Of course, the sunflowers at the back of the garden were much taller and the hollyhocks that grew in front of the sunflowers were taller, too, and also the sweet peas. But they were not near the beautiful lily. Beside her bloomed pansies and poppies, and many other beautiful flowers, but they were not so tall as the lily.
A rose-bush growing near the lily noticed that she drooped and did not look as happy as usual one morning, and she asked what had happened.
"Oh, I am thinking of some one I love," answered the lily, with a sigh.
"That should not bring a sigh or make you look sad, my fair friend," said the rose. "Love should make you happier than anything else in the world."
"Yes, I suppose it should," answered the lily, "but my love is so far away I am not sure that I am loved in return."
"Oh, immodest lily!" said the rose. "I thought you the most modest of all of us, and here you are in love with some one you do not know. Tell me about it, do?" said the rose, alert with interest.
"I will tell you, dear rose," said the lily, "and perhaps you can tell me how to win the love of my beloved, or how I can overcome my great love for him."
"I will do anything I can for you, my dear," said the rose, "but do tell me quick all about your love-story."
"One night," began the lily, "when everything was quiet in the garden and all the other flowers were fast asleep, I happened to raise my head and open my petals. The moonlight was streaming over the garden, and I looked around at all the sleeping flowers and wondered how I happened to awake at that hour, when, looking up to see the moon in all her splendor, I beheld a beautiful star looking down at me.
"At first I thought it was looking at the whole garden, but then I knew all the others were asleep and I must be the one it was smiling at, for it twinkled and brightened as I gazed at it.