The boy and ladybird

One day a young boy entered his backyard to find a beautiful bird sitting on a bench. Carefully he approached. The bird did not fly away.

Being nothing but a boy, the boy spoke to the bird. “Do you mind if I sit next to you?” To his surprise, the magical bird of paradise spoke back. “Not at all,” she said.

Not knowing that you weren’t supposed to be talking with birds, the boy continued, “What is your name?” The bird, glad to have someone to talk to, replied “Well you can call me Ladybird.” “Well, Ladybird,” the boy began as he sat next to Ladybird, “I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.” “So do I,” replied the bird. “I like sunny days,” said the boy. “So do I,” replied the bird.

“Sometimes at night though,” the boy said looking down, “I get scared.” The bird leaned over and whispered in the boy’s ear, “So do I.”

And the boy felt safe, the boy felt accepted, and the boy was happy.

Boy, oh boy.

As time passed, the boy and the bird continued their backyard conversations. The bird never failed to surprise the boy.  Yes she was beautiful, but more important—and what no one knew—was that Ladybird had a heart that was bigger than the sky. 

She would listen to the boy.  He would eagerly listen to her. 

He made her laugh and she… she made him laugh.   She made him feel alive. 

Some of his friends asked him why he never clipped her wings, to make her stay. “One would never do that to a friend!” The boy would reply. He knew was safe, the bird was accepted, and he believed the bird was happy. So he thought the bird would stay. He was, after all, just a boy.

And the boy felt safe, the boy felt accepted, and the boy was happy.

Boy, oh boy.

But one day the boy entered his backyard to find the beautiful bird had flown away. He was very sad. Being a boy I suppose, he didn’t understand.

And the boy felt unsure, the boy felt fear, and the boy was sad.

Boy, oh boy.

One day however, the boy was in the city. He walked into a pet store and who should he see, but Ladybird.

As she was such a beautiful unusual bird, she was placed on a high perch. He saw that her wings had been clipped. “Ladybird?” the boy said. Ladybird responded by turning away from him.

Not understanding, for he was just a boy, he again said “Ladybird?” Ladybird turned to whisper to the boy, “I can’t talk to you.” The boy, being just a boy, didn’t understand.

“Don’t you still like peanut butter and jelly?” “I do,” came her reply. “Don’t you still like sunny days?” “I do,” again she replied. “Do you still get scared?” Ladybird was quiet. The boy not understanding, for he was just a boy, went on, “Sometimes… at night.” The bird said nothing. At the silence, the boy finished his question, “like… I… do?”

The bird turned its head, looked the boy in his eyes, and softly whispered, “I do.”

Ladybird, not wanting others to hear her, quickly continued, “Take a feather from my tail. Use it to write to me, whenever you have those feelings, and I promise I will read them whenever I get scared, and your words will make me brave.”

And the boy did.

And the boy felt safe, the boy felt accepted, and the boy was happy.

For he was after all,.. just a boy. 

Boy, oh boy.