Letter to a Little Princess
Dear Princess,
We serve a true King and His ways are perfect, whether we think so or not. That is what Princess Precious learned one day in the Palace Gardens.
“I want you to work with the Gardener today,” King Jesus had told her. “Remember to keep your eyes and ears open for Learning Jewels.” So Precious skipped down the path wearing a new pinafore of Readiness pinned on with the gem of Humility.
The dewdrops sparkled in the sunshine and she stopped to smell a rosebud. “What are we going to do?” she asked the Gardener.
“Prune roses,” he replied cheerily. Precious looked at the sharp-looking clippers doubtfully. The Gardener only said, “Watch now, and I’ll show you what to do.” Beginning at a pale yellow rose, he began cutting around it.
Precious was surprised to see big chunks of the lovely bush fall to the ground, along with many of the biggest flowers. It didn’t seem like the Gardener was being very careful! The poor plant was really having a bad time of it, and Precious determined that she could do a better job.
Turning to a tall red rose, Princess Precious began carefully snipping. She hardly noticed that her gem of Humility was getting quite loose. Two very old flowers and one brown leaf fell from her clippers. Every tall green branch and red rose was left, and she felt quite pleased with herself.
“Well, well,” said the Gardener, looking over her shoulder. “That rose bush has gotten quite out of hand!” And to Precious’ horror he began to cut it nearly to the ground.
“Stop!” cried Precious, with a stomp of her foot. At this her Humility pin flew off into the pile of prunings. Poor Precious tried to hold her pinafore up with a flimsy little pin called “I’m Right,” but the Gardener only looked at her reproachfully.
“Little princess,” he said gravely, “you’ve completely lost your Humility and haven’t gained a single Jewel of Learning. Don’t you remember what the King told you?”
Precious frowned. “You were ruining my lovely bush.”
“Indeed,” said the Gardener, “pruning it was the only way to make the bush good and strong. If I weren’t so cruel it would have grown weak and fallen over. I believe your self will needed some good pruning this morning, my child.”
“Yes, sir,” said Precious, hanging her head in shame. At that moment she saw her gem glowing faintly among the thorns. Her hands were quite scratched up by the time she got it back, but she was ready for her first Jewel.
“It is not by holding to our own way that we become beautiful,” said the Gardener, pointing to a little bush bursting with new rosebuds. Precious was surprised to see that great cuts had been made in the branches. Yet the delicate flowers were lovelier than all the others.
“Let us be like the sparkling dewdrops,” he said. “They are only clear drops of water by themselves, but when they let in heaven’s light they shine with the beauty of the sun!”
And so, dear princesses, let us learn that taking God’s way is the best way of all.
With love,
Aunt Faith
