I heard this story not long ago and decided I had to share it with you. Perhaps some know it already. I think it is fiction but it might equally be classed under something like self-help. Here it is. Way up north there was a little bird that lived happily in an old woman’s yard. Happily because the old woman gave her a saucer of crumbs every day. Autumn came and the little bird was in two minds: her kindred has started to assemble before migrating south before the winter came, but on the other hand she was very happy where she was. In the end she stayed in the yard feeding on breadcrumbs and kakecrumbs and put on some weight. Then one day, her friend did not appear. Maybe it was too cold for her to leave the house. Maybe her soul had migrated. So despite the snow and the icy wind our little bird took herself off. She flew and she flew further and further. She got colder and colder, and more and more exhausted. Until one evening she plummeted out of the grey sky into a farmyard. It was wet and muddy and she almost gave up hope but a huge cow ambled past her and, in doing so, dropped a huge cake of steaming dung on her. The effect was pretty quick, for our little bird soon got warm and felt better. Given her cheerful personality, she let out a few little chirps. The farmyard cat heard and rushed to where she was. Being a farmyard cat he was not too upset by the consistency and smell of the dung and so he had no qualms about digging the little bird out. He dragged her through a puddle to get most of it off and set about eating her. The lessons we can learn from the adventures of the little bird are at least four: 1. Even crumbs don’t last forever. 2. He who shits on you is not necessarily your enemy. 3. He who gets you out of the shit is not necessarily your friend. 4. If you’re happy in a pile of shit, keep your mouth closed.
I am quite sure that this is a Swedish legend passed down for many generations in the great state of Wisconsin and last publicly told there by Scott Walker on the evening of the last gubanatorial election as part of his concession speech.
I’ve heard a variation on that theme down here in Texas. Made no mention of snow or ice - it is Texas - but the essentials are the same.
moved to the lounge because this isnt original work, just a repetition of something thats been all over social media
Of course it is not original work! I said so in the first line. I am pleased that so many people have read it or knew it already.
the point is that our workshops are only for original work - technically posting work which is not your own in them is a bannable offence, but since you called it out in the first line i decided to just move the thread instead