Behold! The beauty in our world comes from sacred covenant between humankind and the Divine. |
THE TONGUELESS SPARROW
In a land far far away, at a time long long ago, there lived an old man and his wife.
The old man had a kind heart and lived his life happily. One day, while working in his garden, he saw a tiny young sparrow alone
and struggling. The old man scooped up the baby bird and fed the little orphan drops of milk and specks of cereal. It wasn’t long before the bird grew strong and though small (as sparrows most certainly are), it reached its adult size. But the sparrow and the old man had become good friends and the two had no desire to be parted. And so the bird lived contentedly in the humble cottage of the old man and his wife.
Unlike her husband, the Mrs. was neither kind or happy. She had a jealous
nature and quick temper. The old man’s wife was not pleased with her house guest and the sparrow was not welcomed by her.
One late afternoon while the old man was out taking a walk, the Mrs. was in her kitchen preparing the evening meal. The sparrow flew in and perched on top of the icebox. He thought he might please the cross mistress with a song. He opened his beak to its full range and began to sing a sweet song. With his first cheerful chirp the wife became annoyed. The second chirp
brought on a simmering anger. By the third chirp, without warning, the enraged woman raised her right hand yielding a kitchen knife and chopped off the unsuspecting bird’s tongue. The stunned and suffering bird flew out the kitchen window and away from the only home he ever knew.
When the old man returned to the cottage for supper, he called out to the sparrow. He was accustomed to his little friend’s greeting upon arrival and became concerned when there was no response and no bird. He
went in to the kitchen where he found his wife gleefully preparing a meal and asked, “Have you seen my little friend?” His wife replied. “I saw the last of him as he flew out the window never to return!” She continued. “That foul fowl you call your friend was a nuisance. He was chirping loudly in the most despicable manner – I cut off his tongue. He will not be opening his beak to bother me any longer.”
The old man was beyond
distraught. He had to do something and do it quickly.
With nothing but the clothes on his back, and the sparrow in his thoughts, he set off to find his friend. There was only one road in the town and he followed it, all the while calling out “Come back dear friend I will mend you.”
Nightfall was soon upon him. With exhaustion setting in and the black of night surrounding him, the old man took shelter next to a tree on the side of the road and promptly fell asleep.
At dawn
he woke to the sound of chirping sparrows. With fluttering wings the flock of birds motioned him to follow them off the road and down a path into the woods. It was there that he was welcomed as an honored guest to a very large nest. The birds could not do enough for him...READ
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