“THE STORY OF A FEARFUL BIRD”

By: Jocel B. Gementiza

Once upon a time in a small garden, there lived a fearsome mother bird and
a small, fearful hatchling named Peter. Despite having strong and wonderful
feathers, Peter was afraid of flying. He never dared to explore the world beyond his
nest because he feared that the rustling wind would sweep him away. From the
moment he was hatched, he never left the nest and depended on his mother for
food.

One day, as the sun shone brightly in the garden, a pretty little butterfly
named Tinker passed by. As she was enjoying the sight of the colorful and beautiful
flowers in the garden, she spotted little Peter in its nest. Tinker, with her curiosity
flew gently to the nest and said, “Hello little bird, why do you seem so
down today?”

Peter was shocked to see Tinker, he then replied with

a sigh. “I am afraid to fly, I fear that the wind will sweep me
away”. Tinker listened attentively to Peter, understanding
the little bird’s struggle.

“Dear bird! You see, the wind is our friend. Don’t be afraid to
spread your wings and enjoy the beauty of the world”, said
Tinker.

“But, I’m a small and weak hatchling”, Peter said.

 “Don’t worry dear bird, you’ll soon become strong. Just try and trust me, the
wind won’t sweep you away”, said Tinker.

“I don’t want to. Just go away!”, Peter said and hid his head in the nest.
Despite Peter’s remarks, Tinker was determined to help him overcome his fear.
Every morning, she always finds time to visit and try to encourage Peter. Days
turned into weeks, Peter and Tinker became friends.

One day, as mother bird was busy flying through the sky to find food. She
saw a tornado coming toward Peter’s direction. Worried about Peter, she flew as
fast as she could to save Peter. Just as she was close to the nest, a broken tree
branch hit her left wing and she fell to the ground.

“Peter, fly!”, mother bird shouted.

Peter saw what happened to his mother, he wanted to
help her but he was too afraid to fly. He cried while watching
his helpless mother.
Peter saw that the tornado was fast approaching in
their direction. He felt fear, but as he looked into his mother’s
eyes, he knew he had to overcome his fear and find a way to
help her. With trembling wings, Peter took a deep breath and
courageously put his feet outside the nest.
His heart is pounding as he slowly flaps his wings, trying to fly and gain
balance. With the strong wind and flying tree branches, Peter refused to give up.
He focused on his mother’s voice and what Tinker had said. With every flap of his
wings, he was able to fly and save his mother. Together, they quickly fly away from
the tornado.
Peter can’t believe he did it. He was able to conquer
his fear. The wind might be strong, but Peter knows he is
stronger.
“Wow, I can fly!”, Peter exclaimed happily. As he
was amazed by the amazing view from above, he learned
the importance of believing in oneself and overcoming
fear.

THE END.
Multiple Choice:
Direction: Encircle the letter that corresponds to your answer.
1. Who is the main character of the story?
a. Peter
b. Oliver
c. Jack
d. John
2. Where does the story takes place?
a. in a mountain
b. in a forest
c. in the city
d. in a small garden
3. Who spotted the little bird in its nest?
a. A bear
b. A butterfly
c. A hawk
d. A snake
4. Why did mother bird fell to the ground?
a. Because a broken tree branch hit her left wing
b. Because she was shot by a hunter
c. Because she was tired
d. None of the above
5. What is the lesson that we can get from the story?
a. That we should remain scared
b. That we should not believe in ourself and overcome our fear
c. That we should believe in ourself and overcome our fear
d. All of the above
Answer key:
1. a. Peter
2. d. in a small garden
3. b. A butterfly
4. a. Because a broken tree branch hit her left wing
5. c. That we should believe in ourself and overcome our fear