This is a retelling of the Legend of the Dandelion published in 1918 in the book For the Children’s Hour.
A long time ago, all the Angels of Nature got together to discuss their favorites.
“My favorite rock is obsidian. I love how smooth it is,” said the Angel of Rocks.
“What is your favorite flower?” she asked the Angel of Flowers. All the angels waited for the answer.
“Why, I really don’t know,” said the Angel of Flowers. “I never really thought about it.”
She flew down to Earth to look for her favorite flower. She had a question to ask each flower, and her favorite one would be the one who answered the question to her liking.
When she got to Earth, she wandered over hills and valleys, through forests and meadows, in search of her favorite flower. One day, she came across a beautiful garden. A tall, bright orange tulip grew in the center of it, standing straight and proud.
“Oh my, you are a beautiful flower,” said the Angel. “Where would you like to live most of all?”
The tulip said, “I should love to live on the grounds of a castle. I think the dull colors of the castle walls will make my beautiful orange color look even more brilliant. Then, the princess of the castle will tell me, every day, how magnificent I am!”
The Angel scrunched up her mouth and looked at the tulip with disappointment on her face. “Thank you for your answer.”
She wandered far and wide across the Earth, until she came across a gorgeous red rose, whose fragrance filled the air.
“Oh my, you are a beautiful flower,” she said to the rose. “Where would you like to live most of all?”
The rose said, “Why, I am very frail and need a lot of help to grow taller so everyone can see my beauty. I would love to live on the walls of a castle. The walls can support me and that way, everyone will see how beautiful I am.”
The Angel scrunched up her mouth and looked at the tulip with disappointment on her face. “Thank you for your answer.”
The Angel left and wandered down a lonely, dry path that seemed to lead nowhere special. She spied a bright yellow dandelion growing along the side of the path between two rocks.
“Oh my, you are a beautiful flower,” she said to the dandelion. “Where would you like to live most of all?”
The dandelion looked at the angel. “I want to make children happy, but not very many people walk by me here. If I could grow anywhere that children play, even if it’s along a dry and rocky roadside, like here, I would love that. I think my bright yellow color will bring joy to people.”
The Angel smiled broadly and touched the dandelion gently. “I have found my favorite flower. From now on, you shall grow everywhere and bloom from spring to fall, to bring joy and beauty to all the children and people of the Earth.”
And from then on, the dandelion led a long, wonderful life, blooming in the most unusual places from spring to fall.
If you want to learn more about dandelions, here are some websites you can visit:
https://www.mofga.org/resources/weeds/ten-things-you-might-not-know-about-dandelions/
https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/weeds/dandelions
The University of Wisconsin Horticultural Extension website
Kathryn Randall 