The Pigeon and the Canary
Once upon a time, there lived a canary with a flock of birds in the forest, making merries everyday. The canary was lucky to have her flock of friends cheering and playing with her all day long. Everyday, after the night falls, they will meet up and talk about how the day has been, whether harsh or kind, they will be in a flock to share it together.
One day, a pigeon flew past the forest and noticed a flock of birds were making merry and dancing around on the field. He came down and become friends with the birds.
The canary noticed that there is a new bird around, and bowed in front of the pigeon with respect. "You are new, we welcome you as our friends, let’s come and make merry!", said the canary. The pigeon bowed in return and they moved to the middle of the field to dance. The rest of the flock joined and they danced cheerfully whole night long.
The pigeon was proven to be a good friend indeed. Whenever the canary is in trouble, the pigeon will be nearby to save the day. Once, the canary was nearly bitten by a snake, the pigeon came to her rescue to by flying down from the sky and scoop her away from the fearsome snake. The canary was forever grateful for his gracious deeds. So whenever the canary has food in abundance, she will bring to him to savour. Both they were so good, that whatever problems that were troubling their mind, they would find each other to talk to, and both knew each others’ words would sooth each others’ feelings.
But one day, one fateful day indeed, the canary landed into another trouble. The canary was caught by a vicious eagle who threatens to harm her. "Marry me or i will hurt your flock of friends", said the eagle. She was afraid that the eagle would eaten up her friends, and she choose to stay in the eagle’s nest until the eagle’s temper subside. Despite that, the canary’s mind is in unrest. She kept thinking of ways to release herself from the grip of the eagle and at the same time to protect her friends from being hurt.
The canary has been staying quietly at the eagle’s nest for days and have yet to come home. Her absence has caused a stir in the forest. "Where is she? Where is the canary?", her friends asked worrily. The pigeon came to the front and said "Come, let’s stop worrying, the canary may be in trouble, let us find her!" All nodded in support. The pigeon together with the hummingbird and the owl, flew away in every direction, looked into every nook and corner, bushes and trees to look for the missing canary.
The pigeon flew across the top of a mountain, at the edge of the forest they were residing. "Pigeon! Pigeon! I saw you! Don’t fly away, please look down, I am here!". The pigeon was surprised that someone called out for him in a distant voice. He saw the canary tied in an eagle’s nest, hidden among the rocks of the mountain, unable to move. "Please untie me, the evil eagle wants me to marry him, and has kept me prison in his own nest!" The pigeon quickly flew down and using his small but sharp beak, torn open the strings that bounded the canary’s feet. The canary was relieved and she flew to mid-air.
"Come", said the pigeon, "Let’s escape fast before the eagle saw you free and flying away." And both of them looked for the owl and humming bird and they headed straight to their house, safe and sound.
Evening falls and the eagle returned to his nest for a good day’s rest. The moment he saw the canary was missing, he fumed and was very furious. "Who took my canary?!", bellows the eagle. He flew back to the forest, looked high and low and from the top of the sky he saw the canary, dancing happily with her good friends.
The eagle perched on a branch of the highest tree and looked at the canary, eyeing for the right time to attack the crowd that was having fun in the fields. The canary was chirping away, laughed and played with her friends, looking so cheery and delightful in the face. The eagle mellowed down and think to himself, "I’ve never seen her so happy while in captive with me, she was always so lonely and quiet." "Could it be she wasn’t happy when she is with me?"
He sat there perched, thinking of her again and again, and decided that the canary is indeed happier being surrounded by her beloved friends. "Well then, I guess being arrogant and ignorant would lead me and the canary nowhere." said the eagle. "Alright then, I wouldn’t disturb her anymore". Off he flew, far far into the sky, back to his nest and never to return.
Hence now the canary and her friends can live their life without worry and danger, as the eagle no longer harbour any ill feelings towards them.
The next morning, pigeon knocked onto everybody’s door and woke up the households, bringing them good news, "Dear friends, I have an announcement. Come to the fields and see for yourself what I have bring to you."
They hastily washed themselves up, and proceeded to the middle of the fields, anxious for the mysterious news the pigeon has brought upon them. In the middle of the field, they saw, is another canary. He looks exactly like the canary, with the exception his feathers are soothing green in colour, while her’s are in brilliant yellow. Both canaries blushed at the sight of each other. "I introduce you my friend from the nearby forest, the green canary", beamed the pigeon with pride. Within moments, the green canary has mixed and mingle well among the crowds. The yellow canary sensed she had a liking for him. "Why is my heart beating so fast?" she wonders. "Is my heart telling me something about the green canary?"
The green canary stole glances at the yellow canary, and smiled to her whenever he could. He too liked the yellow canary. Time flies and soon they both became a pair. The flock of birds cheered for the couple. "How handsome both they are as a couple", said the parrot. "Yes indeed. Lovely pair, don’t you think?" replied the hummingbird.
The pigeon was a little surprised when hearing the good news about the couple. "Hmm, why don’t I look for her and congratulate her myself", said the pigeon to himself. "After all, she is my good friend."
But the canary was hard to locate. She would left early in the morning, gone to nearby forest for a daily stroll with her beloved green canary, and would return to her nest late in the midnight. The pigeon could not get hold of her. She was too engrossed in being in love with her partner.
Little by little, the pigeon fell on a state of despair. "She no longer remembers me. She no longer cares. I am so upset.", moaned the pigeon. "Ah, she doesn’t care anymore so be it. I won’t talk to her anymore. I don’t need her being so cruel to me." He flew back to his nest, and decided to end his friendship with the yellow canary. He still joins the flock but no longer care about the yellow canary’s well-being and where-about.
Days passed, months flies. Soon, the canary came back to her senses. "I left my friends alone too long. I am bad. I should meet them again". The flock welcomed her back and invited her and the green canary to dance for the night. "Maybe I should greet the pigeon and say hi to him". She walked to the pigeon and smiled broadly to him. To her despair, the pigeon looked away from her direction and flew away, and sat perched on the branch of a tree nearby. The yellow canary followed suit. The pigeon, sulked and flew down to the ground and started mixing with the crowd, ignoring the yellow canary completely.
She was heart-broken. The next few days, she tried her best to strike a conversation with the pigeon, but to no avail. The pigeon pretended that she never exist. She sat in front of her nest and broke down sobbing non-stop. Her close friends came to console her, "Don’t cry dear, the pigeon is upset with you. Let his anger subside and everything will be back in order."
The yellow canary waited eagerly for the days to pass, and hoped that the pigeon will finally smile at her again. One month passed, two months passed. Soon, it was already the fourth month. Everyday the yellow canary looked longfully at the pigeon’s direction but he would not even take a glance at her. She broke down again in front of the owl, the hummingbird, the parrot and her beloved partner. The pigeon wouldn’t even look at her after all the months. He would continue to mingle with the others and just isolate the canary.
"Poor canary. We wouldn’t know what to do", the owl shook his sadly. "What should i do? What should i do? I am so down and disappointed. The pigeon is so hard-hearted", sobbed the canary, big droplet of tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Don’t cry, don’t cry, we will think of a way", assured the hummingbird, "Well, why don’t you write him a letter?" "Tell him about what’s clouding your mind! Tell him you cherish him as your good friend!" The canary kept quiet, and nodded agreeably.
"I will do that. I will write the pigeon a long long letter and tell him i miss him dearly." So sat the pigeon at her desk, holding a pen and begin to pour out her heart’s content onto a piece of white paper.
After it was done, she folded the letter carefully and inserted it into an envelope. The parrot gave the canary a pat at her back. The others led her to the pigeon’s nest doorstep. "Go on, give it to him. Slip it under the door", said the owl.
The envelope was then slipped under the door and the yellow canary with her friends ran back to her nest and waited anxiously for the pigeon’s reaction.
Cotton Clouds’ notes - My story is unable to carry on. Can somebody suggest me on the reaction of the pigeon the moment he discovers the letter?
Cotton Cloud’s after-notes (disclaimer) 19 Dec 2006 - this is a fictional story based purely on my own imagination, and of NO intention to emulate any individual’s character or personality. The story will be updated in due course…
