Once upon a time there was a little grape stem. This stem was so glad to be alive. She drank water and minerals from the soil and grew and grew. She was young and strong and could manage quite well ... all by herself.But then, the wind was cruel, the rain was harsh, the snow was not one bit understanding, and the little grape stem suffered. She drooped, weak and suffering. It would be so easy to stop trying to grow, to stop trying to live. And the grape stem was poor! The winter was long, and the stem was weary.
But then the little grape stem heard a voice. It was another grape stem calling out to her ... "Here, reach out ... hang on to me." But the stem hesitated.
"What would this mean?" she thought. For you see, the little stem had always managed quite well ... all by herself.
But then, ever so cautiously, she reached out towards the other grape stem. "See, I can help you," it said. "Just wind your tendrils about me and I will help you lift your head." And the little stem trusted ... and suddenly she could stand straight again.
The wind came ... and the rain ... and the snow, but when it came, the little grape stem was clinging to many other stems. And although the stems were swayed by the wind and frozen by the snow, they stood strongly united to each other. And in their untired strength ... they could smile and grow.
And then, one day the little grape stem looked down and saw a tiny stem, swaying, frightened. And our little grape stem said, "Here, hang on ... I will help you." And the other stem reached up to our grape stem, and together all the stems grew.
Leaves budded ... flowers bloomed ... and finally, grapes formed. And the grapes fed many.
Author Unknown ~
