Bohemia Village Voice

Early One Morning

EARLY ONE MORNING, JUST AS THE SUN WAS RISING, MR. ROBIN STIRRED. HE SENSED THE DENSE DARK OF NIGHT WAS FADING INTO SHADES AND SHAPES OF MISTY GREY.
IT WAS THE DEAD OF WINTER. FOR MANY YEARS HE AND HIS FAITHFUL COMPANION WOULD FLY SOUTH TO WARMER CLIMES, BUT SHE HAD PERISHED IN THE FIRST FROSTS, AND NOW HE WAS LEFT ALL ALONE.
SO ROBIN SENSED THIS YEAR WOULD BE DIFFERENT. THIS YEAR HE HAD WATCHED THE ROOKS BUILD THEIR NESTS, LOW DOWN, IN THE TREES. IT WAS A BAD OMEN. ROOKS PREFERRED HIGH VANTAGE POINTS, BUT COULD SENSE IF THE WINTER WOULD BE WINDY, AND WOULD THEN SETTLE IN THE LOWER BRANCHES. THIS YEAR THEIR NESTS WERE LOW; VERY LOW.
AS THE DAWN CHORUS RESONATED THROUGH THE WOODS, THE SONGS OF THRUSHS AND THE WHISTLE OF BLACKBIRDS ECHOED THOUGH THE TREES, BUT THEY ALL PALED AGAINST THE MELODY OF A ROBIN. FOR SUCH A TINY CREATURE HIS SONG WAS STRONG AND VIBRANT AND HE WOULD SING FOR HOURS, TO WELCOME THE GREAT GOLDEN BALL THAT LIT UP THE SKY, EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE.
BUT THIS MORNING SEEMED VERY DIFFERENT; IT HAD RAINED ALL NIGHT AND A FIERCE GALE WAS STILL BLOWING. HE HAD ROOSTED IN HIS FAVOURITE SPOT, HIGH UP ON A TINY BRANCH, TO FOIL THE FORAGING SQUIRRELS. THE WIND WAS NOW DROPPING BUT GENTLE FLAKES OF SNOW BEGAN TO FALL AND COAT HIS FROZEN FEATHERS WITH A TOUGH PRISTINE SHELL.
ALTHOUGH A LAYER OF FROST HAD CRUSTED HIS EYELIDS, HE NOW BECAME AWARE OF THE GREAT GOLDEN GLOBE THAT WOULD SOON REVIVE HIM WITH ITS WARMTH AND LIGHT. BUT HE WAS ALSO AWARE THAT HIS LITTLE LEGS HAD ICED SOLID TO THE BRANCH, FOR WHEN HE TRIED TO FLAP HIS WINGS NOTHING HAPPENED.
HIS VAIN STRUGGLES RESULTED IN WHAT HE FELT WAS THE TINY BRANCH SNAPPING, BUT HE SOON REALIZED IT WAS HIS LITTLE LEG THAT HAD BROKEN. BUT HE WAS STILL HOPEFUL FOR THE GREAT BALL OF LIGHT WAS RISING FAST, AS IT ALWAYS DID, AND HE COULD SEE THROUGH GLAZED EYES THAT IT WAS GETTING BRIGHTER AND WARMER BY THE MINUTE.
SO HE SANG ALONG WITH THE REST TO WELCOME THE GREAT SUN-GOD, THAT GAVE LIFE TO ALL THINGS.
SADLY, THERE WAS LITTLE HEAT THAT MORNING FROM THE GREAT SUN-GOD, AND HE SOON REALIZED HE WAS NOW FROZEN SOLID TO THE TREE, WITH HIS BROKEN LEG.
HE WAS ALSO VERY COLD AND HUNGRY BUT, THROUGH CRUSTED EYES, HE COULD STILL SEE THE GREAT SUN-GOD, SO NOTHING STOPPED HIS UNRELENTING SONG OF PRAISE AND HOPE.
SO HE CONTINUED ON WITH HIS TRIBUTE, FOR WHAT ELSE COULD HE DO, EXCEPT FEEL SORRY FOR HIMSELF, AND WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT? IT WAS NOT IN HIS NATURE.
ROBIN NOW REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A STRANGE NEW CYCLE, OF WHICH HE HAD NO EXPERIENCE. HE SLOWLY REALIZED HIS TIME OF SOARING WITH THE WINDS, AND SAILING THROUGH THE SKIES, WAS NOW OVER.
NOW HE FELT TIRED – VERY TIRED. HE WAS COLD AND IN PAIN, AND ALL ALONE; BUT HE WAS STILL GRATEFUL, FOR HE COULD STILL SEE THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF THE SUN-GOD SHINING THROUGH HIS CRUSTED LIDS: AND JUST BEFORE HE FELL ASLEEP HE REALIZED HE WOULD NEVER BE COMPLETELY ALONE, FOR THE SUN-GOD WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE, IN THE SAME PLACE, AT THE SAME TIME, FOR THE REST OF TIME.
SO, AS HE DRIFTED OFF, HE GAVE SILENT THANKS TO THE FADING LIGHT IN HIS EYES, THAT HAD GIVEN HIM SO MUCH HOPE, AND SO MUCH LIFE, AND SO MUCH LOVE.