Leyla: The Black Tulip

The First Tulips

Since Aslan left, Laleena, Cengiz, and their mother have been working hard to expand their garden. They begin growing vegetables to sell and trade. It is Laleena and Cengiz’s job to take them to the market while their mother is home with the twins.

One day, Laleena and her brother get lost on their way to collect water. They find themselves in a meadow full with beautiful, purple flowers. They initially think they’re irises, but upon inspection, they see the flowers are tulips. The flowers form an urn and flash their petals towards the sky.

The siblings continue to return to the meadow to watch them bloom. Unfortunately, the flowers don’t last long. But when they fall, the siblings dig their seeds out of the ground. They look like onions, but are bitter to the taste. Laleena suspects they’re not meant to be eaten.

The siblings dig up as many tulips they can find, and they continue to return to the meadow for more. Laleena has a magic touch in the garden. Maybe she can get them to bloom.