On a particular morning, a boy awakened to the sound of a bird singing. When he opened his eyes, he noticed the bird standing attentively on his pillow. Sitting up, he looked the bird straight in its eyes and asked,
“Why did you wake me little bird? I was sound asleep dreaming of a wonderful time, and I couldn’t help but awaken to the sound of your delightful voice.” The bird hopped towards the boy and said, “I don’t know. I was only doing what I was told.”
Confused, the boy asked, “Who would do such a thing? Who would tell you to wake me while I was sound asleep? Who?” Perplexed, the bird replied, “Time. He told me you needed to wake, so I flew from my tree outside of the window, landed on your pillow and began to sing.”
The boy jolted from his bed and demanded, “Where is this Time, that I may speak to him at once?” The bird turned to his right and to his left, painstakingly searching for the one who whispered in his ear. But to no avail, he could not find him. Unable to kindle let alone suffice his anger, the boy grabbed a wooden spoon from amongst his things and battered the little bird half to death. Afterward, he swooped up the battered bird and threw it out of the window.
After falling for what felt like a century, the bird plopped to the ground where it desperately flapped its wings to stay alive. A moment later, a little cat approached the bird and began to eat it. The bird shouted,
“Little cat…little cat…what are you doing? Why do you tear apart my limbs and swallow them whole? I have just been battered half to death, and I hear death’s voice calling out to me?” The little cat stopped and stood attentively over the bird and said, “…I am death…”
