Shining Sparrow

Once upon a time, in a green forest with a blue sky, there lived a young sparrow. When he learned to fly, he looked up, saw the sky full of white clouds, and was fascinated by it.  He flapped his wings hesitantly and flew upwards, away from his nest. 

When he reached above the trees he twirled and whirled and swirled about. He was in the sky now, on the top of the world. All he could see above his head was the amazing blue sky. Below, the forest lay stretched out like a green carpet. Here and there he saw flowers of every bright colour bunched about in their gardens. He stayed there awhile, surveying the scene with pleased eyes.

Presently, the sky began to darken. It was time to go back to his nest. He flew down.

But on his way down, he flew into a great white cloud. He was blinded by the sheer whiteness. He fluttered about a bit, taken aback. The cloud was beautiful from the outside, but within it the sparrow felt frightened. Some wisps of the cloud suffocated him. He felt trapped. He pushed himself out into the fresh air. 

And when he was out he did not whether he was falling downwards or flying upwards. He did not know where the sky was and where the earth was, and he did not care.

Half-falling and half-flying, he got to the ground. He lay there a while, feeling nothing.

After a while he got up, and began to fly back to his nest. On his way back, he saw a tall teak tree. Large leaves draped it in greenery. The sparrow flew around it once, twice, thrice, and settled on one the branches. Shortly it decided to fly back to its nest. It did not see the tree again.

Reaching its nest, it rested awhile, thinking. The wind blew against its wings. The sparrow smiled at the wind. The wind whispered to him, "Let me show you something." 

The wind carried the sparrow through the trees, over a river, and into a garden bursting with red and blue and yellow flowers. The sparrow looked at a yellow daffodil that lay before his eyes. He moved on, and looking back, he saw the flower wither and fall.

The sparrow flapped his wings and soared into the air. In a moment he was above the forest again.

One day, the Sun rose, and it somehow seemed to be the first dawn. With a celebration of light, day was announced to the earth. The Sun was burning, and the world warmed rapidly. The air and the leaves and the waters caught fire. 

The great white cloud and the tall teak tree and the yellow daffodil all burst into flames, and the sparrow saw that these were burning. 

The Sun grew brighter and drew the sparrow to itself. The sparrow, too, caught fire, but did not burn. He began to shine. Nested in the rising Sun, he too rose.

And suddenly nothing mattered anymore for him. Because he had found his true nest.