HIGH up in the clear， pure air flew an angel，with a flower plucked from the garden of heaven. Ashe was kissing the flower a very little leaf fell from itand sunk down into the soft earth in the middle of awood. It immediately took root， sprouted， andsent out shoots among the other plants.
“What a ridiculous little shoot!” said one. “Noone will recognize it; not even the thistle nor thestinging-nettle.”
“It must be a kind of garden plant，” said another; and so they sneered and despised theplant as a thing from a garden.
“Where are you coming?” said the tall thistles whose leaves were all armed with thorns. “Itis stupid nonsense to allow yourself to shoot out in this way; we are not here to support you.”
Winter came， and the plant was covered with snow， but the snow glittered over it as if ithad sunshine beneath as well as above.
When spring came， the plant appeared in full bloom： a more beautiful object than anyother plant in the forest. And now the professor of botany presented himself， one who couldexplain his knowledge in black and white. He examined and tested the plant， but it did notbelong to his system of botany， nor could he possibly find out to what class it did belong. “Itmust be some degenerate species，” said he; “I do not know it， and it is not mentioned inany system.”
“Not known in any system!” repeated the thistles and the nettles.
the large trees which GREw round it saw the plant and heard the remarks， but they saidnot a word either good or bad， which is the wisest plan for those who are ignorant.
there passed through the forest a poor innocent girl; her heart was pure， and herunderstanding increased by her faith. Her chief inheritance had been an old Bible， which sheread and valued. From its pages she heard the voice of God speaking to her， and telling her toremember what was said of Joseph's brethren when persons wished to injure her. “Theyimagined evil in their hearts， but God turned it to good.” If we suffer wrongfully， if we aremisunderstood or despised， we must think of Him who was pure and holy， and who prayedfor those who nailed Him to the cross， “Father forgive them， for they know not what theydo.”
the girl stood still before the wonderful plant， for the GREen leaves exhaled a sweet andrefreshing fragrance， and the flowers glittered and sparkled in the sunshine like coloredflames， and the harmony of sweet sounds lingered round them as if each concealed withinitself a deep fount of melody， which thousands of years could not exhaust. With piousgratitude the girl looked upon this glorious work of God， and bent down over one of thebranches， that she might examine the flower and inhale the sweet perfume. Then a lightbroke in on her mind， and her heart expanded. Gladly would she have plucked a flower， butshe could not overcome her reluctance to break one off. She knew it would so soon fade; soshe took only a single green leaf， carried it home， and laid it in her Bible， where it remainedever green， fresh， and unfading. Between the pages of the Bible it still lay when， a fewweeks afterwards， that Bible was laid under the young girl's head in her coffin. A holy calmrested on her face， as if the earthly remains bore the impress of the truth that she nowstood in the presence of God.
In the forest the wonderful plant still continued to bloom till it GREw and became almost atree， and all the birds of passage bowed themselves before it.
“That plant is a foreigner， no doubt，” said the thistles and the burdocks. “We can neverconduct ourselves like that in this country.” And the black forest snails actually spat at theflower.
then came the swineherd; he was collecting thistles and shrubs to burn them for theashes. He pulled up the wonderful plant， roots and all， and placed it in his bundle. “This will beas useful as any，” he said; so the plant was carried away.
Not long after， the king of the country suffered from the deepest melancholy. He wasdiligent and industrious， but employment did him no good. They read deep and learnedbooks to him， and then the lightest and most trifling that could be found， but all to nopurpose. Then they applied for advice to one of the wise men of the world， and he sent them amessage to say that there was one remedy which would relieve and cure him， and that it wasa plant of heavenly origin which GREw in the forest in the king's own dominions. Themessenger described the flower so that is appearance could not be mistaken.
then said the swineherd， “I am afraid I carried this plant away from the forest in mybundle， and it has been burnt to ashes long ago. But I did not know any better.”
“You did not know， any better! Ignorance upon ignorance indeed!”