Once upon a time, there was a Cinderella who, after all the trials and tribulations with her stepmother, finally lived happily ever after in the castle. But even though she now lived alongside the prince, she sometimes missed the tranquillity of the garden behind her old house. One day, she discovered a small olive tree in the castle garden. Every morning, she watered the tree. She spoke kindly to it, telling it about hope and how even hard soil could produce something good. The prince wondered why she cared so much for this inconspicuous tree.
‘Because it reminds me of my life,’ she said. ‘I, too, needed time to blossom.’
Many years later, the tree bore ripe olives, which were pressed into the finest oil in the whole kingdom – green and golden like Cinderella's heart. And whenever anyone asked why this olive tree was so special, they were told:
Those who plant patience, kindness and hope will one day reap miracles.