A Gift From Dirk

[Music] In Amsterdam, Holland, a canal boat makes its way home. [Music] Durk has lived on the boat all his for a living. [Music] Durk has discovered an interesting relation between the size of the pebble and the size of the river. Why don't you play with those sweet little girls? And don't be rude with them. Next month is my mother's birthday. I'll buy her a present with this. You can buy very beautiful things with so much money. What is very beautiful? Whatever is very nice. That's [Music] what father is very Beautiful. Well, it is many things, Dirk. What things, father? Sometimes a ship sailing on the water. That can be very beautiful. Mostly only ships are beautiful. People too can be beautiful. Your mother, for example. Now don't you go confusing the child. Very beautiful is usually something that's very big. Very beautiful things can be any size, huge or tiny. Sometimes many big beautiful things are not as beautiful as one small beautiful thing. I'll tell you a story to explain it. Once upon a time, hundreds of years ago, there lived a rich nobleman right here in Holland. Now, this nobleman loved beautiful things. And so, he made a strange bargain with a farmer. He gave the farmer his prize roosters, a barrel of his finest wine, barrels of flour, and sacks of wheat, barley, oats, cows, and sheep. and three of the fastest horses in the land. He gave away all these goods for one small thing. All this for one tulip bulb smaller than your fist. All of that for one little bulb. Oh, it was very, very special. When it was planted in the ground and watered, it grew up into a most beautiful tulip. A red tulip with lacy petals trimmed with black. Oh, it would make your heart tingle to look at it. I wish I could see that beautiful thing. What was its name, father? Oh, I remember now. Yes, my father told me the story. He said they called it the Firebird tulip. I wish I could see that beautiful flower. Next week, we will go on an outing to the Kirkenhof Gardens where you will see the most beautiful tulips in the world. I'm sure we'll be able to see a firebird, too. Huh? [Applause] He couldn't fall asleep thinking about ships and castles and noblemen, but most of all about the Firebird tulip. And that is what he will give his mother, a Firebird tulip. [Music] [Music] It is a lovely ride to the Kirkinhof Gardens, past vast fields of tulips, hyestin, daffodils of every color and shape. Kirkenhoof Gardens, the great showplace where the bulb growers display their flowers in a natural setting. [Music] Where are the Firebird tulips? They haven't bloomed yet. Too early in the season. This is not acceptable to Durk. Be patient. Maybe we will find an early one. For hours they wandered through the gardens. A garden full of lovely flowers, but no Firebird. [Music] Come here, Dirk. Maybe we will find a firebird later. In fact, I'm sure we will. They are all beautiful tulips. Dirt. One of them. Who can say which is more beautiful than the other? Some people like one kind, some another. To me, every tulip is beautiful. It is like the fingers of your hand. You can't say you like one finger better than another. Can you I love my thumb best and sometimes I like my pinky, but best of all I love my thumb. Durk would like to look at more tulips. He is warned. Don't stay away too long. Don't go too far and don't get lost. [Music] Thank you. He found many magnificent varieties and even tulips that didn't look like tulips. But not the Firebird. And now he's very tired. [Music] What are you doing here, little boy? Are you lost? I am looking for the most beautiful tulip in the world. The firebird. Have you ever seen a firebird? Then how do you know it is the best? Because my father told me. All tulips are beautiful, right? Some are just different. True. Different. But who can say which is better? The firebird is the best. You see these three tulips? All the same, but each one a little different. I say this one is the nicest. If your father were here, he might say this is the nicest. And you you might pick this one as the nicest. This one is the best. My father always picks the best. [Music] The gardener led him through the greenhouse where over a thousand varieties of tulips are grown. [Music] Here are the firebirds. Where where are the flowers? Haven't come up yet. In another week or two, maybe. Well, I was wishing maybe the smallest one. The the very smallest. I can pay you for it. Where would we be if every little boy came here and bought a tulip? Pretty soon, all we would have is grass. Huh? Hey son, come back. I was thinking I might give you one as a present. Isn't that a good idea? I must pay for it. My father said a man gave away horses and cattle and gold and velvet clothing for just one bulb of the [Music] Firebird. You won't need a receipt. [Music] [Music] It was 2 hours later and they were getting worried. I told you not to let him go. He probably fell into the canal. Why did I ever tell him that story about tulips? [Music] Look, I found the tulip. The one in the story. That's good. But we've got to go home now. He watched and nursed it very carefully every day. Occasionally, he took it outside for a breath of fresh [Music] air. A sudden shower caught him unawares. [Music] It grew very [Music] slowly. But one day [Music] This most beautiful is for you. [Music]