The Daisy, The Rose, And The Cactus

Balthazer0
Aug 7, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Nov 4, 2020

by Balthazar M.

Once, there was a gardener who tended a plot full of beautiful plants. At the center of the garden sat three plants: a young rose, a budding daisy, and a small cactus. Day and night, sun and rain, the tiny plants sprouted together as neighbors. As they grew, the daisy which sat in the middle of the rose and the cactus, began to notice different things about her neighbors.

The rose matured, and her buds began to bloom. The daisy has never seen petals that shade of pink except during rare sunsets. She was in awe of the rose, and held him in the highest regard as no other plant in the garden can compare to his delicate beauty.

In the meantime, the cactus also grew; but, he matured in different ways. He grew sharp spikes where the rose grew beautiful blossoms. He had a nasty habit of pricking anyone who got too near. The daisy detested the cactus as much as she admired the rose. She thought the cactus inferior, ugly, and a waste of soil.

The daisy spent all her time growing nearer the rose to bask in his beauty, hoping that some of it will rub on her. She looked down at the short, barbed cactus and tried her hardest to not let her leaves touch him. The rose didn't seem to mind and continued to bloom in beauty. The cactus also paid no notice and continued to bask in the sun.

One pleasant summer afternoon, the gardener's daughters visited the garden. The plants heard the gardener say, 'Pick one you like the best! We will be having their flowers at the table tonight.' The younger daughter squealed in delight and ran to look for the most beautiful flower in the garden. The older one strolled calmly, inspecting each plant carefully and enjoying the beauty they offered. It was a seldom phenomenon to be allowed in their father's office and she wanted to see as much as she can.

The daisy, the rose, and the cactus all stood in attention. To be picked to beautify the gardener's home was a rare opportunity! All these weeks of growing, sprouting, blooming all lead up to this moment. The daisy looked anxiously at the rose. 'He's going to be picked over me, surely!' Her eyes then fell on her other neighbor and she smirked. 'At least I have a better chance to be picked over the cactus.'

The little girl rushed past the plants, never spending more than a couple of seconds looking at each one. Suddenly, she was dumbfounded when she spotted the rose's large, pink, elegant blossoms. Her eyes widened and she made a move to pick one of the rose's low-hanging flowers. The daisy looked on with envy.

A piercing yelp suddenly filled the air as the little girl pulled her hand back in shock. On her little finger, a drop of crimson started to form.

The rose wounded the little girl.

The daisy looked at the beautiful rose in surprise. The handsome, sweet rose hurt the gardener's daughter! She examined the rose more closely and only then did she realize that the rose was not just made of flowers and leaves, he had sharp thorns too! The daisy was in shock. After all this time growing together, how did she not notice those ugly thorns?

The gardener approached the sniffling little girl and comforted her. Wearing his thick gloves, he cut a rose bloom and carefully put it in a thin vase. He then told his daughter, 'Here's the flower you chose. Be careful to not get pricked again and put this inside.' The sniveling little girl nodded and gingerly held the vase away from her body as she walked back to the house.

The older sister stood at a distance, witnessing the scene unfold. Curious, she headed to the center of the garden where the three plants sat. The rose was embarrassed and shrunk a little bit, while the daisy stiffened as the girl inspected them.

'That one. I like that one.'

The daisy gaped when she saw who the older girl was pointing to. The gardener nodded and reached for the cactus. Why would this daft girl pick an ugly, prickly thing? What a ridiculous choice!

After looking at the cactus in disbelief for a couple of moments, only then did the daisy notice the small yellow flowers sitting on top of the cactus's head. The cactus bloomed flowers! The daisy always looked upon the cactus's thorns with contempt that she never even noticed the small, beautiful, yellow blossoms the cactus budded over time.

And so, the gardener in his gloves and shears carefully gathered the cactus's vibrant little flowers. He put the bright yellow flowers in a short vase, and asked her daughter to get them inside the house.

The daisy, disappointed that she wasn't chosen, called up to the gardener, 'Please, gardener. Please pick me too!'

The gardener looked down at the lonely daisy and said, 'How can I pick you? You haven't grown any flowers!'