LITTLE SNOWFLAKE FLOWER

By Melody Romancito

for my daughter, Ella Celeste, dedicated to the memory of her grandmother, Rose

Once upon a time, there was a little seed in the winter ground. This little seed was dreaming. In the dark, cold, moist ground, the little seed was dreaming that she was a little red flower.

The little seed dreamt all through the winter time and slowly, the days began to lengthen and the ground began to get warmer and the little seed began to wake up.

She stretched and stretched and she made big yawns until finally, she was completely awake. She opened her eyes and realized that her winter time dream had come true. She had turned into a little red flower.

There in the new, green grass of spring time stood the little red flower, her pretty red face shining under the big new sun.

But suddenly, clouds came marching across the spring sky and pressed up against the mountains, blocking out the sun. The wind began to blow and the little red flower's face was cold. She bent her head in the wind.

First one, then two, then a dozen snowflakes began to fall. They tumbled and jangled through the air and soon there were so many of them that the little red flower looked up into the sky and all she could see were snowflakes. Soon, she was almost covered with snow. Just her red face was sticking out.

It just so happened a little girl named Ella was walking by. The sudden spring snow storm took her by surprise as she was walking home from visiting at her cousin's house. Snowflakes stuck in her brown hair and got caught in her purple shawl as she hurried home along the path that ran next to the place where the little red flower stood with her little red face poking out of the snow.

Ella looked over her shoulder as she was passing by and she thought she saw a red flame or a red jewel shining in the snow, so she turned back to take a closer look.

Instead of a flame or jewel, Ella realized that it was a little red flower, almost covered in new spring snow.

"How beautiful! A little red snowflake flower. I must show my mother and father this beautiful thing!" She shook the snow from her shawl and hurried home.

"Mother! Father! Come with me! On the path to Cousin's house there is a little red flower in the spring snow that looks like a beautiful little flame dancing on the snow," Ella cried and tugged at their sleeves. "Come and see!"

"I'm sorry, Ella, but I have to cook dinner," said Ella's mother from the kitchen.

"Another time, Ella," said her father. "I'm too busy now."

"I know, I'll pick the flower and bring it to them, if they won't come and see," Ella thought as she retraced her steps along the path.

When she reached the little red flower with her face poking out of the snow, the sun finally fought its way out from behind the clouds. The snow became twice as bright in the sun light, and so did the little red flower.

Ella was just about to bend over and pick the little red flower, then she suddenly realized if she picked the little red flower and brought it to show her parents, it would not ever be as pretty as it was right now, shining in the sun, with her sweet little face poking out of the snow.

And as Ella looked at the little red flower, the sun began to melt the snow, and within minutes, the snow was gone. Ella realized she had seen something very beautiful and rare. She returned home without the flower. Her parents were so busy they had even forgotten about the flower that Ella had been so excited about.

As spring went by and became summer, Ella walked on the path that went to her counsin's house many times. She saw the little red flower often. Each time she saw it she thought it was beautiful, but never as beautiful as it had been with its pretty red face peeking out of the sunlit snow.

Summer turned into fall and the little red flower had long since disappeared. Winter snow soon fell and covered everything with its coat of white cold.

But deep in the dark, cold, moist winter ground, there was a little seed. This little seed was dreaming that she was a little red flower ...

THE END

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