Member-only story
The Bird Who Was Afraid To Fly
On the Island of Phiddle
by Phineas Phiddlephaddle
If you take a walk through the woods on the island of Phiddle, you will notice that the trees are filled with music. The music of songbirds happily singing. Songbirds on Phiddle take great pride in their songs. They work hard to create beautiful melodies and practice their craft daily. There was one songbird, however, who didn’t join the others in the trees. Not because she didn’t sing, but because she didn’t fly.
When Stroller was a baby bird, she fell out of her nest. This is not an uncommon occurrence among birds. Most survive by flapping their tiny wings and slowing the fall. Usually, little harm is done. But the fall scared Stroller so badly that she refused to even try flying afterward. Despite her parent’s best efforts to encourage her, Stroller spent her youth hopping along on the ground.
One Phiddleberry Friday, Stroller happened to hop up on the picnic table across from Annabel Cartwheel. As they enjoyed their Phiddleberrys and Phiddleberry jam, they struck up a conversation.
“I noticed that you hopped all the way across the yard and up onto the table. Can’t you fly?” Annabel asked Stroller.
“I don’t know. I have never tried,” Stroller replied.
