The Cardinal and the Rose Fable

The cardinal that we see today Started out being a brilliant snow white Until one fall, it noticed a young rose bush with a small new red rose As it grew colder, some flowers in the garden started to slowly fade The white cardinal flew in close to the new red rose Brushing up against it many times with its wings and body Absorbing and preserving its color through fall and winter Returning it to the rose in spring Over years, as the rose bush and the rose matured Each spring, the rose needed less color back from the cardinal Gradually, the white cardinal kept more and more of the red hue Eventually matching the rose and becoming totally red