Once there was a young boy named Aiden who lived in a large city. He liked his city very much, although he wasn't sure why. In the winter, it was very cold and in the summer it was very hot with very little rain, so because of this, the streets in his city were bumpy and cracked, and the grass very dry and was rarely green. It was one of Aiden's chores to water and weed the lawn around his family's house. He didn't enjoy chores very much but he did, for some reason, enjoy taking care of the lawn.

He liked to stand and spray the water all around the lawn rather himself than just set up a sprinkler. Aiden also enjoyed pulling the weeds by hand, even though it meant his hands would get dirty and many times stingy from the tiny needles that some weeds have. Aiden would spend hours on his hands and knees pulling weeds, yet for all his watering and weed pulling, the lawn around his family's home was hardly green, and if it was at all green, then it was really just small patches but never completely green. To make matters worse the lawn was still full of weeds.

Aiden wondered why, since he enjoyed caring for the lawn and worked very hard at it, that the grass was not green. Aiden asked for advice from his parents about the lawn and they told him that he should make sure that when he pulls weeds he should make sure that the weed was pulled out with the roots as well. "If you don't get the weed, roots and all," his mother explained, "then the weed will just grow right back!"

"The weeds are sucking up most of the water," his father added. "Try getting the lawn wet, then pull the weeds. With the dirt wet, the roots let loose easier." Aiden smiled because he knew this idea would help. Right away, he went outside and watered the lawn, so he could pull those weeds out, as soon as possible.

After about ten minutes of watering the lawn, Aiden grabbed his first weed, he grabbed it low to the ground so as not to break the weed as he has done before, and then he pulled. The weed came right out, roots and all Aiden was surprised because it came out so perfectly and roots were so long, over twice as long as the weed itself! Aiden held the weed high and smiled triumphantly at his accomplishment. After basking in his glory for a moment, he realized, looking around, just how many weeds were growing in his lawn.

There were many kinds of weed in his lawn, tall ones, short ones, small leaves, large leaves. Aiden decided he would go after one type of weed at as time. He looked around and noticed that one kind of weed grew the tallest and the fastest, the dreaded Dandelion.

Now what Aiden didn't know was that going up against The Dreaded Dandelions means a battle that whose success will require tenacity and will not come without risk of injury. Aiden surveyed the field of battle, he was already losing. They were everywhere, in every corner, in small groups and large, some yellow and some white with Blow Seeds, Aiden realized he was surrounded. Aiden reached out his hands at the nearest one, clutching the base as before and tugged. It broke at the base, leaving the roots well nested and undisturbed, a sacrifice these weeds are willing to make . He crooked his little fingers down into the dirt to try and get at the roots but he could not get the grip on it that he needed. Aiden could hear the muffled laugh of the root under the dirt. He turned to the next one, grabbed it and this time he pulled slower and more deliberate. The dandelion held firm, Aiden pulled harder until he could hear the fibers in the stalk tearing and snapping, until at once the stalk broke as before. Aiden fell to ground as it broke, determined he got back up and tried another one, and once again it snapped. He tried another and another, "Snap! Snap!" Badly outnumbered, outwitted and frustrated, Aiden clenched his fists and announced to all the Dandelions, "Don't think I'm giving up, I will get each and everyone of you!"

Aiden then turned his back and began walking back to the house when he heard a deep laugh from behind him, his eyes grew wide as he thought the weeds had actually laughed at him. Turning slowly he looked at he weeds and listened closely. Aiden heard a second laugh, but it was not the weeds, rather it was coming from behind the back fence.

"Looks like somebody could use some help!" the voice said. Aiden could see a figure through the fence moving along it toward the back driveway. A tall, skinny man emerged from behind the fence holding , he had round glasses, which were taped together with black tape. Aiden knew then by the glasses and his green overalls that the man was one of his back neighbors, Mr. Greene.

"Hi Mr. Greene. Do you know about Dandelions?" Aiden asked.

"I know that Dandelions have an excellent seed delivery system and you just can't pull them from the ground with brute strength. They root very deep and strong, taking on the "Lions" is harder than it sounds," he smiled. "You are going to have to use this," pointing his finger at his temple, "and this," checking the many pockets on his overalls, he produced many strange tools and devices until finally, he held out a regular, average, ordinary screwdriver.

Aiden reached out and took the held out screwdriver and looked at it, he was puzzled how this tool could help him. "Mister, how does this help me with dandelions?"

Mr. Greene laughed again and explained that a dandelion could be "popped" out of the ground by plunging the screwdriver into the ground next to the weed, then forcing the tool sideways while pulling firmly at its' base. Mr. Greene demonstrated this to Aiden. To young boy's delight the entire weed came out of the ground roots and all. It was perfect and Aiden was reinvigorated about his battle with the "Lions."

"Thanks Mr. Greene!" Aiden called out as he began to try it himself.

The boy worked all evening until supper, expertly removing every dandelion in sight. When his mother called him to dinner, Aiden was exhausted, but every dandelion was gone.

The young gardener was full of self satisfaction and pride at what he had accomplished. When he washed his dirt covered hands, his mother asked him how did he get so dirty. Aiden looked up at his mother, smiled and said, "from my battle with the "Lions." His mother smiled and said, "my little boy, the veteran." Aiden ate his dinner as though it were a great feast, a reward for his great efforts.