The Return of the Flowers.

An Australian Aboriginal story from the Dreamtime.

When the creator, Baiame, no longer walked the earth, the trees and flowers all died except for three trees which he marked as his own. Only here could the bees make honey. Only here could parents show their children how the earth used to look when flowers and trees graced the earth. Parents and children looked at the honey, longing to taste its sweetness, yet they dared not touch the sacred trees. In time, the scent and sight became a fading memory which only the oldest people could remember.
After many years, The All-seeing spirit told Baiame how the people revered his trees, touching no part of the honey made by the trees. As a reward for their respect, Baiame sent them goonbeams and manna, though the drought continued, and the earth remained bare. The children were delighted with their new-found food, but the older people mourned the absence of life as it had been, when trees and flowers grew everywhere.
One day, a group of wise elders decided to journey to Baiame to plead with him to return trees and flowers to the earth. Quietly, just before dawn, the slipped away, traveling to the foot of the great mountain. Patiently, they searched for the way up the heights until they found a path of stone steps, cut by the spirits of Baiame. They climbed for four days and four nights, unwilling to rest before they reached the summit.
At the top, too exhausted to go any further, they rested near a bubbling spring of fresh water. To their surprise, the water not only quenched their thirst, but also revived their spirits. They stood up, looked around, and saw in the distance, stones piled in the shape of a circle. No longer tired, they made their way to the centre of one of the stone circles. Here they heard the voice of Baiame's spirit messenger who asked the elders why they had come. They told the spirit how all the trees and flowers died when Baiame no longer walked the earth.
They spoke of how the bees disappeared. Then they asked how the trees and flowers and bees could be returned to the earth. The spirit messenger ordered the attendant spirits to lift the elders to the place of Baiame, where flowers and trees bloomed eternally. Tears streamed down their faces as they gasped in awe at the sight of so much beauty. They listened carefully as Baiame told them how they might return trees and flowers and bees to the earth.
Following his instructions, the wise elders gathered as many different trees and flowers as they could hold in their hands. Then the spirits carried the elders down into the stone circle. Here, the elders received further instruction. When the voice of the spirit messenger ceased, the elders climbed down the path of stone steps, carefully cradling the tiny plants.
The people of the earth welcomed their elders. They looked with astonishment at the brilliant colours. They smelled the sweet fragrance of the tiny shoots and welcomed the busy sounds of the bees gathering nectar. Once more trees and flowers graced the earth filling the hearts of the people with hope and joy. As the spirits foretold, there are still times of drought when the goonbeams and manna take the place of honey, but the trees and flowers thrive, sheltering the bees who return with the new rains.