The Lantern Garden

In a cold valley where nothing bloomed, a nameless traveler planted lanterns instead of seeds. At first the villagers laughed, but weeks later small lights sprouted from the frozen soil — faint glowing buds. Children tended them, trimming wicks and watering them with melted snow. By midsummer, the valley shone with tall lantern-trees swaying in warm light. One evening, every lantern flickered simultaneously, dimming to a soft heartbeat. The traveler smiled. “Even light must rest,” he whispered before vanishing. The villagers kept tending the glowing grove, knowing the world sometimes needs gardeners not of flowers, but of hope.