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Did you know the legend of the god of roses?
Maybe not... you probably never heard of him. The myth was forgotten for many centuries. But recently to my ears came his story, and well... Neither slow nor lazy, I decided to tell you about how a forest spirit ended up becoming the god of roses.
They say that before humans spread like a plague, the gods had already created spirits to take care of their immense gardens. Those green mantles varied from forests to grasslands, and were home to all kinds of plants and animals, from the most docile to the deadliest.
Of course, each spirit had its own preferences for the species it cared for and protected, and some had a preference for a specific plant or animal. That was the case with a singular spirit. They say that this being was as beautiful as flowers and that its aura radiated calm. His humble little house was located at the base of the trunk of a gigantic oak tree and was surrounded by a beautiful garden.
Youngjo, the name by which the spirit was known, tended to various species of hibiscus, orchids, lilies, some shrubs and trees located a little further from his home. To placate his loneliness, among the branches of the oak lived some animals such as squirrels, songbirds that lightened the atmosphere of the place with their sweet notes, a group of rabbits to which he fed berries from the bushes, and a black cat called Jjonyang that accompanied him at all hours. However, within his little paradise there was a flower more beautiful than any other, and that was the most precious possession of the spirit.
Near the dwelling a red rose shone brightly. Youngjo cared for her every day, patiently inspected her petals and watered her with fine raindrops. He loved her dearly, and could spend hours admiring her beauty, lying on the grass, while Jjonyang played butterfly chasing.
But one day something unexpected happened. One morning Youngjo woke up and a hunch overwhelmed him. Something had changed in the air, it had become heavier. Jjonyang also felt uneasy as he watched the sky through the window.
When he went out to inspect the garden, he realized that something was not right with his rose. Weeds had usurped the space occupied by her rose and were beginning to damage her stem. He immediately ran to his precious treasure and with dedicated effort pulled the weeds by the roots. He breathed a sigh of relief once he finished his work, but he worried that now the weeds were invading his garden. To preserve his rose as beautiful as ever and protect it from those vulgar plants, he looked for a glass dome that he had saved and placed it on his beloved flower. Now she was sure that nothing would disturb her, and with a satisfied smile Youngjo went to bed after a long day.
But the next day he felt the same heaviness in his chest again, as the day before. With concern, he went out to his garden and noticed that on the lawn there were small pieces of ice. It seemed that during the night hail had fallen, and although most of his plants were not damaged, he couldn't say the same of his rose. The glass dome that protected her was broken, pieces of glass scattered on the earth. He approached fearfully and located a hailstone larger than the others, probably the cause of the break in the dome, and threw it far away with annoyance. With inordinate care he removed all the broken glass, until he made sure his rose was okay.
He searched and rummaged through his things for some other dome or something with which he could protect his esteemed plant, but found nothing. Sad, he had no choice but to leave her out in the open. But of one thing he was sure, and that is that he would always preserve it, whatever the cost. The moon appeared again in the sky and with it, the darkness and the stars, announcing that it was time to sleep. Still fearful, Youngjo went back to his bed, hoping that no more unexpected things would happen. He was concerned that lately events were happening that his garden had never experienced before, much less his beautiful rose.
The spirit opened his eyes suddenly, the cause of Jjonyang's incessant meows. The cat was wet from the tip of its tail to its ears. Surprised, Youngjo stood up and asked him in confusion:
- Jjonyang, why are you so wet?
The cat jumped towards the window meowing. A torrential rain was falling outside. Youngjo then knew that his rose was in danger, its petals wouldn't withstand that flood. He scrutinized every hiding place in his house for something to cover his plant, but like the other days, he found nothing. In such a case, he decided that he would cover it himself. He ran out in the direction of his flower, in front of it he knelt down, clasped his hands and placed them on the rose. He didn't care that he himself was also getting wet in the downpour, all he cared about was protecting the battered red petals of his flower. He had to preserve it, because without it Youngjo felt he would be nothing.
The spirit didn't move from his post until several hours later, when the storm subsided and night came. He entered his house in the trunk of the oak, all soaked, with his face tired and an aura dejected. He felt the temperature drop a little, thought he should dry off soon and sleep under warm blankets if he wanted to avoid a cold or pneumonia, and so he did. However, the weather wasn't expected to get colder and colder.
Despite the anguish he felt, Youngjo couldn't wake up during the early morning due to the sleep that harbored him. However, when the dim sunlight peeked out of the window, he heard Jjonyang meowing again desperately. Youngjo opened his eyes and saw the black cat walking back and forth, uneasy. When he tried to get out from between the blankets he felt a cold so intense that he immediately covered himself again.
Then, terror invaded him. Her rose was now in serious trouble, she wouldn't stand this cold. When he went outside, he saw his entire garden covered with snow, which kept falling from the sky and didn't seem to want to stop anytime soon. When he looked in the direction of his flower he was horrified, it was almost frozen and withered. Despair invaded him, and he ran to her with great regret. Seeing the deplorable state of her cute rose he began to cry, he was losing her, and he didn't know what to do. He heard again the meows of Jjonyang behind him and when he turned he noticed that the cat was carrying a pot with difficulty.
- Of course! We can transplant it, thank you very much Jjonyang!
Youngjo began removing the soil and snow that anchored the plant to the ground. The work was joined by the cat, a squirrel and two rabbits. Once they filled the pot with soil, Youngjo carefully placed the rose inside and took it inside his little house on the trunk of the oak. He had to give it warmth to take the cold out of his beloved flower, so he instructed a canary to bring him the dry branches he could find to make a fire. When everything was ready, he positioned the rose in front of the fire. However, it wasn't enough, the flower was withering more and more, until it practically died. Youngjo cried... He cried a lot, totally dejected, he had lost her and felt how he was losing himself too. The little animals felt sorrow, staying by the spirit's side as a form of comfort.
Another meow was heard at the window, but it wasn't Jjonyang who was the cause, but an orange cat. The feline approached Youngjo just after gaining the attention of those present.
- Who are you small? - The confused spirit asked him.
- I'm a messenger of a spirit from the neighboring forest. This morning the canary told him about your lost rose and how hard you tried to take care of it. From what I see, you couldn't save her. - The orange cat felt sorry for the situation, but knew his message could help. - The spirit that takes care of me told me that if you are able to do a unique spell, with the intention of saving her and with a true passion, you can bring her back and then the gods will reward you.
Youngjo was excited at the thought of bringing his precious rose back to life. But he had to think of a unique enchantment, one that hadn't been made, something new. Then he came up with a little ritual. He searched among his trunks for a ball of red thread, cut a piece of fiber several meters long, tied one end to the stem of the withered rose and the other to his little finger. With everything prepared, the spirit began to dance and sing around the flower.
Far away
Just a trip for us
Now I want to be okay
You might too
Youngjo moved gracefully, slowly tangling the red thread in the stem of the rose. Little by little the thread was shortening, and the distance between the plant and his little finger too.
Even if it's a dark cloud right now
I don't care, the sun rises again
Let's just laugh a lot for the rest of our lives
Jjonyang wanted to help the spirit, so he started a kind of cat dance to which the orange cat joined. The other animals danced in their own way, following Youngjo's feet, while the canary added a sweet trill to the song.
Even if it's hard, jump high
Spring is coming, so I'm going to laugh more
Now I want to be okay
You might too
When the length of the filament became short enough, Youngjo stopped singing, brought his face closer, and whispered to his flower "I love you". He then brought his lips to the petals and kissed them gently, closing his eyes, trying to convey all the affection he had for her.
While nothing immediately happened, within seconds the rose was surrounded by a warm golden light. To its petals the ingrown color returned, but this time of a deeper and more intense tone. She began to stand up gracefully and proudly, growing even larger. In this way he returned to life more beautiful than before.
Youngjo was blissful, he smiled broadly with eyes soaked with happiness. The animals that accompanied him filled the place with excitement. Jjonyang and the orange cat perched on the window and meowed long into the night sky.
- I made it! My rose is back! Even more dazzling than before.
"The time, your dedication and the love you dedicated to your rose was the cause of her return, because she has also loved you as much as you did"
He heard the voice of the gods.
- And I can't have better joy, it's my most precious treasure, her return and flowering is a sign of the purest affection.
"That's why we want to give you a gift, given the devotion you've shown. Now you will pass to a higher plane, where worldly indolence doesn't reach you and so you can continue to take care of your flower. But in return you will have the duty to create roses that sprout along with human sensitivity. You will be a god from now on."
And so it happened, just as it had been declared. The flames of the fire fanned and created a portal. Youngjo took the pot with the rose and stood in front of the flames. Jjonyang, always a faithful companion, climbed up to his shoulders, determined to leave with the spirit of the forest - now god - to the other plane. No words were needed, with bright eyes and a warm smile he said goodbye to the rest of the animals, his little house in the trunk of the oak, his garden, and turned his eyes to the portal. Without further ado, he crossed the threshold of fire to the place where his rose would always be safe, and from which he would create more roses, perhaps not as beautiful as his, but which would symbolize the most genuine affection in the world.