Monday, April 25, 2011

Cotton the Baby Oriole

This story too is adapted from a real live incident reported by ACRES - one of the animal welfare organisations in Singapore.
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One day, a little baby golden oriole named Cotton, was trying to practise flying. However, it didn't know how to fly and it fell down to the ground. A kind little girl saw the baby bird on the ground and called the Animal rescue company, ACRES, to help the bird.
The ACRES heroes came and picked up the bird and put it in a small cardboard box full of leaves and twigs, like a make-shift nest. Then they placed the box on top of their van right below the Oriole Nest, which they could see from the ground, high up in the trees.
The mummy and daddy orioles were overjoyed to see their baby safe in the box up on the truck. They came and kissed it and then they immediately went to look for food to feed the baby bird.
After eating, the poor baby bird was still too scared to try and fly.
So the ACRES heroes bravely started climbing the tree with the baby bird in their hands. The Mummy and Daddy bird didn't know these people were helping them and tried to attack the climber but the hero perservered. He then put the baby down on the lowest branch of the tree.
The baby bird started hopping up the branch and the tree until it finally reached its own nest. The Mummy and Daddy birds were very happy and showered the baby bird with kisses. And all three birds then lived happily ever after!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Survivor Baby

This is story based on a news article that touched me deeply.

One day, a naughty person tried to bury a baby alive in a flower bed in Eunos, in a rooftop garden. But the baby was very smart. It started to cry. There was a nice old man nearby who had come to the flowerbed to admire the flowers and smell the flowers. He heard a soft, a soft crying sound. He thought it was a kitten in trouble and decided to investigate, like a detective. So he dug the sand around the flower bed, looking for the source of the sound.
As he kept digging, he suddenly uncovered a foot! His friend said it was probably a toy, but the man perservered. He continued digging the sand until he unearthed a little baby! The baby was still alive and crying. The old man hugged the baby close to him.It had been 10 years since he last held a little baby. Then he gave the baby to another aunty nearby. She helped to wash the baby under the tap and the baby started gurgling! They sent the baby to the doctors and the doctors said the baby was alright. So the baby lived happily ever after. The old man and lady visited the baby often because they were very happy that they saved the little baby's life.

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Some facts beyond the story. The baby was a very newly born baby with its umblical cord still attached. Doctors said it was probably only a few hours old. The old man usually doesn't smoke near the flower bed. He had to go there that day as his usual smoking spot had been occupied by a lovely dovey couple and he felt uncomfortable there - so it was a real stroke of luck he happened to be there then. The child had been buried alive with a plastic bag around his neck - the poor parent(s) must have tried to kill the baby but didn't do the job thoroughly. At this moment police are still seeking them out. They could go to prison for 10 years. I think they need counselling more than a jail term. That aside, it's just a miracle the baby survived! A different person, an ideal person, who had been as moved as I am by this little survivor's story, would offer to adopt this child as my own - but I fall short of my ideals - I'm expecting my second baby, it would not be practical now for me to take in this baby or foster it or anything. I hope the baby grows up okay.

Monday, February 21, 2011

The King of Birds and Noah's Ark

This story is a like a make believe prelude to the story of Noah's Ark.
The Cardinal, the Golden Oriole, the Cockatoo and the Toucan are four great friends. One day, all four of them fly as fast as they can, to pass a message to the King of Birds, the White Bellied Sea Eagle. Once they get there, the Cardinal calls out,

"Your Majesty, we have an urgent message for you. It is from the tortoise"
"Is it the 100 year old tortoise?" asks the King
"Yes, your Majesty. The 100 Yr Old Torotise asks us to tell you that a great flood is coming, and that it will last 40 days and 40 nights and will destroy everything!"
"Ah, the 100 Yr Old Tortoise is very wise. If he says something, it must be true"
"What do we do, your Majesty?" asked the Cockatoo.
"Let me think. Yes... I know. I will send a message to Noah. He is a friend of animals and he will help protect us."

So the King of Birds sent a small messenger bird, the turtle dove, to pass the message to Noah. Noah listened carefully. "So the 100 Yr old Tortoise passed this message to the King of Birds who has passed this message to me? I see. Let me consult with GOD as well."

Noah speaks to God and confirms that yes indeed, a great flood is coming. Noah tell the turtle dove to take back a message to the King of Birds.
" I will build an ark, and offer protection to every species of animals, two of each kind in this ark. The ark will be ready in 5 months time. Please alert all the birds, the fish and the animals about this."
The turtle dove flew back to the King of Birds and relayed the message. The King turned to the four friends. You have brought dire news, but important news. Now you must do this. Inform the 100 yr old Tortoise of the plan and see that the message gets to all the sea and land creatures. You yourselves must pass the message to all the birds in the world. You must hurry."

"Yes your majesty." said the four birds and they flew away to the 100 year old tortoise. The Wise Tortoise nodded his head and then called on all the fish of the ocean. He passed them the message and sent them to all the different parts of the world to inform the land animals of the plan. The four friends passed the message to all the other birds of the world, each went to one corner of the world to pass his message.
The rains started coming. They came and came, getting more and more heavy, until the day of the great storm! The assigned animals all went into the ark, two by two, and as the door of the ark closed, the storm came down in great sheets,with thunder and lightning like never seen before! It rained for 40 days and 40 nights, as predicted, and then finally ebbed away.
When the ark opened, it was on top of the tallest mountain in the world! It floated on the flood waters until it reached land, and then the animals finally trooped out.
It was a new world that awaited them. All the evil of the past has been washed out. They stepped out tentatively onto this new fresh earth and life began, again.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Krishna and Twinkly Star

One evening, Krishna was lying down on the grass, counting stars in the night sky. Then he noticed a little twinkly star who was twinkling more than ever. Mesmerized, he watched the tiny star, when suddenly, he felt pearly tear drops fall on him straight from the star!

Concerned, Krishna flew up to the star and asked, "What happened little star? Why are you so sad?"
The star answered, "Dear Krishna - I think of the great and beautiful Sun as my father. I so want to tell him that I love him, that I love my daddy. But I can't go near him. He is so big, and hot and bright, I shall shrivel up if I go near him. So I am loving him from here, and feeling sad that I can't tell him I love him."

"Oh dear. Don't worry little star. I will take your message for you!" and he asked the star to write a card for the sun. The star brightened up immediately, and said, "Oh will you please?"
She wrote a beautiful card for the sun, with the words
"Dear Daddy, I love you very much!" and signed off as Your daughter, Twinkly Star.

Krishna took the card and started flying towards the Sun, who was burning brightly in the other hemisphere. As he got nearer, he started feeling warmer and warmer. Finally, he was quite close to the sun, but he couldn't get any closer as it was just much too hot and bright. Krishna stopped and thought for a while, and then he reached out and pulled a dark cloud towards him. He then positioned the cloud between himself and the Sun, covering the sun in the process. Then he reached out into the cloud, to pass the Sun the card from Twinkly Star. "Oh great Sun, a star thinks of you as father and sends this message"

The sun gladly received the card and was very touched by the sweet card and the brave and resourceful messenger. He boomed, "Thank you Krishna! you have truly made my day. Please send my love to Twinkly star, and tell her this is for her!"
Saying so, he encouraged the dark cloud before him to spill gentle rain drops to earth even as he shone as brightly as he could. A beautiful rainbow formed that covered both hemispheres. Twinkly star saw the rainbow and her heart lightened as she understood that Krishna had delivered her card. She was very happy now.

Krishna slid on the rainbow all the way back to his own hemisphere and down to the pastures where he had been resting, landing softly on the grass near the cows and calfs grazing. It was just dawning and Krishna could see that it was going to be a beautiful day.