How Flowers changed the Dotty King

Long long ago, there was a king called Suraj. Aptly so, as his face had the radiance of the Sun God. He was bestowed with all the strength and he was equally just in his actions too. In short, people led a happy and peaceful life.

Now, our king had one weakness and that is love for flowers and that too sweet smelling ones. He wanted his entire Kingdom to look pretty and air filled with fragrance. Thus he, encouraged one and all to grow only sweet-smelling flowering plants.

This posed a little problem as scented flowers are only few in numbers, so to fetch their saplings, people had to walk deep into the forest. Of course, this did not stop them and soon every house had a small patch of garden where flowers blossomed.

The king lived in a huge palace where the large courtyard greeted the visitors and it was dotted with flowering plants, you guessed right, scented ones of course.

But, there was only one problem. Flowers like Jasmine, Champak, Night-Queen would wither away soon too.

So, utmost care would go into tending them. Strict instructions were given by King Suraj to water these plants only during night, so that, at sunrise, the flowers would bloom in full glory to send any visitor into a heady trance! People from far and wide
started flocking to this Kingdom just to experience this quaint feeling.

In olden days, every capital city would have four gates in four directions (East, West, North, and South). The main entrance boasted of a tall, wide arch with Jasmine creepers climbing up steadily throwing that regal look here and there, while there flowers would pop up in all their creamy white splendor. The other three entrances showcased their floral arches in a similar fashion which gave the city a picture post-card look.

They not only charmed the visitors, but also captivated the hearts of many, sending them into dizzy. It took quite some time for them to regain their composure.

The flowers had had their desired effect after all. This pleased His Highness to no end and he announced a grand celebration.

It was not that King Suraj's garden did not showcase other flowers. It was just that he was more fond of scented ones.

Now, several other flowers like Zinnia, Rose, Gerbera, Gladiola, etc. stared feeling sad that they were totally neglected and a tinge of jealousy started creeping in them. They now waited for an opportunity where they could show their power too. They did not have to wait for long.)

One fine day, a merchant along with a cart-load of colourful flower stems (variety of them), entered the city to participate in the Celebration announced by the king. The merchant immediately set about his task of adorning the walls of all the houses with his colorful flower stems.

Two days passed by and the flowers still looked fresh! The news having reached the King, rushed to see and lo, behold, what does he see: a riot of colors, some pastel, some dark, creating a wonderful hue all around. Bowing his head in reverence, to the King, the merchant requested his only desire to be granted and that was, to beautify to beautify the interiors of the Palace.

So be it, proclaimed the King, for, he was a lover of flowers, for sure. Only his weakness for scented ones ruled over his floral senses.

At last, the moment for which, the other flowers were waiting, arrived. Their joy knew no bounds when each of them was hand-picked.

The petals and stems of Gladiola trembled in ecstasy as they found their pride of place in bouquets or as in rose petals, which drifted gently in wide earthen pots filled with water.

Petals of Marigolds, Chrysanthemums soon made their way into floral pattern (Rangoli) in the courtyards. Thus flowers of all sizes, shapes and scents shared common ground only adding to the splendor of His Highness, Suraj's Kingdom, who realized that all flowers have equal power to enchant, be it scented or not!