Kids Short Story – Actual meaning of Sunflower
Photo credit: mimiliz from morguefile.com
In those days Swapnil was the prime minister of Raja Niharchand. Raja Niharchand again was a good raja and won every of his people’s heart by reaching to their needs. He in general also loved to watch out for things of different areas in his state going on, personally at times, though he had had appointed ministers for each to look after them.
So likewise once raja thought of visiting all lands to watch out for the different seasonal flowers that the farmers of his state have planned to plant or have planted for coming winter. So the minister appointed for all plantings and cultivation took him to particular lands where flower trees have been planted. It was really an awesome view to watch how the various flowers of various shapes, sizes and colours had become the show stoppers by then itself when the actual winter was having still some more days originally to come. Seeing this Raja was extremely overjoyed.
However he found on one such land the plants were all planted in tubs rather than on ground itself. On asking, the raja came to know that the land was not meant good for any cultivation. They were really demoralised to think that this land could not be used further for any plantation when Swapnil, raja’s prime minister only gave the trick. He only told to plant all the trees in tubs and keep those tubs on this ground thus somehow to some percentage the ground could be used, if not truely.
To this raja again felt proud to have appointed a wise man like Swapnil as his prime minister. Raja was then returning only, when he thought of testing Swapnil’s wit for one more time. He told his cultivation minister, “Hey I want all the plants planted on tubs of this ground to get changed to Bengali Sunflower over night.”
The minister till now also was happy seeing raja to be really impressed by his and his men’s work. But suddenly hearing this order from raja, he was shocked like as if he has seen a ghost. He knew it was just next to impossible to either grow or even shift all Sunflower plants they have grown till now from different places to this ground in one night.
He also cant refuse the raja as then he could be punished. Raja again very well knew that since they already take help or wit of Swapnil to make things better, so they would also take his help in this case as well. And thus that would be Swapnil’s test as per raja. The minister also in his mind already decided of consulting Swapnil in this matter.
Just after raja went back to his palace, the minister immediately ran to Swapnil’s house. On the way, whoever farmers he met, he just let them know raja’s order and also told them to let other farmers also know the same and let all gather in Swapnil’s house in no time.
As the minister reached Swapnil’s house, in another 15 minutes, all farmers present in the state, may be responsible for cultivating many other things other than flowers, but were worried for each other and was there in front of Swapnil’s house.
Swapnil came out and listened to their problem.
After listening he smiled and said, “O so this is the matter? And you all are so worried that you came running to me for a solution to this? See you need to have wisdom for this. Raja also knows that this is impossible and so only wanted to test. You all need not grow or shift Sunflowers from any other fields to this ground. You cant as well do that in one night. But what you can do and what the raja wanted is now what I am going to describe.
You all would need maximum 20 farmers for this and some around half a day hard work. Do you all know from which side the sun rises over that land? If you do then turn all the tubs on that ground in such a way that the flowers on them faces the Sun. This is because the bengali Sunflower is nothing but the Sunflower what is called in Bengali. And that is Surya Mukhi – Sun Facing.”
All did likewise and as expected completed the work over night and the raja was present to check the next day only that land. He was quite impressed seeing Swapnil able to catch his trick and gifted Swapnil with two gold coins.
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