Why the Dandelion Blooms Twice

By Elisabeth Klein

Once upon a time the child Jesus was playing alone in a flowering meadow. And more than all the other blossoms, the golden heads of the dandelions gave him the greatest joy. They shone like sun discs out of the green of the meadows. He collected a great bouquet of their blossoms and leaves, and in his hands they did not wilt.

While the child Jesus sat and played, many animals out of the forest were drawn to him, coming slowly nearer and laying themselves down reverently in a circle around the dear child. The first was the stag, who noticed before anyone else what was happening. Then came the birds. The wild animals also came, the bear, the wolf, and the fox. The fish in the stream raised their heads out of the water, and lastly came the lion, who laid himself down next to Jesus, who was especially glad and stroked his mane.

It was a proper circle of animals. But on this day the animals were different from the way they usually are. They were as tame and mild as their heavenly brothers, the constellations of the stars in the sky. So the lion lay down next to the lamb in paradisiacal peace. And when the lion got hungry, he ate the leaves of the dandelion, which before had been round like the leaves of the primrose. And in remembrance of that hour, the leaves of the dandelion stayed like that, and the dandelion got its name from that [dent de lion – lion’s tooth]. One can clearly see the lion’s teeth marks formed on its edges.

And the child Jesus spoke with the animals. He told them of his home in the heavens, and that he was sent into the world to bring peace. ‘I want to bring the world of my Father, the heavenly world, not only to mankind. I have also come to bring help to the animals who serve man.’

To the fish he said, ‘Look at the droplets of water. You belong to the world the way water drops belong to the waters of the world.’

To the birds he said, ‘You know best of all that everything in the world belongs together. For on your high flights through the airy regions, you can se that the earth is a great hovering sphere.’

A little lamb, which had been born just shortly before, began to bleat while Jesus was speaking, because it was thirsty. The other animals wanted to shush it. But the child Jesus said, ‘The new earth of which I will speak to you, will be full of fruitfulness.’ And to the dandelion he said, ‘Have milk, that the lamb may drink and be satisfied.’ And out of the petals of its blossoms flowed milk, and nourished the lamb. Back then it was really good milk. All that is left now is a white juice that one cannot drink.

And the animals said, ‘In this hour, since you have spoken to us about redemption, give us a sign, that we can believe in a new heaven and a new earth.’ The boy answered, ‘I will give you a sign. All year long, watch the beautiful dandelion.’

Before that time, the dandelion was a flower that fruited and wilted like all the other flowers. And so when the animals watched it, they saw that the blossom wilted, like every other year. And they didn’t know what was to come after the wilting. But after that, a wonder occurred: the wilted blossom was filled once again with a new living power. As if woven by invisible hands, a new world was built up. Over the base of the blossom with its wilted petals, a small starry heaven was spanned, wonderful when one looked at its beauty and fineness. Of all the flowers in the world, only the dandelion is granted a second blossoming, because it was to be a sign for the animals of the new heaven and the new earth.

A few years later, Mother Mary and Jesus and his cousin John came walking over the meadow, and Jesus told them of his conversation with the animals, and showed them the blossom’s little heavenly dome.

And what did John do? The same thing that all children do when they find dandelion puffs: he blew on it. And the little stars with their little seeds rose up lightly into the air and floated away. The wind came and carried them away over hill and vale.

Mother Mary, who looked on at all this, thought in her heart, ‘The heavenly power that has come to earth with this child will spread itself over all the world, everywhere, as far as the wind can blow and carry the seeds of the dandelion.’

SOURCE: Elisabeth Klein, in Pflanzen, Tieren, Steinen, Sternen