A Late Bloomer



A cactus stood all alone in the desert, wondering why it was stuck in the middle of nowhere.

" I do nothing but stand here all day," it sighed. "What use am I? I'm the ugliest plant in the desert. My spines are thick and prickly, and my skin is thick and bumpy. I can't offer shade or juicy fruit to any passing traveler. I don't see that I'm any use at all."

All it did was stand in the sun day after day, growing taller and fatter. Its spines grew longer and its skin tougher and it grew here and there until it was lumpy and unbalanced all over. It truly was strange looking.

" I wish I could do something useful," it sighed.

By day hawks circled high overhead.

" What can I do with my life?" The cactus called. Whether they heard or not, the hawks sailed away.

At night the moon floated into the sky and cast its pale glow on the desert floor.

" What good can I do with my life?" the cactus called. The moon only stared coldly as it mounted its course.

A lizard crawled by, leaving a little trail in the sand with its tail.

" What worthy deed can I do?" the cactus called.

" You?" the lizard laughed, pausing a moment. "Worthy deed? Why, you can't do anything! The hawks circle overhead, tracing delicate patterns or us all to admire. The moon hangs high like a lantern at night, so we can see our ways home to our loved ones. Even I, the lowly lizard, have something to do. I decorate the sands with these beautiful brushstrokes as I pull my tail along. But you? You do nothing but get uglier every day."

一株仙人掌孤独地站在沙漠里，对于自己为什么被困在蛮荒之地困惑不已。

“我整天站在这里无所事事，”它叹息道，“我有什么用呢？我是沙漠中最丑陋的植物。我的刺又粗又多，我的皮又厚又糙。我不能为任何过路的旅行者提供荫凉或者多汁的果实。我看不出自己到底有什么用。”

仙人掌所做的只是日复一日地站在太阳底下，长得更高更胖。它的刺长得越来越长，而它的表皮则更加坚韧，它向四处疯长，直至变得粗笨结实、倒向一边。它确实长得很奇怪。

“我希望我能够做点有用的事。”它叹息道。

白天，有几只鹰在它头顶的高空盘旋。

“我能做些什么呢？”仙人掌大声说道。那几只鹰也不知道听见没有，但都飞走了。

晚上，月亮浮现在天空中，将苍白的月光投射在沙漠上。

“我能做点什么有益的事呢？”仙人掌大声喊道。月亮只冷冷地看了仙人掌一眼，就踏上了行程。

一只蜥蜴从旁边爬过，它的尾巴在沙地上留下一道淡淡的痕迹。

“我能做些什么有价值的事呢？”仙人掌大声喊道。

“就你?”蜥蜴驻足片刻，笑道，“有价值的事？哎呀，你什么也做不了！鹰在上空盘旋，描绘出精巧的图案供我们大家仰慕。月亮高高地挂在天上，就像夜间的一盏灯，所以我们才能看清回家的路，与我们所爱的人团聚。即便是我—地位这么低下的蜥蜴，也有事可做。我拖着尾巴走路时留下了这些美丽的线条，装点了沙地。而你呢？你除了每天变得更丑之外什么也没做。”



And so it went on, year after year. At last the cactus grew old, and it knew its time was short.

"Oh," it cried out, "I've wondered so long, and I've tried so hard.

Forgive me if I've failed to find something worthy to do. I fear that now it's too late."

But just then the cactus felt a strange motion and unfolding, and it knew a flow of joy that erased all despair. At its very tip, like a sudden crown, a glorious flower suddenly opened in bloom.

Never had the desert known such a blossom. Its fragrance perfumed the air far and wide and brought happiness to all passing by. The butterflies paused to admire its beauty, and that night even the moon smiled when it rose to find such a treasure.

In the desert, a voice was sounding:

"You have waited long, and the heart that seeks to do good will always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all can rejoice—even if for only a moment."

日子就这样年复一年地过下去。最后，仙人掌变老了，它知道自己的时间不多了。

“哦，”它大声呼喊，“我已经困惑了很久，而且我一直如此努力。如果我没有找到值得去做的事，那就原谅我吧。恐怕现在已经太迟了。”

但是就在此时，仙人掌感觉到身上一阵奇怪的变化和舒展，它意识到一股消除了所有沮丧的喜悦到来。在它的顶端，一朵灿烂的鲜花霎时绽放，就像一顶突然出现的王冠。

沙漠里还从不知道有这样的一朵花。它芬芳的香气向四处飘散，并且给路过的一切带来了快乐。蝴蝶们停下来夸赞它的美丽，而就在那天晚上，月亮升起，发现了这一珍宝时，也绽放出了笑容。

沙漠里回响着一个声音：

“你已经等了很久，试图做好事的心总会给世界带来一些有价值的东西、一些让所有人都欣喜的东西——哪怕只存在一瞬间。”