The Old Lantern Dreams. 6. Water Lily

"TALES OF GHOSTS"

about Love and Death from the Land of Mists
a collection of short stories
in the “Playing Another Reality” series

"The OLD LANTERN's DREAMS"

6. WATER LILY

Once upon a time, on an old, overgrown pond, that looked more like a swamp, a little Water Lily woke up and felt sad. Two frog brothers jumped on its emerald leaves.

“Why are you sad, Water Lily?” asked Froggy the Junior.

“It’s dreary here,” she answered. “I want to get to the Sky, but it’s so far away! I want the Sun, but its rays hardly penetrate here because of the reeds! I want to take off and see the Earth. It must be wonderful!”

“Stupid!” Froggy the Elder got surprised. “You are the most beautiful on our pond! Why don’t you like here? Swim to your health and think nothing! The water feeds you, the reeds protect you from the Wind, and we sing to you our frog songs… Croak-croak! You must accept the fact that you were born not for the Sky!”

However, the Water Lily answered nothing. She only sighed heavily, and the frogs jumped into the water and disappeared.

Soon a big blue Dragonfly came to the abandoned pond. She saw the Water Lily and sat down on its delicate petals.

“Why are you so sad, Water Lily?” asked the Dragonfly.

“I want to get to the Sky. You have wings, so you can fly. And I have to spend my whole life in the reeds among the frogs who don’t understand me! Do you know where it is possible to get wings?”

“Everyone has a role to play in life. You have to decorate this pond. Accept it!” said the Dragonfly and flew away.

Suddenly, a Hare ran to the abandoned pond to hide in the reeds from the cunning Fox.

“What happened to you?” asked the Hare, noticing the Water Lily. “Did someone hurt you?”

“No, but I’m very sad, Bunny. I want to fly! I would like to get to the Sky, to see everything that is there, behind the reeds, behind our pond …”

“You should enjoy your peaceful life! No one is after you, nothing threatens you here! I have to hide from the Fox and the Wolf. I’m always scared, as they’re going to eat me! My life is constantly hanging by a thread!” the Hare complained and, catching his breath, ran on his way.

In the evening, at sunset, the Water Lily began to cry.

“I have lived another worthless day. Tomorrow everything will be the same again…”

Her words were heard by the Duck, who had just arrived at the pond.

“Water Lily, why are you crying?”

“I’m afraid…”

“Are you afraid of the darkness?”

“No, I’m afraid of going through life without seeing anything in it, except for our pond. I would like to take off into the Sky at least once, to look at Earth from a height. I would give the rest of my life for that moment!”

The Duck looked sadly at the Water Lily.

“The morning is wiser than the evening!” the Duck said. “Sleep well, and we’ll figure something out tomorrow!”

In the morning the Duck woke the Water Lily.

“I have to go,” said the Duck. “Tell me, do you still want to get to the Sky?”

“Yes, but it seems that I will fade soon from the swamp boredom, and my dream will never come true.”

“If you want, I’ll pick you up and carry you over the Earth as long as I have the strength. However, by evening, you will wither, and your life will be over.”

“Oh, yes, I really want it so much! It’s better to live for a moment than to exist forever!”

They flew over fields and forests, past towns and cities, snow-capped mountains and stormy rivers. The Water Lily felt the breath of the Wind, and the rays of the Sun were warming her. How much she saw that day! How insignificant her life in the abandoned pond had been! She was happy and not afraid of death.

In the evening, the Water Lily felt thirsty, the Sun had dried up her stem, but there was no water nearby. She felt dizzy and began to lose consciousness.

The Duck landed in the field and carefully placed the Water Lily in the grass. The Water Lily came to her senses for a moment, smiled and whispered, “Thank you!”

The Duck flew on, there was nothing more to do for the flower. And when the Moon rose, an Angel descended from the Sky. He took the Water Lily with him and showed her the Garden of Heaven, from where the whole Earth was visible.

“How wonderful it is here!” exclaimed the Water Lily.

“Yes, but only those who have fulfilled their destiny on Earth can live here,” the Angel said sadly. “God sent you there to bring joy to the inhabitants of the old pond, and you…”

“So I haven’t fulfilled my destiny, have I?” the Water Lily felt sad at the thought that she would never be able to get into the Garden of Heaven. “What should I do now?”

“I can ask God to bring you back. You will wake up in the morning at the same pond, as if nothing had happened, and everything that is going on now will seem to you just a fleeting dream. However, you should promise me that you will never again complain to anyone about your destiny, staying there until I come for you.”

“I promise, I will!” the Water Lily exclaimed joyfully, and the Angel flew off to ask God for her return.

God, aware of His earthly creatures’ dreams, believed the Water Lily and returned her to the old pond. When she humbly fulfilled her destiny, God sent the Angel for the flower and settled her in the Garden of Heaven, where the Water Lily remained forever, feeling absolutely happy…

1989–90