There was a tiny island. It was ruled by a wise and good chief. The island had an annual ritual. Every year a grand festival in honour of the deity, Bhumidev was held. On this occasion, the chief would select the most beautiful flower in the garden to offer to their deity. For the past eleven years, the rose had been chosen to be offered to the deity because of its beauty and sweet fragrance. But the rose had become arrogant. The rock behind the rose had a crack in the middle. Out of this crack, grew a plant with lovely purple flowers. Like other years, the chief went to have a look at the various flowers in the garden. The rose was confident that he would be the chosen once again. The time came for the chief to announce the name of the most beautiful flower. The chief said, “I have reached this position by years of hard work and struggle. Like me, this wild flower has also grown on its own. So it is also a hard-working fellow like me and I choose it as this year’s offering.”
The Wild Flower
