Long ago, a sweet old woman had beautiful tulips. One night, she heard sweet singing and babies laughing. The old woman rose and went near her tulips. She saw a little fairy mother who was crooning and rocking the flowers like a cradle, while in each tulip cup there lay a little baby laughing. From that day, the good old woman never picked a tulip, nor did she allow anyone to touch them. The tulips began to bloom all the year round. But one day, the old woman died. People tore up the tulips and planted parsley. But the parsley withered, and so did all the other plants. But the good old woman’s grave there grew beautiful, for the fairies sang above it, and kept it green. On her grave sprang up tulips, daffodils, violets and other lovely flowers of spring.
The Tulips
