THE MEETING OF THE BIRDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 57, 4 September 1937, Page 20

THE MEETING OF THE BIRDS

(Written by "Sydney Damsel," 14, Lyall Bay.)

TT was very Still as I entered the forest The trees were whispering softly to themselves, but. otherwise there was silence. A few bluebells and primroses which I gathered as I passed showed signs of spring. It seemed mysterious that there should be such a silence, when suddenly I caught a faint murmur of birds' singing, and as I walked on it grew louder. I had just parted a bush in front of me, when I stopped, and no wonder. , .

There in front of me was the most beautiful glade you could imagine. A rippling stream ran through it. It had a carpet of greenest moss, and a beautiful assortment of trailing vines and flowers. But what surprised me most was the number of birds. It seemed alive with every kind of bird Imaginable, chattering excitably and flying around, their colours like little bits of rainbow fallen down. The head of" them all was a big brown morepork who was perched in the centre nodding wisely. He had a long parchment roll made from the bark of a tree and he was calling each bird and questioning it on the work it had done during the year, and giying.it fresh work. Some of the bird imaginable, chattering excitedly and flying around, their colours like and they would preen their feathers in delight. , I crept closer behind the bushes in case they should see me and watched curiously to see what they would do next. The owl started to speak slowly and the birds began chirping and whistling, aud making a terrible noise. I was puzzled as to what it meant until it.dawned upon me that they were voting. After a great deal of discussion the owl held up his claw and announced his decision. / At once silence fell and I moved the branches aside to obtain a better' view, and saw that from the farthest corner of the glade .came .a lark; Hopping modestly forward it si^pped in front of the owl. ■ Witlr a flourish the owl placed a fluffy wreath of thistledown .over : the little lark's head and announced that he was the winner of the happiness prize because he sang so joyfully as he rose every morning. Then . the chattering and fluttering started again and the hero was led back to the branch by his friends. ' ••:■■',,.■■•' ■ ■; \:' '' '.■ '.• '//■'.' '■ ' ■■'

This was the . climax for this strange meeting,/ for good-byes were said and in a very short time the glade was empty. The stream still ran enchantingly, the ground was still beautifully green. But--it was not the same. The vividness and life had vanished and I was Sorrowful as I wandered slowly homewards, a few straggling flowers in my hand. Nearer drew the edge of the forest when sweet and clear; to me came the happy, triumphant song of the lark as it, too, went.homewards, and suddenly I felt happy once more and thrilled-with my'secret knowledge of the meeting of the birds. ; ; , ■ .. : • ,