there once was a girl called little ida
like most little girls she didn't like the same things as boys
little ida loved nature the fish in the river the busy bees
but what she liked most of all was flowers and their shapes and colors
her house was always filled with lots of different pretty flowers
one day she saw that two of her flowers weren't facing the sun they were facing the ground
but she was so pretty yesterday when I picked you
every leaf had withered and drooped
little ida needed some help and she knew just who to speak to the flower lady
the flower lady had a stall in the market it was full with every flower you could think of
she sold vases and pretty bows with which to tie flowers together in bunches
and she knew everything there was to know about flowers
little ida wanted to be just like the flower lady when she grew up
and to have a flower stall all of her own
flower lady please tell me why my flowers are so ill today
little ida asked hmm i'd say they're tired because they went to the ball last night
so tired they can't even hold their poor little heads up but flowers can't dance yes they can
as soon as it gets dark and we all go to sleep the flowers hold the flower ball
toby mole
the flower lady told her that this is the time of year when the king leaves his castle with all his
servants and guards to visit lands across the ocean where he meets with other kings and queens
come and see for yourself
but were all of the plants and flowers from the far-off lands
as soon as they heard that the king had left his castle they all ran inside
and not just the flowers from the king's gardens either
your flowers and flowers from across the land have all heard about the flower ball
they say it's the place to be seen for any young daisy or lily of the valley
what happens at the flower bowl oh it's quite something poppies and daffodils play pea pods
as though they were saxophones and trumpets
the two loveliest roses are picked to be the king and queen of the ball
the blue violets are the naval cadets
and the tulips and tiger lilies see to it that the dancing is at the highest standard and that everyone behaves properly
but doesn't anyone punish the flowers for dancing in the king's castle nobody knows about it
not even the old castle keeper who is supposed to keep watch over things whilst the king is gone
sometimes he comes in the middle of the night with his big bunch of keys
i smell flowers
why haven't these flowers gone to the ball
they are not from the king's garden so they don't know about the fun that goes on in the castle every night
but if you tell just one of them about the ball they will then tell each other
they speak not exactly but they can signal
when the wind blows the flowers nod to each other and make signs with their leaves that's how they talk
i told him about the ball the king's castle will be busy tonight
oh little ida without their roots they can't live very long
this made little ida sad when the flowers dry out save their seeds
plant them and the flowers will grow again don't worry little ida your sunflowers will come back
i just think that you are still very tired from dancing all night
you need a proper rest if you sleep in sophie's bed you will get well again will you sophie
thank you for letting us sleep in sophie's bed we won't need it anymore
but before we do will you promise to plant us in your garden and we will see you next year
but why can't you stay we flowers don't live as long as you that is why we enjoy life while we can
we live each today to be happy enjoy the sun and even the rain on our faces
and we always dance like no one is watching promise us you will do the same but
the following morning little ida awoke with the sun on her face
and she remembered how the flowers had made her promise to enjoy her life the
sun on her face and even the rain but most of all to dance like no one is watching
that afternoon little ida went to the market stall to tell the flower lady what had happened
but the flower lady had gone
and she never saw her again
from that day on little ida always wondered if the flower lady had been real
or if she had dreamed her if she had dreamed it all
she would never know
but what she had learned was how to live life like the flowers and enjoy the sun and the rain on her face
but most of all how to dance like no one is watching
because even if times are good or bad everything changes like the seasons
and just like the good times flowers will always always grow again