A Real Flower
Long ago there were two leaders from two different lands, Queen Leyla and King Aba. They were both great and wise, and they both love gardens.
The queen had the most beautiful garden in all the world. There were many kinds of trees—pine, oak, magnolia, and maple. There were thousands of colorful flowers. In the spring there were daffodils, irises, and tulips. In the summer there were daisies and lilies. In the fall there were chrysanthemums, and there were poinsettias in the winter.
One day King Aba visited Queen Leyla. It was a beautiful summer day, so the queen took him into her garden. King Aba loved the plants and the flowers. He especially loved the gardenias, orchids, and jasmine.
That afternoon the queen decided to test the king’s wisdom. She asked her finest artists to make flowers out of silk. They looked real but they were not. On the day of the test the queen filled a room in her palace with hundreds of the silk flowers and one real flower. She called King Aba into the room and asked him to find the real flower. He looked carefully at all the flowers. The stems and leaves looked real, and so did the buds and petals. He could not find the real flower. Then King Aba had an idea. He said, “This room is very warm. Please open the shutters so we can have a little fresh air.” The queen opened the shutters, and a few minutes later King Aba found the real flower.
How did he find it?