THE FALL! (A parent’s bedtime story.)

 

Deep in the heavily wooded forest, a pretty little bird named Robin Redbreast, lived in the tallest pine tree, with her three little hatchlings, Betty, Bobby and Billy. With eyes wide-shut and mouths wide-open, they could be heard to say, “Chirp, Chirp, Squawk!” every morning when they woke up.

“Chirp”, said Betty. “Good morning, Mother.”

“Chirp”, said Bobby. “Good morning, Mother.”

“Squawk”, said Billy. “I’m hungry, Mom!”

Robin Redbreast had made a comfy little nest for her hatchlings, with seemingly no help from their father, who had flown off to see the world, before the hatchlings were even born. Robin did not care, though, because Betty, Bobby and Billy were all that mattered to her. And like all good moms, Robin protected her hatchlings from all two-legged and four-legged predators. (She was not worried about six-legged and eight-legged creatures because they would become a tasty meal if they ventured too close to her nest.) “Yummy”, she said at the thought of such multi-legged delicacies.

With eyes wide-shut and mouths wide-open, Betty and Bobby said, “Chirp, chirp. What’s for breakfast, Mother?” “Squawk”, chimed Billy. “When do we eat, Mom?”

“The forest is a dangerous place little ones”, Robin said. “I have to be very careful shopping for food when I leave the nest. We don’t get many deliveries anymore!” She added with a cute little bird smile. “And you are not safe when Mother is gone from the nest!”

“Squawk”, replied Billy. “I’m a big boy, and I can take care of the others!”

“Billy!” Mother scolded. Your eyes are barely open, you have no feathers, and you are just skin and bones!” She continued saying, “And you cannot even fly yet!”

“Squawk”, retorted Billy. “Flying is easy. You just flap your wings and up and away you go!” He continued. “I’ve seen you do it a hundred times, it can’t be that hard!”

“When will you ever learn, Billy?” Mother said. “Everything is not always as easy as it looks. Be patient and learn the proper way, after you grow feathers!”

“Oh Mom”, said Billy, with a disrespectful squawk. “You worry too much! I’m a big boy, now. I didn’t just hatch yesterday you know.”

“Oh Billy, you are impossible!” Mother scolded. “When will you learn to listen to your mother?”

“Oh Mom”, said Billy. “Anyway, I’m hungry! When do we eat?”

Giving up on the hard lesson, Robin said, “I will go shopping right now, you chicks be careful and stay away from the edge of the nest until I get back!”

“Squawk”, replied Billy! “I got this, just hurry back, I’m starving!”

“Chirp”, said Bobby and Betty. “Be careful, Mother!”

“I will”, said Robin Redbreast, as she flew off to shop for food for her baby chicks.

As soon as Robin Redbreast had flown from the nest, Billy stood on wobbly legs at the edge of the nest, flapping his featherless wings, saying, “Squawk! Anybody can fly, I’ll show Mom!” And off he went, never to be seen or heard from again.

The morals of the story are, “Falling is not flying” and “Pride goes before the fall!” (Proverbs 16:18-19)