! In fact, he brought with him a bunch of seed and after rustling with the soil around Happy Dandelion, smiled warmly to her and walked away slowly, smiling as he went. 

Human boy visited every day for the next weeks and to Happy Dandelion's surprise, in that time, other happy and glorious dandelions, bright as the sun, raised up all around her!

"It's a miracle!" She whispered. You see, dandelion's memories are not too great. But, human boy kept returning and watering her, particularly on hot days! Happy Dandelion named all of the new ones around her and morning glories also delighted in her new family. However close dandelion family became, the bond between Happy Dandelion and morning glories never dwindled. It only strengthened. Human boy returned every day, watering dandelions and morning glories. One day, human boy didn't return. Day after day passed, but human boy didn't return. A year passed. Happy Dandelion still watched for human boy, tilting her flower crown left and right, hoping to see him walking down the road. He never came. Until, a young child approached dandelions and morning glories, her head lowered. She sat cross legged next to the fence and whispered. "My daddy told me about you, Happy Dandelion. Said I'd find you here. Exactly where he said he'd find you."

Happy Dandelion's flowers perked up and she whistled. 

Child girl shed a tear. "You've probably been wondering what happened to my daddy," she said, "well, you wouldn't believe it if I told you. "My daddy offered his life so that the world could be saved. He took a stand against oppression and corruption and gave his life in the end so that there could be better times on the earth." 

Happy Dandelion's flowers began to curl up. She whistled sadly. 

Child girl continued, "we all believed him to be crazy. We were told so many lies about him. So many lies. Hard to believe we believed it. After all he did for us. Daddy's dying wish was that I continue to water Happy Dandelion and her friends. She was a friend to him, when no one else was. Happy Dandelion brightened the church's exterior. Child girl stood and walked away. But she turned and said quickly, "my daddy wanted you to have a part of him." She stopped and took out a container from which she poured something like ashes over Happy Dandelion and morning glories. 

Child girl left. Happy dandelion may not have the best memory but she never, ever forgot Human Boy. Happy Dandelion and her family never bloomed greater. In fact, never before and never since did a dandelion grow so big and so tall!