Sparrow and White Birch
There's a story. It's a short story. It's one I have often told. It leans on the Chicken Little story for existence. You know the one in which all the animals are running to find a place to hide because the sky is falling. At least, all the animals think that the sky is falling. In my telling of it I would always preface it by saying that I know it's a true story because I was there. This is that story.
“As all the animals and I were running in panic to find a safe place to hide we noticed in the middle of a large meadow a lone figure on top of a small knoll. The figure was the sparrow. He was lying on his back with his feet pointed into the air.
We all stopped in our tracks and shouted, “Sparrow, sparrow, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! Hurry! Come with us and we will find a safe place to hide.”
The sparrow glanced at us and smiled. “I’m going to catch the sky.” He said.
The squirrel, (he always spoke first) then yelled to the sparrow, ‘Sparrow, the sky is too big and heavy for you to catch. You are far too small. Look at the bear. The bear has great big leg and she knows that she cannot catch the sky. Look at the elephant. The elephant has the biggest legs of us all and he knows that he cannot catch the sky. And look at David. David also has big legs and even he knows that he cannot catch the sky. And you, with your spindly little legs stuck in the air, you think you can catch the sky.’
Undaunted, the sparrow just continued to smile and said, “One does what one can.”
