Not based on true events

She always faced the glorious gold of the sun, this sunflower, alone in a vast field of swaying grass. And though the rays of light were dimming and the leaves turning she always retained a cheerful countenance within the ring of cotton-soft petals. She simply glowed with joy, and though it is not always the case with such people, she had many friends. One of these, in fact, was a black-striped yellow hoverfly named Syrphid who brought her tidings from afar every morning. Most of what he said would be no interest to you and me, except for one. In the early dawn he came, and woke the drooping sunflower. “ Wake up! Wake up!” said he until the she raised her weary head, “ I wanted to be the first to tell you: there’s a garden being grown some miles from here, and guess what’s in it!” “ A garden?” returned the sunflower mildly, “ Is it a flower garden?” “ Yes, it is!” burst out the hoverfly, “ And there is only one sunflower within it, and she told me herself that she is rather lonely. Is there any news you could tell her?” The sunflower cocked her head at this question and pondered all that had recently occurred in that sunlit field, which was not much. But suddenly, she raised her head and declared that a new vine was creeping into it. Barely had the words left her mouth when the fly buzzed off, and swiftly disappeared in the distance. During the cool evening, he returned with the tidings that he had passed on the message to the other sunflower and that she had replied to grow high and mighty and not permit the vine to creep up the other’s stalk. “ A bound plant is a sorry plant,” the other sunflower had said upon hearing these tidings from Syrphid. The field sunflower immediately put to action the advice, and raised her head higher than ever to the glorious sun, and spread her leaves as much as she could to receive her presents. And not an evening too soon, for, when she awoke the following morning she felt a tickle at her verdant feet, and looking down, beheld to her horror the vine at her feet. “ A non-native too!” she exclaimed, “I should have known.” 

To be continued...