The Garden (Part 3)

So the flowers made a bargain with the nasty rodents, birds and bugs.  In exchange for sunshine and water, every week the foul creatures would carry off a new flower from the garden.  It seemed like a very high price, but the flowers were desperate.

It was not long before the flowers saw that this was a very bad bargain.  The sunshine they got from the rodents was dirty, and the water they got from the birds was scalding hot.  The bugs ate the roses instead of clipping away the dead parts, and all of the foul creatures were mean and loud.  The flowers wanted to go back to the King, but they were so afraid of the nasty rodents and birds and bugs that they didn't dare go back on their bargain.  So the flowers got more and more sick, and the foul creatures carried away more and more of the King's precious flowers.

One day the tiny violets crept out of their hiding place and went on a journey.  It seemed like a very long journey to them because they were so small, but it really was only a journey across the garden to where the King was standing just outside.  The poor little violets were so ragged and crumpled by the dirty sunshine and scalding water and the heavy feet of the nasty rodents, and they crawled very pitifully up to the King's feet.  "King," the said, "we have been very foolish.  We are so hungry and sick and pitiful.  You were the only one who really knew how to take good care of us, and we left You because we were afraid of the words the big, ugly hawk said to us.  Please, we know You have all the good things we need.  Please take care of us.  We are still afraid, but we are coming back to You now."

The King knelt down and gently cradled their ragged petals in His fingers.  "My dear little ones.  You are so beautiful.  You are so, so beautiful to Me."

The King gave them good water and sunshine, and the violets grew strong and healthy.  The violets returned to the garden hopping and whistling, and the other flowers looked at them in amazement.  "How are you hopping and whistling?  How are you strong and healthy?"  They all asked.  The violets cried in their tiny voices, "The King!  The King!  We have been to the King!"  The angry lilies stomped forward and hissed, "How dare you!  How dare you break the bargain with the foul creatures!  The King is dangerous--don't you remember?  Even we, the great lilies, could not always get everything we needed from Him.  He is not to be trusted, not to be handled--least of all by you foolish little violets!"  And the angry lilies pushed the tiny violets down in the dirt.

The tiny violets could not understand.  The King had made them strong and healthy.  Why did this make the other flowers angry?