The Flower Elves

A scholar lived in a small house almost hidden by trees and flowers. He tended willow, plum, peach and pomegranate with patient care. On spring evenings, he sat outside to enjoy their fragrance.

One moonlit night, a young woman asked whether her companions could rest in his courtyard. The scholar welcomed them. Soon four graceful visitors arrived, carrying blossoms and branches that scented the air.

The visitor in green called herself Willow; the others were Plum, Peach and Pomegranate. Their names sounded familiar, yet mysterious. They explained that they were waiting for the aunties who travelled with the wind.

Airy guests soon swept into the courtyard, their sleeves fluttering like clouds. The flower visitors offered fruit and sweet nectar. Under the moon, everyone listened to music and watched the flowers dance.

During the feast, an auntie's cup tipped, spilling nectar on Pomegranate's red dress. Pomegranate spoke sharply; the aunties felt offended and hurried away. The pleasant evening ended with everyone feeling sorry.

The next evening, the four visitors returned with worried faces. They revealed that they were spirits of his garden plants. A fierce east wind was coming, and they needed a little help.

They asked the scholar to make a small scarlet flag decorated with the sun, moon and stars. In their enchanted garden, it would shelter them. He promised and worked carefully by lamplight.

At dawn, he planted the flag on the eastern side of the garden. Soon a storm bent trees beyond the wall. Inside, the blossoms stayed still, as though resting beneath a gentle invisible cover.

That evening, Willow, Plum, Peach and Pomegranate brought him radiant flowers in thanks. He placed them in a bowl of water. Now he understood why their colours and fragrances had seemed so familiar.

Each spring, he cared for his plants and remembered the strange moonlit feast. Whenever wind stirred their branches, he listened kindly, imagining four grateful visitors dancing quietly through his fragrant garden.