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THE PROUD RED ROSE
One beautiful spring day a red rose blossomed in a forest. As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby said, “What a beautiful flower! I wish I was that lovely.” Another tree said, “Dear pine, do not be sad. We cannot have everything.”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
The rose turned and remarked, “It seems that I am the most beautiful flower in this forest.”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
A sunflower raised its yellow head and asked, “Why do you say that? In this forest there are many beautiful flowers. You are just one of them.”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
The red rose replied, “I see everyone looking at me and admiring me.” Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, “Look at that ugly plant full of thorns!”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
The pine tree said, “Red rose, what kind of talk is this? Who can say what beauty is? You have thorns too.”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, “I thought you had good taste! You do not know what beauty is at all. You cannot compare my thorns to that of the cactus.”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
“What a proud flower,” thought the trees.
THE PROUD RED ROSE
The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things, like ‘this plant is useless. How sorry I am to be his neighbor.’
THE PROUD RED ROSE
The cactus never got upset and even tried to advise the rose, saying, “God did not create any form of life without a purpose.”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
Spring passed, and the weather became very warm. Life became difficult in the forest, as there was no rain. The red rose began to wilt.
THE PROUD RED ROSE
One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed. This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds were getting water from the cactus.
THE PROUD RED ROSE
“Does it not hurt when they make holes?” asked the rose.
THE PROUD RED ROSE
“Yes, but the cactus does not like to see the birds suffer,” replied the pine.
THE PROUD RED ROSE
The rose opened its eyes in wonder and exclaimed, “The cactus has water?”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
“Yes, you can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help.”
THE PROUD RED ROSE
The red rose felt too ashamed to ask for water from the cactus, but finally it did ask for help. The cactus kindly agreed. The birds filled their beaks with water and watered the rose’s roots.
THE PROUD RED ROSE
Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by their appearance again.