Sparrow's journey
Once upon a time there was a sparrow called David. His parents left him to take care of
himself when he was still very small. David had to learn everything by himself, there was noone around to support him. He learned where to get food, where to find water and how to fly
quickly away from the other birds. He knew all that was necessary for surviving, but he was
not happy. So one day David decided to find out how one should live in order to be happy.
He started his journey by visiting some swallows that he knew. "They always seem to be
happy, so they have to know how to do it.", thought David to himself.
He found the swallows dipping in a pool.
"Hello swallows!", said David and continued: "I want to find out how I should live in order to
be happy. You are happy, aren't you?", he asked.
The swallows were flying up and down and around the pool and dipping and laughing and
they answered: "Of course we are happy. Come to play with us! Only when you play you can
be happy!".
So David stayed with them for some time, learned how to dip in the pool and for while
thought that he had found the answer. But after a few days he found out that he didn't feel
really happy and thanking the swallows he left them and continued in his journey.
A few meters from the pool he met Mr. Frog with his froggie girlfriend Lilly.
"Hello frogs!", said David and continued: "You look quite happy. Could you tell me why?".
Mr. Frog looked on Lilly and smiling answered: "You just have to find someone to be with!
You cannot be alone. And you need your kind."
"That sounds reasonable, thank you Mr. Frog.", said David and flew of.
David flew through the big forest and stopped on an old oak tree. It was the oak that was
called the meeting tree and David went there to find out the answer to his question. The oak
tree told him: "Your life has to have some sense in order to be happy.".
David thought it to be a very wise answer, but it did not help him to know what he should do.
So he continued in his journey in the direction of fields.
Down in one field he saw four hamsters hugging each other and looking very happy. David
arived next to them and said: "You look as though you have a very happy time, how do you
manage it?".
The hamsters explained to him, that they are a family and they were split by a heavy storm
and now they had found themselves again, so they were very happy. David nodded his
approval, thanked them for the explanation and wishing them a nice time together he flew off.
While was he flying he thought about what he had just learned: "OK, so it is good to play in
your life and it is good to have someone of your kind to be with and you are happy!" As he
flew he saw two horses in their paddock. He arived on the fence just in front of one of the
horses and said: "Good morning! Could you tell me: are you happy?" .
The horse was old, without a smile, and was looking almost bored and dissapointed with his
life. "I am not happy. Why?".
David was surprised: "I thought you are living here with the other horse, so you would be
happy." The old horse just murmured something to himself, so David flew to ask the second
horse, who was smiling, jumping and running around with his shiny mane. David asked the
second horse: "Hello Mr. Horse. I am trying to find out how to live in order to be happy. Are
you happy? I just spoke to the old horse and he is not." .
And the young horse said: "Yes, I am happy, because I am very good. Look at me - I am
young, shining and I am winning lots of races. If you want to be happy, you have to look good
and you have to be successful. It is nice to have a friend, but if you are nobody you cannot be
happy.".
David thanked to the young horse and went back to the old horse.
"So you are not happy because you don't look good, or maybe because you are unknown?",
asked David.
The old horse had tears in his eyes while he said: "I was a beautiful horse, when I was young.
And I won many more races than that young one over there. But now I am old and all is
gone.".
David felt puzzled, so he said to the old horse: "So if you have someone of your kind, you
may still not be happy. If you are famous and nice looking, you are happy. But when it is
gone and it probably has to be gone one day, when you are old, then you are not happy. Could
you tell me what is worth to do in your life so that you will be always happy?".
The old horse thought for while and then answered: "That is too difficult a question for me.
You will have to ask some human, they are better at thinking about such a things than me.".
David thanked the old horse and went in the direction to a city to find some human to ask.
The old horse was calling after him: "Find someone old, he will be even wiser!".
David arived in the closest city. He was watching the people around from the top of a fountain
and after a wile he saw an old lady carrying a picture.
"Good afternoon." said David when he landed in front of the lady. And continued: "I am
David. May I ask you a question?"
The old lady looked surprised that the sparrow talked to her, but as she was used to a lot of
things in her long life, she finally answered: "Hello David. What would you like to know?"
"I am trying to find out how to be happy. But I mean happy for all your life.".
The old lady thought for a while. Memories from her past went through her mind. Indeed she
was not exactly happy. Then her eyes stopped on the picture she was carrying.
"You have to love and be loved.", the old lady said.
"And do you love and are you loved?", asked David.
"No. I used to be, but my husband died a long time ago and I am too old to find someone
now.", she answered and continued on her way.
David could see her trying to open her door, but having problems because of the picture, she
carryed. He flew over to help her somehow when an old man appeared and took care of her.
The old lady saw David and said: "You should speak to my friend Peggy. She will be able to
help you better than I did. She lives over there on fourth floor.", the old lady pointed to a pink
house two streets away.
So David left the old lady talking to the old man and flew to the pink house. Then he found
an open window on the fourth floor and got in.
A young lady was sitting in the room painting a picture.
She looked at David when he flew into the room and sat on a table close to her and said: "Are
you Peggy?".
"Wow. I am really going mad.", said the lady looking at the sparrow.
She closed and opened her eyes a few times and when she still saw the sparrow she said: "Eh,
yes I am Peggy. Who is asking?".
"Hello. I am David. Nice to meet you. I was told by the old lady with the picture that you may
help me.", said David.
"The old lady? - Oh, yes. Are you hurt?", asked Peggy.
"No, I am all right. Physically at least.", said David and continued: "I want to find out how to
live so that you are happy. Swallows taught me that you have to play. Mr. Frog told me that
you should be not alone, but the old horse was not alone and was un happy. Then the young
horse told me that you have to be nice looking and successful, but the old horse was as well
but is not happy now. Then the old lady said that you have to love and be loved but she once
did it and now she is no longer happy anyway."
Peggy carefully listened to the sparrow. Then she said: "The swallows are right. You have to
play in your life and take your life like one big play. It means that you enjoy everything you
do, because you just do not take yourself too seriously. Mr. Frog was right too: you need your
kind, someone to share your life with, someone you can love and who will love you, as the
old lady said. But you need as well to understand, that happiness is not something that comes
and just is, every day you have to do something to earn your happiness.".
David finally heard some sensible answers. "But what it is that I have to do every day?", he
asked.
Peggy answered: "No-one can tell you, it is the mystery of your own life. What makes me
happy is when I draw a nice picture. But what makes me even more happy is when I give the
picture to someone and it makes them happy."
When David heard it a light shined through his mind and he finally knew. He would not be
able to put it into words but he knew the answer and he felt very happy.