Short Fable Story: The Canaries in a Cage
Our mind thinks about limit and it can be our cage. It is short fable story about self confidence. Read the following short story.
The Canaries in a Cage
“Friends, it’s our chance,” said a black-capped yellow canary in a wooden cage, pointing his right wing toward some broken bars of the cage.
Red canary jumped and hanged on a bar near the broken ones. She examined them.
“This hole is big enough,” said a red canary.
“Miss Red Wing, you won’t exit this cage, will you?” asked yellow canary to the red one.
“Of course, we will, Mr. Yellow Beak,” said black capped canary to the yellow one.
With his flapping wings, Yellow Beak was floating. Then, he landed in front of the broken bars and blocked the exit way.
“Mr. Black Cap, listen to me! This cage is a good place for us. It’s better than another. I’ve been here for a long time,” said Yellow Beak.
“A cage is still a cage no matter how good it is,” said Black Cap.
“Our master gives us food and water in this cage,” said Yellow Beak.
“But, our food often came late. The food is not enough. We also need more food,” a white canary interrupted.
“Be grateful, Mr. White! There is no exact measurement whether the food is enough. For some canaries, a little of food is enough. For you, it’s not enough because you are never satisfied,” said Yellow Beak to the white canary.
“The more canary in this cage; the more food we need. Our master does not see that,” said Black Cap.
“Yellow, let us quit! We need freedom,” said Red Wing.
Yellow Beak was standing firmly like a stone blocking their way out.
“Young canaries, if you want more food, show your obedience and hard work. If you sing better, our master will give us more food,” said Yellow Beak.
Black Cap walked closer to Yellow Beak. His eyes stared at Yellow Beak’s in challenging way.
“Are you sure, Mr. Yellow Beak? Can you guarantee that?” asked Black Cap.
Although the other canaries did not get involved in their debate, they talked about whether or not they would quit.
“Be grateful, young canaries! Be grateful!”
“I’m grateful, Mr. Yellow Beak. I’m grateful for today’s opportunity to escape. I’ll express my gratitude by taking this opportunity,” said Black Cap.
“Yellow, if you want to stay, just stay but you must respect our choice,” said Red Wing.
“Let us go in peace!” said Black Cap, walking closer to Yellow Beak.
Their beaks almost met and their eyes stared each other.
“You will regret!”
Yellow Beak stepped aside as if he had allowed young canaries to walk through the broken bars. Then, Black Cap, White, and Red Wing exited the cage.
Black Cap saw hesitation in the eyes of other canaries in the cage and he said to them,”For those who want to be free birds, please join us.”
The other canaries in the cage were just silent. Some move their bodies forward but then they step backward.
Flapping his wings, Yellow Beak fled into a bar of the cage and hanged on it. Then he said, “Young canaries, what will you eat out there? How can you get food if you do not follow our master? Do you think that to get food is easy? Do you think another better cage will accept you?”
“We won’t go to another cage. We’ll fly freely,” Black Cap interrupted.
“Here, we don’t need to hunt. Here, we don’t need to search food. Here, our master will surely give us food and water although they are in small portion. It’s hard to be a free bird. It’s hard to experience freedom. To live out there is too risky,” said Yellow Beak.
All were silent. Some canaries imagined the risk they would face out there.
“Maybe, the old man’s right. I’m not sure that we can get food. We should be back,” said White.
White entered the cage and Yellow Beak welcomed him with smile.
“White, we can do it. We can do our best in freedom. We will have more chance to have more food. We will sing our best song without master who dictates us. We don’t need to be somebody else. We can be our best selves,” said Black Cap.
In a sad voice, White said,”I’m sorry. I can’t. I won’t take the risk. I’ll stay here.”
Red Wing and Black Cap fled, leaving the cage. Only two canaries escaped from the cage.
As the cage was broken, the master put the canaries in a new small unpleasant cage.
A week later, the master left his village for a long time. Canaries in the cage only had a little food stock. The canaries in small cage were fighting each other for the rest of the food and water. They moved slower as they grew weaker. They waited someone who would give them food and water but nobody came.
When they lived in despair, Black Cap and Red Wing visited them.
“Mr. Black Cap, Miss Red Wing, you look healthy and wealthy,” said Yellow Beak.
“We need food. Our master leaves us,” said White.
“What you need is to open your eyes and mind for opportunities around you. We’ll see the world with beauty and plenty. You should release yourself from the slavery of your mind,” said Red Wing.
“We want freedom. How can we quit?” asked Yellow Beak.
“I have a friend who can help us.”
Black Cap fled leaving them. Then, he met Mr. Brown Cow and asked him to release his friends.
Mr. Brown Cow was strong cow with hard horns. With his horns, Mr. Brown Cow gored the cage of the canaries again and again. He broke the bars of the cage.
“Thank you, Mr. Brown Cow!”
All canaries in the cage cheered and fled freely. They inhaled the fresh air of freedom and they saw many opportunities to get food.
“The cage is also cage of our mind. I thought I could not eat outside the cage but I’m sure I can,” said Yellow Beak.
THE END
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