STORY

Angel in a Thorn Bush

Once there was a wonderful garden with the most beautiful rose bushes that had sweet smelling roses. The roses turned the place into a paradise. Thousands of people visited the garden every day and enjoyed.

There was a thorn bush in one corner of the garden, all withered and dry. It was very envious about the rose bushes for the grand treatment given to them. Envy thickened into sorrow.

One day in the middle of the night, the thorn bush saw angels soaring in the sky. And all of a sudden it started to wail bitterly. A tiny angel saw the wailing thorn bush from the above. It took pity on the bush and came down to know the reason for its sorrow.

The thorn bush went on saying “Angel angel the God is so unkind, He gave all the flowers to the rose bushes and left me with these ugly thorns. No one would like to look at me. People are frightened to come near me, and are even throwing junk at me.”

The angel flapped its wings and fluttered its eyes in disbelief. The thorn bush continued craftily, “If I were to have flowers like the rose bushes I wouldn’t be so selfish like the rose bushes. I would have given a flower to everyone who would pass by. But see how unlucky I am!”

The angel was pleased with these words and said, “Dear Thorn Bush! Don’t be sad for what you don’t have. Let me turn all your thorns into beautiful flowers using my magic dust. So that you could bestow flowers to everyone and make them happy.” Saying this, the angel waved the magic spell and instantaneously the thorn bush was decked with full of gorgeous flowers. It was weighed down with joy.

Each day people flooded into the garden to see the thorn bush and spent their time in admiring the beauty of its flowers. The bush allowed every visitor to reach out and pluck a flower from it. There were endless visitors and there was an endless supply of flowers.

Days later fame and focus began to get into the thorn bush. It started looking down on the rose bushes. And every time the visitors went near, the thorn bush fluffed it's flowering so that they would look the greatest.

One day after all the visitors were gone for the day, the poor gardener’s little daughter came to the thorn bush and asked hesitantly in a soft voice:

“Dear Thorn Bush, everywhere I hear the talk of your fine-looking flowers. I was never given a flower during the time I had spent here. Could you kindly present me a beautiful flower? I would pour you the sweetest water in return”

Thornbush smirked and said, “Don’t be silly you wretched girl! I am the queen of the garden. How dare you asked me for my prized flower and offered me water!!”

The little girl felt very saddened and turned on her heel. But the thorn bush was very egotistical; it wanted to teach the girl a lesson for asking a flower. It called back the girl and said, “If you want a flower, you have to climb up on me and pluck one.” This time the thorn bush stood up high to make it difficult for the little girl to climb.

The girl felt happy, she wiped off the streaks of tears from her cheeks and cheerily started to climb the thorn bush, not knowing that the long thorns would hurt her. When the girl tried to catch hold of the bush, a long thorn pierced the middle of her palm deeply. Blood oozed out from her palm. She cried in awful pain. The thorn bush chuckled at her unkindly.

Just then all the pretty flowers on the thorn bush swiftly disappeared leaving the withered and grumpy one behind. The bush was baffled and looked around in dismay.

The angel appeared carrying a basket full of dazzling flowers and handed it over to the little girl. The little girl took the basket and looked at the angel with her eyes widened in wonder, sparkling with tears.

            The angel looked at the thorn bush and said, “Dear Thorn Bush, all these days you hated yourself for not being what you are not. And when you became what you are not, you forgot what you are. It was not you who turned your thorns into petals. All the while I was there inside you in disguise making flowers from my magic dust. The magic will not work in a place where there is no place for humility. Embrace God’s plan and try to shine from within you.”

            The angel planted a kiss on the child’s cheek and flew high.

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Thank You. Love!!
Shaila