“Little Ida’s Flowers” is a classic story from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales. It tells the story of a little girl named Ida whose flowers suddenly began to wither. A college student tells her that the flowers are actually going to a ball! So, little Ida witnesses the flowers’ dancing extravaganza at night. This is a story full of imagination and childlike wonder, let’s take a look!
Why did the flowers wither?
One day, little Ida noticed that her favorite flowers were dying.
“They were so beautiful last night, but today they are all withered! Why?“ Little Ida asked a university student sadly.
“Oh, that’s because they went to a ball last night!” the university student said with a smile.
“But…how can flowers dance?” Little Ida asked doubtfully.
“Of course they do!” the student explained patiently. ‘When it gets dark and we humans are asleep, the flowers get together, form a circle and dance merrily. There’s a dance every night.”
“Really? That’s so interesting!’ said Ida excitedly. ‘I really want to see the flowers dance for myself!”
As night falls, the flowers’ secret is revealed
In the evening, Ida puts her flowers on her doll Sophia’s cot and covers them with a warm blanket, hoping they will get better.
“Sophia, you can sleep in the drawer tonight,” says Ida gently to her doll. ”Maybe letting the sick flowers sleep in your bed will help them get better.”
Then Ida climbs into her own bed and soon falls asleep.
In the middle of the night, Ida woke up.
“I wonder if the flowers are still in bed?“ she whispered to herself.
Just then, she heard beautiful piano music coming from the house, a melody she had never heard before.
“The flowers must be dancing!” thought Ida.
So she crept out of bed and went to the door to look into the room.
A magical dance scene
The sight before her eyes left little Ida speechless! There was no light in the room, but the moonlight shone in through the window, and the whole room was as bright as day.
On the floor, all the hyacinths and tulips were in a neat line, dancing merrily in a circle.
In front of the piano sat a huge lily, nodding to the rhythm of the music, as if it were an elegant performer.
The flowers that had looked so sickly stood up and joined the party. Their movements were full of energy, completely unlike their previous weakness.
What was even more surprising was that the toys in the drawer also jumped out and joined this lively party. Some of them played the drums, while others played the trumpet, adding more fun to the party.
At this point, a group of even more beautiful flowers poured into the hall. At the front were two roses, wearing tiny golden crowns on their heads, and they were the king and queen. They were followed by violets, carnations, and other flowers, who brought along an orchestra.
The flowers kissed and greeted each other, as if they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time. The whole room was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
The ball is over, and the memories of the dream
Finally, the ball was over. The flowers said goodbye to each other, wished each other good night, and then returned to their original positions.
Little Ida also returned to her bed, closed her eyes and continued to sleep. In her dreams, she saw it all again – the dancing flowers, the playing toys, and that magical night.
A word to children: the secret world of the night
Dear children, do you think this story is magical? Little Ida’s flowers really did go to a party, and it was like a magical world!
If you have flowers or toys at home, you might like to use your imagination late at night: maybe they’re having a party too, singing and dancing together! And the next time you see a flower wither, you can believe, like little Ida, that it’s just tired and needs to rest.
The world is full of unknowns and wonders, and if you’re willing to look with your heart, you can discover the beauty that’s hidden in life.
