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decision, for in that moment the old man's idea to plant inanimate objects was to
her an inconceivable joke. Nonetheless, she chose to continue on her path of blind
trust and waved the old man goodbye as she began to think of her loved ones.

Her mother, a woman of grace, was well regarded as the most generous woman
in all the country. Her time was shared amongst her family, as she was not so self-
ish as to give herself rest from helping others. She was considered a saint, and so
the young woman took her mother's rosary which hung from her headboard, and
buried it after dinner.

Her father, an artist of high acclaim, was appreciated by all for his boundless
creativity. The dining room walls, which had been bland and grey, were redesigned
and painted by his hands to portray a field of poppies. So it was that the young
woman took a paint brush from his art box, and buried it beside the rosary after
she took her bath.

The sister, who was a mere one year older, was the most beautiful; fair in skin
with hair as richly golden as summer corn, which she ritually brushed one hundred
strokes before she slept. And so the young woman snatched the brush from her
sister's lounge in the late evening and buried it beside the paintbrush.

Lastly, her eldest sister was admired for her humor. Although, the young
woman was challenged as to what she could possibly steal to commemorate this
quality. Her jokes, which always sent crowds in reeling laughter, were recorded no-
where. However, her smile, warm and inviting, was captured in a number of photo-
graphs. Her assignment was close to completion as she stole away a photograph
of her eldest sister mid-laugh, and smiled at the thought of its sonorous tones.

And so it was that all objects were buried, lined up beneath the soil like bodies
set to decompose. The young woman was pleased with herself, as the result
was to be the opposite; a garden was yet to be born! With dirt smudged over her
palms and her nails broken by effort, the young woman washed again, and tucked
herself beneath the covers wherein she dreamed of morning.

When the sun peaked through the curtains like a nosy neighbor, the young
woman swiftly rose from bed, slipped on her shoes, and hurried out the door to
check her garden. Her body thrilled with joy at the sight of sunflowers scaling the
side of the house, of roses peeking through thorns, of violets intermittent between
daisies. All of which were not connected by season, but nonetheless, the young
woman was ecstatic that the old man had been genuine in his advice.

And as if the thought of him summoned his presence, the old man materialized
and coughed in greeting. The young woman turned, and from impulse she grasped
the old man in a grateful hug as she proclaimed that she was ready to become
friends, just as he requested. But the old man shook his head at her misunder-
standing.

"Fool be you, young child! I have all the friends I need now." The young woman
pondered and was at a loss in coming up with meaning to his words.

"You've given me a most generous group of friends; a friend with great gen-
erosity, a friend with boundless creativity, a friend of great beauty, and a friend
with such charming humor. And in return you now have your garden." The young
woman shook her head in disbelief at the idea that a man with such a genial coun-
tenance could hide inside a capability for dark sorcery. She pleaded for clarity and
begged for answers!

"As I told you; flowers are lovely things. Therefore, such things of beauty must
grow from love. Such devotion has given you the most impressive of gardens. See,
from the seeds of generosity, of creativity, of beauty, and of humor grows what
you have always wished for." He winked at the girl.