by Tony Hemrix

Young Chewe set out from his African village with a single desire: to gain an audience with the Great Emperor, who lived on another continent. He knew little about the distant land he sought, but his determination was strong enough to face any challenge. So, when some merchants told him that, to earn the privilege of seeing the Emperor, he would have to find three rare and immortal flowers, he did not lose heart.

Chewe climbed a blue mountain in search of the first flower, the one upon whose petals the clouds lay their soft touch. But the Atlas bear blocked the final path and questioned him:
“If you wish to escape death at my hands, tell me: why does my paw kill without committing injustice?”

Chewe pondered and replied:
“The paw is but an instrument and does not commit injustice, for injustice is born in the one who commands the action, not in the one who executes it.”

The bear, satisfied, let him pass. At the mountain’s peak, Chewe plucked the flower beloved by the clouds.

For his second task, Chewe had to dive into the ocean to find the aquatic flower that tickles the bellies of fish. But before he could reach the depths, a whale swallowed him and then spat him onto the shore.
“If you wish to explore the depths of the sea,” she said, “answer me this: why is strength in the sea found at the end and not at the beginning?”

Chewe thought and answered:
“Because a great whale cannot move on land, even if it desires to, while in the water, it is its tail—breaking through the waves—that carries it anywhere.”

The whale, satisfied, took him to the heart of the ocean, where he picked the flower that blooms in darkness and silence.

Now exhausted, Chewe faced his final quest. He ventured into the vast rainforest, through a tangle of shapes, sounds, and dangers, in search of the immortal flower. A serpent blocked his path and asked him:
“What is the most insatiable hunger, after that of the snake that bites its own tail?”

Chewe reflected and replied:
“It is the hunger of man, who wants everything and then even more.”

The serpent, satisfied, said:
“It is impossible for you to pass through this maze of thorns and branches. But I, who can slip anywhere, will pluck the flower for you, for you are a wise man.”

With the three flowers in hand, Chewe arrived at the imperial palace. The minister examined the proof, handed him a vase filled with water, and led him before a grand door. When Chewe entered, the door closed behind him.

He found himself in a vast hall adorned with tapestries, at the center of which rose a small staircase. On the highest step, he placed the vase with the flowers, then knelt and lowered his gaze.

Suddenly, a door creaked open. Tiny footsteps echoed in the hall. A small hand picked up the still-dripping flowers, a nose smelled them. Chewe dared to lift his eyes, and what he saw left him in disbelief.

“A child!” he thought.

The Emperor gave a slight smile and said:
“I shall be the one to give you a flower—the most precious one.”

And the child handed him a simple daisy, one among the countless blooms in the imperial gardens.

At that moment, Chewe understood the meaning of his trials. He returned home, founded a school in his African village, and spent his life with his students, caring for the simplest, most ordinary, and kindest of things.

Upon his death, his disciples buried him with his beloved book of readings. Among its pages, they found a daisy, hiding the words:
“What is small has become great, what is common has become rare.”