The Blue Rose
It's Valentines Day when some fellows will do anything they can to win the affections of a woman. The Blue Rose, in the Roman myth of Zephyrus and Flora is a good example of how far someone might go to obtain the attention they seek.
The God Zephyrus loved Flora so much that he changed himself into a rose, because the Goddess had eyes for nothing other than her flowers. When Flora saw the rose, she kissed it and thus fulfilled Zephyrus’ wish.
In Chinese folklore, an Emperor's daughter was to be married. Her father allowed he to give one stipulation to her suitors. She said she would marry the man who could bring her the blue rose. This discouraged many seeking her hand in marriage, yet some suitors were determined to win her hand. A merchant paid a florist to give him a painted rose. When he presented the rose to the princess, the paint dripped on to her hand. “This is not a blue rose, I will not marry you,” she announced. Another man threatened a man in his village to find him a blue rose. The man from the village carved a rose, out of a sapphire. When it was presented to the princess, she replied “This is not a blue rose! I will not marry a man whose heart is as cold as this stone.” Another very cunning man asked a wizard to craft him a blue rose. The wizard gave him a box with a picture of an illusion of the blue rose inside. When presented to the princess, she reached her hand out to the rose to find that her hand simply passed through it. “I will not marry a man who is deceitful,” she replied. Later in the evening she told the gardener’s son that she wished she could marry him, they trusted one another and he was dear in her heart. “I will bring you the blue rose in the morning,” He replied. The next morning he presented the princess with a white rose. All pointed and whispered that it was a common white rose. The princess touched the white petals and replied, “This is a blue rose.” The emperor gave his blessing saying that, “If his daughter said it was a blue rose, it was a blue rose.” The princess and the gardener’s son were married. They lived happily ever after until the end of their days
