The Gardener and the Flowering Plant (Grand Mother's tales)

The Gardener and the Flowering Plant

There was a lady gardener. She planted a flowering plant. Although she took very good care of the plant, the plant did not flower.

 So one day she asked the plant: "Oh plant, why don't you bloom?"

 The plant replied, "The cow keeps eating my buds, why should I bloom?"

 The gardener asked the cow: "Oh cow, why do you eat up the flower plant's bud ?"

 The cow replied: "The cowherd does not herd me, why should not I eat the flower bud?"

 The lady gardener asked the cowherd: "Oh cow herd! Why don't you graze the cow?"

The cowherd replied: "The cook does not provide me food, why should I graze the cow?"

 The lady gardener asked the cook: "Oh Cook! Why don't you provide food for the cowherd?"

  The cook replied: "The woodcutter does not bring wood, why Should I cook food?"

 The lady gardener asked the woodcutter: "Oh woodcutter! Why don't you bring wood?"

The woodcutter replied: "The blacksmith does not give me an axe, why should I bring wood?"

 The lady gardener asked the blacksmith: "Oh Blacksmith! Why don't you give an axe to the woodcutter?"

 The blacksmith replied: "Why should give an axe if the coal dealer does not give me cinder?"

 The lady gardener asked the coal-dealer: "Oh Coal-dealer! Why don't you give cinder ?"

 The coal dealer replied: "The cloud rains, why should I give cinder?"

 The lady gardener asked the cloud: "Oh cloud! Why do you pour rain?"

 The cloud replied: "Why should I not pour rain when the frog croaks?"

 The lady gardener asked the frog "Oh frog! Why do you croak?"

 The frog replied: "Why should I leave the ancient custom of my forefathers?"
                                                                                                                                       -Collected from,

Burhi Aair Sadhu(Grandmother's tales)

Lakshminath Bezbaroa(1864-1938)