Anns Book
About This Book
This little book is awalk along the beaches and back yards of florida. You will also find these flowers in hedges, along the road in parks and for sale in nurseries and big box stores. They are flowers that are common in tropical or sub tropical environments.
The stories and essays are original creations. Only one story is longer than 900 words. The genre is called Flash Fiction. This collection is perfect for the person that: Reads in the porcelain library, Reads and naps on planes, Was brought up with the Readers Digest, Love flowers, Deserves a souvenir of your trip, Collects local color, Wants to learn the names of topical flowers, Or the person that is searching for somthing unique. Give this Book instead of flowers.
Author
Ann Wilson is crazy about Beach Sun Flowers and other tropical blooms. She wrote this book to help her to remember the names of local flowers. Her next book is "Accidental Mermaids"
BUTTERFLY BRIDES
LantanaLong ago when the sky was blue but the Earth was gray, there was a land of puritanical people. Everyones' lives ran according to the rules and everything ran on schedule. No one questioned the laws because the laws protected them from each other and wars protected them from their neighbors. The wars were frequent.
In one generation there was a lovely young woman named Lantana. She was very popular with all of the youth, boys and girls alike. The adults were drawn to the young girl, but considered her actions quizzical. Lantana smiled a lot and seemed happy all of the time for no apparent reason. When the girl grew to become a young woman she had many suitors. When she had chosen her favorite beau, she asked all of the girls in the village to make beautiful full gowns in their favorite bright colors. The girls had to hide their gowns because such frivolity was frowned upon by the elders of the village. When the gowns were made, the young women met on a mid-summers night to dance in the woods. They looked like large clusters of blue, yellow and pink. They danced and swayed in the breeze while they rehearsed for, their, own wedding day because, indeed, they felt like beautiful brides.
It was about this time when another war was announced, and all of the young men marched off in a blaze of glory to protect the village. This war did not end as quickly as most wars. It dragged on and on and involved more and more villages. This war did not stop until every young man from every village had perished. Not one young man returned to claim a bride.
The young women were devastated. They would never have wedding days or wear their gowns to wed. They were told that they would never become brides, wives or mothers. The elders of the village, the ones that had declared the war, demanded that the young women resign themselves to caring for other peoples' children and doing the work of the young men, who had died in the war.
Lantana, the beautiful, smiling leader of the young women, told them to bring their gowns and meet her in the meadow under the bright blue sky. At noon on the appointed day each young woman from the village put on her colorful gown and hurried to the meadow where the young men had perished. The girls gathered in bright clusters and became Butterfly Brides. To this day the Lantana remains a bright bush with many flowers that attract butterflies.
To hear the song go to :
www.youtube.com/videos
Type : Where Have All The Flowers Gone.
My favorite versions are : The Kingston Trio Peter, Paul and Mary There are other videos, but some are very graphic depictions of war.
