Published by The Dalles High School Students, June edition, page 15-16 THE BEST GIFT A gorgeous Tiger Lily tall and stately in a beautiful green glade in the forest. Every day she flashed her colors in the sun, proud to know that she was the brightest spot in the dell. The other flowers looked up to her as they would to a queen, but they never thought of trying to be on a level with her and treating her with the friendliness of a sister. There were many kinds of flowers there in the dell and on looking closely one could see lovely wood violets, content with their simple life, almost hidden by the green foliage. But the Tiger Lily wanted to see the world so she waved her head and almost trumpeted her beauty when anyone chanced to come through the woods. One day a youth wandered that way searching for suitable flowers to put in his first bouquet to his sweetheart. These flowers must be selected for her with care but he did not know exactly what kind would do. The beautiful Tiger Lily caught his eye and he rushed to it and was about to pick it when he stopped, for, on second thought, this flower was not what he wanted. The Lily triumphant a moment before, was angry to think that he would not take her. The youth looked around for something else but some of the flowers were too pale, others too ugly and still others had too much perfume. He sat down almost in despair, when he detected an exquisite perfume. Why, to be sure, they were violets. They were just the things he wanted. He searched beneath the grass and leaves until he found those tender, humble flowers with such a fresh, woodsy fragrance, and then he picked a generous bouquet. The violets were cherished by the girl sweetheart as a token of love, while the Tiger Lily lived in proud humiliation. Moral: The one who attracts the most attention is not always the one most admired and respected. - M. Carlson, '21 Submitted by Earline Wasser