The Daisy by Hans Christian Andersen

Summary

This melancholy tale is only melancholy and would not be offensive for younger children. The daisy starts off happy enough in its little field. It is surrounded by other flowers that stand proud and stiff. It opens its petals to the sun. It enjoys the songs of the bird. And although it is surrounded by all of this beauty, it is not jealous; it is kind; it is selfless. The daisy emulates what we human beings perceive love to be like. One day, a pretty lark shows favor to the daisy. This enrages the tulips and the posies for they believe they are far superior. The daisy only feels sorry that it has caused them to covet. When the bird is caught, the daisy also feels sorrowful. It thinks of how the bird must feel trapped in its cage. Later, while its piece of turf is being cut to fit the bird's new home, its only concern is of the bird who is now thirsty and sick. The children forget to feed the bird and it dies. The daisy is the only one that mourns it fully. And no longer being of use for the bird's cage, the daisy is tossed into the road to wilt and die. Throughout this story, the daisy is constantly selfless, but constantly rejected. This is a common theme in real life. The weeds are not picked, only wasted. They are judged by the world's worth of them, not of their spirituality.