In a peaceful village surrounded by rolling hills, there lived a little girl named Sophie. She had a beautiful garden in her backyard, filled with all sorts of flowers and plants that her mother, Mrs. Green, lovingly took care of. Sophie liked playing in the garden, but she rarely helped her mother with the gardening chores. She always thought flowers just took care of themselves.
One summer afternoon, as Sophie was playing with her toys near the flower beds, she heard something unusual. It sounded like a faint, sad melody drifting through the garden. Sophie stopped playing and listened carefully.
“Who’s singing?” she wondered aloud, looking around.
She followed the sound, and to her surprise, it seemed to be coming from the row of tall sunflowers at the edge of the garden. Sophie walked closer, her eyes wide. One of the sunflowers was swaying gently, its large yellow petals drooping, and—could it be?—it was singing a sad, slow song.
Sophie knelt down, staring at the sunflower in amazement. “Are you… are you singing?” she asked.
The sunflower’s face, which was turned toward the ground, slowly lifted. Its petals shimmered slightly as it spoke in a soft, melancholy voice. “Yes, little one. I sing because I am sad.”
Sophie was shocked. She had never seen a talking flower, let alone one that could sing! “Why are you sad?” she asked, feeling concerned.
The sunflower sighed, its petals rustling in the breeze. “I am thirsty, and my leaves are tired. I haven’t been watered in days. My roots are dry, and I feel too weak to stand tall.”
Sophie’s eyes widened with guilt. She remembered how her mother had asked her to help water the garden, but she had always been too busy playing to bother.
“Oh no,” Sophie whispered. “I didn’t know flowers could feel sad.”
“We need water and care, just like you need food and love,” the sunflower explained. “Without help, even the brightest flowers can wilt.”
Sophie jumped to her feet and ran to find her mother, who was busy tending to the vegetable patch on the other side of the garden.
“Mama! Mama!” Sophie called breathlessly. “The sunflower is sad! It says it’s thirsty and needs our help!”
Mrs. Green smiled gently and set down her gardening tools. “Well, that’s no surprise, Sophie. The flowers need regular watering, especially in this summer heat. Would you like to help me water them today?”
Sophie nodded eagerly. “Yes! I didn’t know they needed help like that.”
Her mother handed her a small watering can. Together, they filled it with fresh water from the garden hose. Sophie ran back to the sunflower, which was still drooping slightly.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you,” she said softly. She carefully poured the water around the base of the sunflower, making sure to give it enough to drink.
As soon as the water soaked into the soil, the sunflower seemed to perk up. Its petals lifted, and its leaves stretched toward the sky. The sad song faded, and to Sophie’s delight, the sunflower began to hum a much happier tune.
“Thank you, little one,” the sunflower said, its voice now light and cheerful. “I feel much better now. Your kindness has given me the strength to stand tall again.”
Sophie grinned from ear to ear. “You’re welcome! I didn’t know flowers needed help like that.”
Mrs. Green came over and smiled at Sophie and the sunflower. “Flowers may be strong, but even they need a little care. Just like people, Sophie. We all need help from time to time.”
Sophie thought about this as she looked around the garden. She saw how her mother worked so hard to keep the plants healthy and blooming, and she realized that her mother had been taking care of everything on her own.
“Mama, can I help you with the garden more often?” Sophie asked.
Mrs. Green’s face lit up with a warm smile. “I would love that, Sophie. The garden always grows better when we take care of it together.”
From that day on, Sophie became her mother’s little garden helper. She watered the flowers, pulled weeds, and even talked to the plants, just in case they wanted to sing again. The garden flourished under their combined care, and the flowers seemed to bloom brighter and taller than ever before.
And as for the sunflower, it never sang a sad song again. Instead, it stood proudly in the garden, its petals glowing in the sunlight, always humming a happy tune whenever Sophie came by to give it a drink.
Sophie learned an important lesson that summer—that everyone, even flowers, needs a little help sometimes. And by working together, she and her mother had made their garden a place where everything grew strong and happy.
The End.
