Tilly is a clover who is constantly bullied for being different. She is taller than the other clover with a longer stalk, and her face is different with four buds instead of three. She tries to fit in, though it makes her uncomfortable to bend all day, or to hide just so she doesn’t stand out, and she doesn’t get enough sun. Despite her efforts, she finds she is the object of her fieldmates’ anger and taunting, and that hurts her. She has no friends. One day, when the cows come to eat the clover and turn them into energy, Tilly becomes terrified as the clovers scramble to avoid being eaten. She has no confidence to stand out. While she hides, all the other clovers do what they were meant to do. When Tilly finally looks around, she finds she’s alone. This makes her even more scared, and she wishes for the familiar bullying because it is better than being alone. As days go by, and she can see the clovers pop up in other parts of the meadow, she is regretful and wishes she was stronger and braver so she could have lived the life she was meant to like the others. Instead, she thinks her life is over and she’s a failure.

A man comes by on a horse and picks her. Tilly is frightened but wants to be brave. She meets a girl she thinks is a princess, and the girl takes care of Tilly. She’s in the hospital and gets better after befriending Tilly. The girl adds Tilly to a book and keeps her there. She tells everyone how lucky she’s been since finding Tilly and shows her clover to everyone. When the “princess” dies, Tilly goes with her, and she finally gets the chance to become energy as she was fashioned to do. When she wakes again, she is surrounded by other tall, stringy clovers with four petals like herself. Because she stands out, and is lucky, as the princess has said, she is sought after for her differences, and that makes all the difference.