The Little Bird

[ILG]

The Little Bird

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time there was a bird who lived in a zoo. If he thought really hard, he remembered a time when he didn't live in a zoo. He lived in the great out of doors in the nest with his mother and the other little fledgling birds. One day, it came his time to fly. He saw that when his brother lept out of the nest, his mother swooped under him and caught him and took him back to the nest. With great confidence then, the little bird hurled himself out of the nest and flapped as hard as he could. He flapped and flapped. He flapped and flapped. He saw his mother coming to swoop underneath him but at that moment, a great owl diverted his mother's attention. "Oh no!" thought the little bird. "I am going to fall!". He flapped and flapped. He flapped and flapped but his little wings were just not strong enough. Whoooomph! He landed on the ground with a huge thud. His little wing twisted back around toward his other wing and snapped. He was in great pain. His mother came down to his side, but, knowing there was nothing she could do, she went back up to the nest where the other little birds were, abandoning the little bird on the ground. The little bird had never felt so alone. He could not believe what had just happened. What would happen to him now? Would he be eaten by a beast? Would he slowly starve to death on the ground? Horrible thoughts filled his head. He lay there in great pain for what seemed like a very long time. He thought he was going to die. Just when he thought all was lost, a young woman came and bent close to him. He did not understand human language, so he did not understand what she said, but the softness in her eyes relaxed him. She picked him up as gently as she could and put him into a little box. This filled him with great pain, but it also filled him with hope that maybe he would not die after all.

The woman took him to a large building and slowly began to nurse him back to health. Slowly, slowly, he began to regain his strength. His wing, however, was in sorry shape. He didn't know if it would ever work again. After a period of time, he was placed into a rather nice cage with two other birds of his kind. "Hello," said the birds, "we have been here a very long time. It's not bad here. You get fed and are safe but sadly, you never get to fly." The little bird thought that wasn't so bad since none of them were capable of flying anyway. The little bird got to know the other birds well, why they were there and how they liked the place and if the people who brought them there ever let them out again. The little bird was told that the other birds also had physical problems and the people never let them out unless they overcame them. But, all in all, it wasn't a bad place. The people were nice and if you could get used to being gawked at by little kids all day, you knew that your life wouldn't be too bad.

The other two birds seemed very content. But something in the little bird wanted to fly. He worked and worked and worked on his wing. He tried and tried to rehabilitate it. He did have hopes of flying someday. He listened as the other birds constantly told of the merits of being in the cage rather than outside. "I heard that lots of birds get eaten, or mangled. It's very dangerous out there. In here it is safe." "But don't you ever dream of flying?" said the little bird. "Yes", said one "but the risk isn't worth it". "Yes", said the second bird wistfully, "but I'm afraid my wings will never be strong enough. I tried and tried to rehabilitate and finally gave up. I can be happy here."

After three years of working very hard and almost giving up hope of ever being set free, the little bird, after learning the human language somewhat, overheard the humans talking about setting him free. Suddenly, he was filled with fear. What if he doesn't make it? What if he can't find food? It was an overwhelming thought. He simply wanted to huddle in his cage and live there forever.

The next week, the humans took him out into the wild. They opened his cage. He simply sat in it. They coaxed him out and he tried to run back in. He didn't really want to be in the cage but he didn't know how to be free either. Soon, the humans left and the little bird was there all alone. All alone. All alone.

After his first feelings of sadness and fear left him, the little bird lifted his wings and ran. He was up!! He flew!! He was soaring and free! He went up so high he could see everything. He never felt so wonderful in his life. He was free!

Day by day, the little bird learned lessons about living in the wild. For example, he learned that food didn't just come at certain times in the day. He had to work for it. He had to look for it. Sometimes he went hungry. He learned that there were predators and that sometimes he had to hide. Living in the wild was not easy.

Whenever the little bird felt overwhelmed by this, he would lift his wings and fly. This, he felt, made it all worthwhile.

As time went by, he became better and better at living in the wild. He really felt like he had a handle on it. One day, the humans came and tracked him down. He was afraid they were taking him back for good, but they only took him back to the zoo for some testing. While he was there, he saw his old friends. He told them about flying free and survival in the wilderness. They really didn't understand and he just let it go.

He thought about his friends and how they would do if they were uncaged. He realized that they both had reasons in which they would never live like he was. They would never be free. They might be eaten the first day. They were not strong and one had permanent scars. For one of the birds, it wished to be free but could not because of it's wing and the other, was simply too satisfied where he was to even dream of flying. Still, he could not help but feel sad that they would never understand what it was like to fly and be free.

And, there were times, when the little bird was hungry, that he longed for the cage. He longed for the moments when they would simply bring him his meals and clean up after him and he had friends to talk to every day.

But he thought about the differences. Both lives could be good. Both ways had their merits. But, when he looked across the expanse of the earth that he saw ahead of him, he knew he never wanted to go back.

ILG
9/29/08

[ILG]

Well, that went over like a lead balloon.

[Elizabeth]

I read it!

I was interrupted in the middle of reading it, but came back because I wanted to see what was going to happen to the little bird.

There is a parallel in this story, I am guessing.

I did enjoyed reading it very much.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Jeanie

I read it!

I was interrupted in the middle of reading it, but came back because I wanted to see what was going to happen to the little bird.

There is a parallel in this story, I am guessing.

I did enjoyed reading it very much.

LOL! Thanks, Jeanie. Sorry for begging for feedback but it's hard to put that much effort into something, see that people did read it and hear *nothing*. (Especially since I haven't written much in a long dry spell.)

[Elizabeth]

Originally Posted by ILG

LOL! Thanks, Jeanie. Sorry for begging for feedback but it's hard to put that much effort into something, see that people did read it and hear *nothing*. (Especially since I haven't written much in a long dry spell.)

I was going to comment anyway-

Since I am admin I thought we were the only ones whocould see who reads threads and like you said-reads them and doesn't respond.

I know this is off your topic-but you can see who reads threads as well? I didn't know that-


I think you write very well btw.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Jeanie

I was going to comment anyway-

Since I am admin I thought we were the only ones who could see who reads threads and like you said-reads them and doesn't respond.

I know this is off your topic-but you can see who reads threads as well? I didn't know that-


I think you write very well btw.

Thank you.

I can't see who reads, just how many hits the thread got.

[Elizabeth]

Originally Posted by ILG

Thank you.

I can't see who reads, just how many hits the thread got.

That is true, that is one way of seeing how many "looked".

I guess I am spoiled because I see "who" looked!

[Scott Hutchinson]

Sometimes,people who are so used to living in a controlled enviroment, are afraid to think for themselves,when they learn they can think for themselves,they find thinking is not such a bad thing.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

Sometimes,people who are so used to living in a controlled enviroment, are afraid to think for themselves,when they learn they can think for themselves,they find thinking is not such a bad thing.

Very true.

[OneAccord]

There use to be, and, in some cases, may still be, a group of people just like this little bird. They had lived a large portion of their lives in a cage. But, God sent someone to lead them to a better land. But, to get there, they, like your little bird, had to deal with the wilds. And, their discouragement, their constant complaining, and their reluctance to follow their leader made them feel that, they too, were better off back in their Egyptian cages. The Children of Israel were quite willing to trade their promise of freedom in their OWN land for the slavery and cruelty of Egyptian bondage. The price. it seemed, to follow rules and completely trust Moses was a price they were unwilling to pay. For 40 years they wandered, amd most died without ever seeing the promise fulfilled because they desired what was behind them more than what was before them. They desired the past because they knew what the past held for them. Slavery, cruelty, and misery. These things were certain. What Moses offered them was not so certain, at least in their minds. They desired to trust the seen, even though that meant a miserable existance. But to trust, to have faith in the unseen? That was insane.

Desire the freedom to soar with the wind more than the certainty of captivity where, at least your food was a certain thing? Insane? Not so, when one has truly experienced the freedom of flight. Not so, when we can trust the Voice of the One who walks on the water saying to us, "Come". Its never insane to trust the Voice of the Lord who never fails.

Thank you for the story. I may have missed your point entirely, but this is how your post spoke to me. And, it came at just the right time.