p. 175 | THE PANSY

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 6, 1877

THE PANSY.

THERE is a fable told about a king’s garden, in which, all at once, the trees and flowers began to pine and make complaint.

The oak was sad because it could not yield flowers; the rosebush was sad because it could bear no fruit; the vine was sad because it had to cling to the wall, and could cast no cool shadow.

“I am not of the least use in the world,” said the oak.

“I might as well die, since I yield no fruit,” said the rosebush.

“What good can I do in the world?” said the vine.

Then the king saw a little pansy which all this time held up its glad, fresh face, while all the rest were sad.

And the king said, “What makes you so fresh and glad, while all the rest pine and are sad?”

“I thought,” said the pansy, “that you wanted me here, because here you planted me; and so I made up my mind that I would try to be the best little pansy that could be.”

Reader, are you, like the oak, the rosebush, and the vine, doing nothing, because you cannot do all that others do? Then, rather be like the pansy, and do your best in that little spot where God’s hand has placed you.—Shorey’s Monthly Reader.