“Why have I lost my voice?” The little bird wondered? “Just moments ago I
sat high above the yard singing. Breath is still with me and there is so
much left to say.” Little bird thought with her little brain, then thought
some more but to no avail. There was not a song to be heard, just the noise
of things moving about the day. So she asked the yard cat down below, who
sunned himself on the fresh cut lawn, for an opinion. “Why did I loose my
song? Do you know at all?” The old cat turned himself over onto his great
fat belly. He opened one lazy eye, then another, and answered softly after a
long sigh..
“Come closer yet closer still little bird. I will tell you everything you
want to hear.”
So it was that little bird flew very close to the old cat. The orange fur
coat the cat wore was full of white hairs and his teeth seemed to be gone.
Perhaps since he no longer used them, he put them away in a nice memory box,
thought little bird. Anyway little bird could see that the cats’ years were
very far behind him, and that he could only be very slow. “Perhaps I will be
safe enough.” She thought. So little bird took courage and asked “Well, do
you have an opinion on why I lost my song or not?” This was the second time
little bird asked, but the cat said only.
“Closer still so I can tell you.” Then he yawned and at that moment
little bird could see some of the old cat’s teeth. She then hopped upon its
large head and as she looked down he called to her.
“Closer” The old cat smiled a wicked smile.
“I am right here on your head how much more can I be?” Little bird
huffed. The old cat then said.
“Here upon my tongue.”
“You are much too old to play this game.” Little bird scolded the cat as
she jumped up and down on his head. But the cat made no apologies. In fact
there was no answer at all, just the sound of snoring. The old yard cat had
gone back to sleep. There seemed to be no point in jumping or complaining
now. Little bird then flew to a pond near by. The pond was surrounded by
tuffs of tall grass and an ancient tree with roots that ran all along the
waters edge. She looked to the middle of the pond to a small island. It was
simply a pile of rocks with some mud on top and long grasses that grew there
poorly. In the middle of everything, and it wasn’t much, was a turtle who
was just big enough to cover nearly the whole island. “Hello!” little bird
shouted across the water.
“Hello” the turtle answered, “No need to shout, there is not that much
water between us.” Then the turtle unexpectedly pulled herself back into her
shell. Little bird was startled by this and thought somehow she had made the
turtle angry. So she flew to the small island and rested atop the turtles
shell.
“What are you doing?” Snorted the turtle. “Are you here to rescue me?”
“It looks like your safe from the cat out on this island. Little bird
told her. But the turtle laughed at what the little bird said. It surprised
her that she did. It had been such a long time and it felt good to laugh
again. Perhaps I will visit with this little bird for awhile she thought.
The turtle stuck her head out then spoke.
“That silly old cat is so lazy he never was a much of a problem.”
“What do you need rescuing from?” Ask little bird. “Can’t you see? Don’t
you know anything at all? Look at all this terrible water surrounding me.”
“I don’t understand” Replied little bird. “Don’t you like water?”
“No!.. well not in this excessive amount. “Dear me…dear dear me.” Little
bird understood very little of what the turtle said then except that there
was a little girl who put her “Here in the middle of all this water, this
terrible, terrible water.” And because of that the turtle complained
bitterly with whispers and shoutings and great salty tears.
“So you don’t like the water? I thought turtles liked water.” She bent
her head to look into the turtles eyes.
“I would if God had made me a water turtle. But I am not a water turtle.
I am a box turtle. I live in the dry earth…you know sand, dry sand. Give me
land…I don’t even know if I can swim and…”
“But you’ll have to try.” Little bird interrupted the turtle. This
startled her and she pulled her head further back into her dark shell. She
then hissed
“No.” “It is not safe and I am not certain.” Seems to me those are good
reason to just stay put.”
“Well if you think so” little bird told the turtle, then ask if the
turtle wasn’t to busy, perhaps she would give some helpful advise. But the
turtle simply said “No…”
“Why?” Ask little bird.
“Because I am in a hurry, things to do…busy, busy, busy.”
“No your not! You are here on top of a rock with a little dirt and some
really ugly grass.”
“Their not ugly, their just different.” The turtle reached over and
cuddled the few blades of grass whispering to them. “It’s alright my babies.
She doesn’t know anything at all.” Little bird looked at the grass and then
back at the turtle and said
“You’ve been here a long time haven’t you poor dear?” The turtle broke
into tears as she cried
“Three months.” That is an awful long time to just sit here. Yes it
really is”….In a few moments the turtle was again herself. She then asked
little bird “What advise would you like?”
Little bird told her everything. “There I was,” she said, “high above on
a wire singing about this and about that, just anything really that came to
mind. It was then, or just about then, that I noticed a noise. It wasn’t a
terrible noise really. It was just the …well noise of the day. You know the
clicks and clanks, the beeps and bops and bangs…you know what I’m
saying?” Little bird could tell by the confused look on turtle’s face that
she needed to explain her problem a little better and perhaps a little
slower. “What I am telling you is that when I listen to all the noise my
song was not in it. My song went missing.” Then little bird asked.
“Well, what do you think happened to my song?”
“Oh I see” the turtle answered thoughtfully. She then pulled her head
back far into her shell until the reflective glow of her yellow eyes was all
little bird could see. Little bird thought it odd but waited without
complaint for a moment, and then when the moment was over, waited a moment
more. But the turtle said nothing, honestly not a thing, not a hiss, not a
snort, and this became more than little bird could stand.
“Well, do you have an opinion or not?” Little bird cried out. Frustrated
by all the waiting she felt like she would burst. Finally from inside her
shell the turtle answered plainly.
“It is my own opinion and I need to consider all the possibilities and
dangers involved in this grave matter.”
“But something needs to be said.” Demanded little bird. To this turtle
replied
“Are you sure?” Little bird said
“I think so.” Turtle stuck her head out and close to little bird who was
now directly in front of her and asked…
”Is it safe?” Little bird stepped back and as she did answered
“I don’t know.” Turtle’s neck stretched out further, until her face
pressed against the little bird’s body. Turtle ask again.
“Are you certain?”
“I am not certain of anything.” Little bird felt it was time to go. But
she had hoped the turtle could have help her find her song.
“Dear little bird, if you are not certain, and if it is not safe, then
you should stay put. Don’t go anywhere, or do anything. You can hide from
the noise of the day here with me on this charming and comfortable island.”
“No! I have got to go now.” Little bird said it, and then she did it. She
flew far from the yard and the turtle and cat to an unfamiliar place.
Little bird watched as the night came along with its long shadows
reaching out. Soon the little bird sat alone waiting in the darkness. But
then came the moon that watched with her and the little stars gave there
light. There were also many lights from within the houses of the
townsfolk. But these lights that were many became few until the quiet came
to visit, and little bird was alone in it. She could hear her breathing and
the sound of her own heart beating. It was then she made a little peep, just
to hear it, it felt good to do it, but it was not enough to bring back here
song. Was she a part of the noise? Was that all she is? The worried little
bird waited in the dark, and the silence sat waiting with her.
As morning grew out of the grey sky she found herself perched on a
pleasant tree, by a window where an old man sat looking out. He didn’t see
her at first. He didn’t really see anything. His hands were folded and his
eyes, although turned toward the light, were closed. This seemed odd to
little bird but her brain could not gather together all the thoughts she
held inside and this too. So she turned her mind again to her own problem.
Who can help me find my song she wondered… Certainly not a man? What would
he know of a little bird or even care about my song? Just then a voice came
from within the room.
“Mr. Moe are you alright?”
“Yes I’m fine. I was just praying.”
“I brought you your medicine” the voice spoke again. Little bird could
not see the other person but she could see the old man take the little paper
cup and he smiled and told the woman thank you. He then turned himself again
toward the window and leaned out. He took a deep breath and looked
up. Little bird was so close when he first saw her.
“Hello little bird.” The man said then whispered “Did God send you here
to bless me with a song?” It was just then, and in a hurry too, her heart
understood. She was not of the noise but the song.
“I was made to bless the earth.” She whispered. It was then little bird
found her song. It had been hidden in her heart the whole time. As she sang
her voice filled the room where the old man sat. It was a song of thanks to
God for the voice she was given, and the song He gave her to sing.
The man also joined the song by blessing God for the good gift little
bird had brought to him that morning. She returned often to visit and to
bless the old man until time took them both to other places.
End |
