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A Tribute to Tulipia

By Chiara Talluto

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Her name was Tulipia. She lived in the Jade Oasis, a forest of tangled vines, weeds and shrubs.
Tulipia was an only tulip. Orphaned at a young age, she lost her parents after they’d been extracted from the Oasis. Tall and lean, she soared over many of her nemeses.
Nemeses, you ask?
Most of the foliage around Tulipia was jealous of her beauty, height and intelligence. Smarter than her rivals, Tulipia predicted the weather, hummed many tunes and had the prettiest, smoothest pink petals.
Though one wouldn’t know by looking at her, Tulipia suffered from loneliness. None of the other greenery spoke to her or wanted to be her friend. Envy, animosity, or just plain hate, Tulipia couldn’t tell you; as she was often talked about behind her back, pranked on, and never given her proper share of nutrients from the soil.
To overcome her anxiety, she created fairy tales in her mind, dreaming of fields of pink and purple tulips—cousins and distant family dancing in the afternoon light. Regardless of these trials, the sun always shone upon her, the moon smiled at her, and the stars twinkled for her.
Being an only tulip is not always bad. Her mother, Temple, said she was a miracle seed born out of the love shared with her husband, Titan.
Tulipia was showered with affection, educated on various topics taught only to exotic flowers and trained to do the right thing for others: like offering coverage to rodents when it rained and giving nectar to bees and butterflies that stopped by to rest on her beautiful petals.
When she was sprouting, her father said God blessed her with a special ability to flourish anywhere. Despite how lucky she’d been, Tulipia still felt unaccepted in her surroundings.
The day her parents were ripped from the ground, Tulipia was miraculously spared by a mere few inches. Not knowing why, she believed in her heart that she must persevere and carry on. It is what her mother and father would have wanted her to do.

With that revelation, Tulipia dug her roots deeper, grew and grew, relying not on food alone, but by living out her parents’ wisdom.
She felt in her heart that goodness would come one day, and so she continued to blossom even amongst her enemies.

***

While being friendless was an issue in the wilderness, so was safety. Sundown was a perilous time in the Jade Oasis. The animals were out and in search of food. Tulipia’s estranged neighbors sought shelter under her because of her long stalk. If the carnivores couldn’t find anything to eat, they’d turn to the foliage and shrubbery to fill their bellies.
One evening, a wolf was trampling through the forest. Tulipia could hear him panting and smelled his sweaty flesh as he neared. She stood very still even as the west wind tickled her petals. The other greenery took her cue to do the same. However, with each heavy footstep coming closer and closer, that security was minimized.
Screams emitted through the air as the wolf found some herbs, ripping them from the earth, munching contentedly. Tulipia squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to dismiss the cries for help.
“Please don’t let me be eaten,” she prayed.
Through the brush, a few feet away, an adorable bunny skipped about, rubbing its nose in the rose bushes. Tulipia tried swaying her almond-shaped mini leaves to get the hare’s attention, but it didn’t see her. The shrubs noticed the rabbit but were too afraid to say anything or move.
Tulipia turned toward a couple of tangled vines. “What are you doing lying around? Prick that animal!” she hissed.
The vines ignored her.
Creeping slowly and squashing a few weeds in the dirt, the wolf spat out parsley as he spotted the little rabbit.
“Oh no!” Tulipia cursed. Spinning around, she yelled to the other foliage, “Won’t anyone help the poor bunny?”
Still, no one heeded her pleas. The sunflowers shielded their seeds, the rose bushes folded over, and the lilac trees pretended to be dead.

The ugly beast suddenly pounced upon Tulipia, as he eyed the bunny with a growling hunger. And then something strange happened. It had been an overcast day and as evening approached, it looked like it would rain. The clouds mysteriously moved and a full moon appeared, shining its rays on Tulipia and the wolf.
The wolf sniffed the air. The fragrance of her petals had entranced him. This flower looks so scrumptious. I’ll just have myself a bite. He licked his chops.
The hare raised its nose from the bushes and saw the wolf. Realizing the danger, it took off hopping through the forest.
The hairy creature towered over Tulipia, saliva dripped from its mouth. She tightened every single muscle in her body, knowing the end of her life was near. “If he devours me, then so be it. I will save the rest of the shrubbery from being eaten,” she contemplated.
The wolf howled, ready to sink its teeth into Tulipia. All at once, rose thorns flew into the air, stabbing the wolf’s left foot. Falling to the ground, he winced in pain.
Sunflower seeds blasted into the wolf’s face, poking his eyes. The vines jumped in, wrapping his hind legs. The wolf tried to fight off the greenery rebellion, but couldn’t find the strength to do so. Finally, he untangled himself and limped away.
A loud cheer rang throughout the Oasis. The big bad wolf was gone and most of the vegetation was saved. Tulipia breathed a sigh of relief. She had been rescued and was thankful to her fellow foes.
After the Jade Oasis quieted down, the hare emerged from behind an oak tree. Surprised, all the foliage turned their attention to him.
He cleared his throat, “You have all erred by treating Tulipia harshly. She was willing to sacrifice her life so that you can have yours. She is to be respected and preserved.”
The greenery humbly bowed down to her in apology.
“What’s this?” she whispered.
The rabbit stood on its back legs. “Tulipia, you have always honored your mother and father through your actions. Thank you for demonstrating what bravery looks like. I’m also grateful for those few that came forward to help before it was too late.”
Tulipia was shocked at what she heard and saw. Her courageous effort to save her neighbors was a simple and selfless attempt at keeping something bigger protected.
The hare concluded, “You are one big forest family. Act like it. Help each other out.”
More cheers echoed through the Oasis. The rabbit nodded toward Tulipia and sauntered off. From that day on, all the wild shrubbery blossomed and worked together to protect their blessed forest.

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