A Memory of Chirping

I heard the birds chirping in my backyard today and once again remembered the famous parable regularly told by Father Cornelius in Boston. Over the last few years amidst the revelations, his story has become infamous, full of intrigue and loaded with troubling double meaning.

Cornelius would gather the altar boys together in the sacristy and relate this tale.

" A little bird had fallen from the nest and lay helpless on the ground. A hunter happened by and saw the bird. The hunter wondered how he might help. He spotted s steaming pile of horse manure near the tree from which the little bird had fallen. Worried that the bird might freeze to death in the morning chill, the hunter, unable to find the nest, decided to put the bird into the horse manure to keep it warm and serve as a substitute nest until the bird was able to fly away on its own power. He gently placed the bird in the horse manure and folded the manure carefully around the fallen sparrow leaving a space for oxygen.

For awhile, the sparrow was warmed and safe while his wings strengthened. Soon he would be able to fly away. The sparrow began to chirp for the first time in its short life, feeling stronger every moment.

A wolf was walking in the forrest and heard the chirping. The wolf knew that a bird was nearby but also couldn't find the nest. The wolf approached the manure and realized that the bird was inside the pile.The wolf, dug into the manure..came upon the baby bird and had himself a small still chirping breakfast.

And boys here's the moral to the story, remember this every time you hear the chirping of a bird. Never forget that whoever puts you in the poop may not be your enemy and whoever takes you out of the poop may not be your friend and most important, when you're in the poop...keep your mouth closed because yuou never know who or what may be listening."

We all loved the story, especially when the good priest mentioned 'poop' which always got a laugh. 

Sixty years later, the story is nowhere near as endearing as it was when we were children still safe in our nests.