Feathers
A Fable By Mom
Long ago there was a family of birds.
The father bird was a loving father and hunted for worms for his family. He worked long and hard hours to find the best, juiciest, plumpest worms for his wife and children. He left early in the morning, since the early bird catches the worm. He would come home in the evening and feed his family his catch of the day. Sometimes there was not enough for the father to eat, but he shared his worms willingly.
The mother bird had a lot of little birds to take care of in their small nest. The little birds had been lovingly cared for while still in their eggs. The mother soon learned that the eggs were easier to take care of than the birds, since the birds cheeped and pecked and tried to fly out of the nest all day long. They also ate a lot of worms! She planned activities and tried to teach them to not peck at each other or fly before they were ready.
One day, the mother bird noticed an errant feather. The feather was poking out of the oldest bird’s body at an unusual angle. She tucked it in, to find out that it kept poking out in the oddest ways. She was not used to feathers looking like this, so she told the oldest bird to be still. Using her beak, she plucked the feather right out.
“Ouch!” said the oldest bird, and rightly so, for the mother had plucked a precious feather from his body.
The next day, the mother bird noticed more feathers sticking out, and not just in her oldest bird. She plucked and preened.
“Ouch!” “Ouch!” “Ouch!” “Ouch!” “Ouch!” “Ouch!” “Ouch!” “Wah!” cried the little birds.
That night she chirped her concerns to the father bird. He reminded her that as the birds grew, they would molt and change their feathery ways. The mother bird impatiently gazed at her little birds and wondered how she could speed up the awkward-looking and seemingly endless molting.
The next day, she found more feathers. She plucked, preened, and forced the molting to move along faster than nature intended.
When the father bird came home, he found a mother bird tired from the day’s plucking. He also found 8 featherless, naked, and crying birds. They were not just hungry for worms. They were hungry for loving attention instead of the pecking and plucking they received each day.
The mother chirped her sorrow and apologies to the little birds. She had been so impatient for the growing and molting to be over that she forgot to enjoy the small fuzzy feathers, even when they stuck out at funny angles.
The father huddled his family close. He kept them warm with his own feathers while hugging them tight.
They waited for feathers to grow back.
MORAL: BE CAREFUL HOW YOU PLUCK AND PREEN YOUR LITTLE ONES
4 comments:
What a thought provoking and poinant fable. The little birds will all too soon take flight. Do try to enjoy all the crazy little feathers that stick out now and then. Little birds leaving the nest is hard on the mom and dad birds. Been there, done that. You will all do fine!
You know, I love it when my children teach me. It is a humbling experience, but it is a delightful feeling to know that those I have nurtured have grown to be nurturers themselves. Thank you, Dresden, for sharing your inspiration with us. I can imagine that scene of exhausted mother bird, squawky hurting baby birds and flustered father bird. Everyone has those days. It is a wise parent bird who can and does ask forgiveness and then gains an appreciation for those soft downy feathers that tickle and delight us! I love you all -- especially the feathers!
It is a humbling experience to be taught by your child. I think it is delightful to know that those I have nurtured are now nurturers. Thank you for teaching me! I can well imagine the scene of the squawky, needy and sore little birds, exhausted mother and flustered father bird. We all have moments like that, but it is a wise parent who can and does ask forgiveness and then receives a new appreciation for those feathers that tickle and delight us! LOVE YOU ALL!
I can totally relate to that! Thanks for sharing your insights.
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