The birds were all silent, their beaks agape, as the source of the croak revealed itself.
Emerging from the bushes surrounding the deserted road, a great frog hopped into view.
His eyes were stern and disapproving. Clearly he was tired of being subjected to this birdfest of savagery so early.
“What in the world is all this nonsense? Can’t a frog enjoy a peaceful day without you birds ruining it with your pointless squabbles?” the great frog croaked, his throaty voice carrying a weight of authority. “What on Earth is the meaning of this unnecessary ruckus? You’re all throwing jabs at each other over this pond? Seriously?”
All of them, even the crows, Kiko and Aiko, were silent.
“Birds of the air, have you forgotten the beauty of unity? Are you not all part of the same avian tapestry, connected by the common thread of the sky? Look at you! The supposed masters of the skies, reduced to a gaggle of petty squawkers over what? A patch of water that’ll dry up in no time? Ugh, how utterly pathetic! Do you not see the irony? Pigeons, sparrows, crows—you all bring something unique to the world. Your differences are what make the skies so vibrant. Yet here you are, bickering like absolute nincompoops.”
Every single one of them – Slate, Raine, Faith, Sky, Ash, Ares, Nyx, Kiko and Aiko shifted uncomfortably. Getting lambasted by a frog certainly wasn’t one of the things any of them would have anticipated waking up that morning. But, there they were.
His disapproving glare swept across the assembled birds, his croak resonating like the booming sermon of a fiery pastor. “Your biases and prejudices are as silly as arguing about who owns the clouds or the wind. Yes, you all are different: pigeons with your cooing, sparrows with your chirping, crows with your cawing. But isn’t that what makes the skies so vibrant? If every bird were the same, what a dull tapestry the air would weave!”
He scanned them with a stern, commanding look. “Crows, yes, you might be scavengers, but guess what? You help clean the earth of waste. Pigeons, you may bob and coo, but you’ve carried messages that changed history. Sparrows, you may be small in size, but your songs brighten the world with melodies only you can compose. Do you not see that each of you brings something unique and valuable to this pond, and to this world as a whole? Your differences should be celebrated, not weaponized in petty little squabbles like this.”
The birds looked sheepishly at each other, feeling quite humbled and ripped apart.
Aiko couldn’t resist, though. “Well… shiny bottle caps are still treasures,” she muttered quietly, with less fire than previously said.
The frog shot a sharp look at her and shook his head. “No one cares,” he snapped. “That’s your treasure, stick to it. Point is, do you think the sky cares who flies through it? Do you think the pond prefers one set of claws over another? The water is for all, just as the sky is for all. Instead of dividing yourselves over the dumbest and most trivial things, embrace the diversity that makes your avian tapestry so vibrant. This squabble is really not worth tarnishing the beauty of what you share.”
The silence stretched as the birds exchanged reluctant glances.
Finally, Raine cleared her throat and stepped forward, her feathers ruffling slightly as she tried to muster a calm tone. “Okay, so… maybe the frog has a point,” she started, glancing at the great amphibian, who nodded in approval. “So, we might not love each other’s ways, but maybe we could at least try to see the… uh, charm in them?”
Aiko snorted. “Charm, you say? You think there’s charm in a pigeon endlessly bobbing its head like it’s suffering a circuit failure upstairs?”
Sky shot her a fierce glare, looking ready to return to savage mode. He caught himself, however, seeing that the great frog had his eyes on him. He sighed. “Fine. You think it’s weird? It’s actually a graceful rhythm we’ve mastered over generations to maintain our balance. Some of us actually evolved for sophistication, just so you know.”
Ash snorted. “Yeah, sure. That makes a lot of sense. It’s definitely not because you’re confused half the time or something like that. But hey, if we’re gonna be appreciating quirks, then I guess I’ll have to admit… it is kind of funny to watch you guys waddle everywhere. Makes you stand out, if you know what I mean.”
As the pigeons nodded in reluctant acceptance of that attempt at a compliment, Aiko cleared her throat. “Well, since we’re on this tangent, I suppose I can also try to appreciate… uh… whatever it is sparrows do. You know, their, um, boundless energy or whatever.”
Faith tilted her head, her beady eyes narrowing. “Oh, wow. Thanks, crow. That was so heartfelt. I could feel the profoundness of it all in my little chest. But fine, fine. I guess crows are, uh… clever or something. And I guess there’s something cool about how you guys are always in a group. Like some mysterious… I dunno, gothic bird club or so.”
Kiko looked rather pleased. “Gothic bird club, eh? That sounds kinda cool. We do have an air of mystery about us, don’t we?”
“Air of mystery? More like air of stink from all the garbage you dig through for your daily bread,” Nyx quipped. But then, catching the frog’s pointed glare, he quickly added, “But… fine, I’ll have to admit. Your shiny collections are kind of impressive. It’s like you’re these cool bird pirates or something.”
The group chuckled awkwardly among themselves, the tension easing away. The tongue-in-cheek comments were gradually being shed away, and they were starting to appreciate their differences more.
“You know, I guess maybe… maybe we’re all just… doing the best with what we have,” Raine remarked gently. “We sparrows and our energy, the pigeons and their grace, and the crows and their… umm, you know, their dark charm. It’s what makes the skies interesting.”
There were a few murmurs of agreement, and eventually, Sky gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. You’re right, Mr. Frog. I guess the sky would be super boring if it were full of just pigeons all the time.”
“Well, I’d take that over a sky full of eagles and hawks, that’s for sure,” Faith smirked.
“Oh, most definitely.”
“You are so right, sparrow!”
“Ugh, I’d share the skies you guys any day over those evil bastardos!”
With that mutual agreement, Aiko flapped her wings and gave a playful squawk. “Alright, everyone, it’s official. Truce accepted.” She then slyly added, “But only because the frog is watching.”
The frog croaked in laughter, and for the first time that day, the birds all laughed together as they stood together before the pond. It wasn’t perfect harmony, of course, but it was a start. Hopefully, with time, they would learn to fully appreciate that in spite of their quirks and differences, they all belonged to the same avian tapestry.
THE END
Well, that was an interesting end to this tale! There’s a deeper message in there; one this world really needs to imbibe. But what a tale!
Thank you for reading, and as always, continue to enjoy yourself around the State!
