In a very big city full of hustle and bustle, was a stately mansion that housed a school for girls. The grounds that surrounded this house were kept extremely well especially the garden.

Every year on the first of May, each girl would bring a hand picked flower to make a bouquet for a presentation to the Virgin Mary. At that time a girl would be picked to carry the bouquet to the altar and place it in the Virgin's hands. She would be the Queen of the May.

There was much commotion and fussing going on in the school and in the garden. Each girl was on her best behavior, since Mrs. Pipkin had announced there would only be 12 girls that would pick flowers this year. And there were 18 girls in the school.

The flowers were also trying their best to look beautiful so that they would be picked. Competition was fierce especially among the roses, after all these were the favorites of the girls. So the roses would preen themselves and boast about how beautiful they were, knowing they would be picked.

This year the gardener had planted a gardenia bush in the corner of the garden. It was a healthy bush with many buds but no flowers, As hard as it tried all it could do was grow but the buds would not open up. The servant girl who often helped the gardener would water the bush every day and hope for a flower but there was none to see. The gardener would say, Be patient, maybe next year. But still the little girl would hope and prayed for a miracle.

Soon it was May 1. and what a glorious day it was. Bright blue skies and not a cloud in the heavens. The 12 girls came out early in the morning and selected their flowers . Sure enough they all picked roses. The roses were so proud, so much so they made fun of the rest of the flowers. especially the gardenia bush which still have no flowers. One rose said, maybe the gardener made a mistake and planted weeds instead of flowers. She giggled and all the flowers laughed at the bush.

Oh poor bush, it had tried so hard and she had failed miserably. She started to cry and the tears ran down her limbs. What would she do? Just then the servant girl appeared and the bush saw she was crying also.

The girl was so disappointed because she was not picked for the Queen of the May. After all she had done, extra chores, being helpful to the girls, even being nice to Mrs. Pipkin. She had even gone to the trouble of making her own dress for the occasion.

As the girl knelt in front of the bush crying. she began to notice a wonderful perfume in the air. She opened her eyes and to her surprise there right in front of her was one perfect gardenia, The bushes tears was what it needed for the buds to open, She carefully picked it and went to the church.

Because she was a servant she stayed in the back of the church and watched the girls march in to make the presentation. Mrs. Pipkin stood at the front of the church with the Bishop ready to announce the Queen of the May. Right when she started to make the announcement, she started to cough. So she asked the bishop to read her selection.

Being the vain man that he was, the bishop didn't have his reading glasses. So he pretended to read the paper and announced that, The girl with the gardenia will be Queen of the May.

All the girls groaned, they all had roses, not a gardenia in sight. The bishop in order not to appear foolish asked, Isn't there anyone here with a gardenia? From the back of the church came a tiny voice that said, I do. I have a gardenia. Look, it's so pretty. and she started to walk up to the front of the church.

Mrs. Pipkin was horrified, Why it's that servant girl. she gasped. Bishop, there has been a terrible mistake, Jennifer, the mayors daughter was supposed to be Queen of the May not that, that urchin.

The girl froze in her tracks, not knowing what to do. Should she continue up to the altar or turn and run away in shame? Just then Jennifer stood up and said in a strong voice. Of all the girls at school, no one is more helpful than MICHELLE (that's was her name, please use your name as you read this story). Even though she is only a servant, she is the kindest, most loving and helpful person I know. I'm sure that the girls will agree with me. She should be Queen of the May.

Everyone applauded and cried as the servant girl placed the bouquet of roses in the hands of the Virgin with one gardenia in the center, People still say to this day, that it was the most fragrant bouquet and the prettiest Queen of the May they ever had. From then on every bouquet had one gardenia in the center and the Queen was named "Servant of Mary".