Fiction logo

The Rainbow Bird

Or, What Feels Wrong About The Rainbow Fish

By Kassandra CherryPublished 2 years ago 13 min read
1

A long way out in the dark green forest, there lived a bird. Not just an ordinary bird, but the most beautiful bird in the entire forest. Her feathers were every shade of blue, green, and purple, and sparkled in the sunlight.

The other birds were amazed by her beauty. They called her the Rainbow Bird. “Come on, Rainbow Bird,” they would call, “Come and play with us!” But the Rainbow Bird would just fly past, proud and silent, letting her feathers shimmer.

One day, a little blue bird followed after her. “Rainbow Bird,” he called, “wait for me! Please give me one of your shimmery feathers. They are so wonderful, and you have so many.”

“You want me to give you one of my special feathers?” The Rainbow Bird looked down at her wings and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but they are a part of me, and I could not fly without my feathers.”

The little Blue Bird puffed up his chest. “Then I will tell all the other birds you were mean to me, and no one will want to play with you anymore!”

“Please don’t do that.” The Rainbow Bird might not answer when the birds called her to play, but that was because there were so many of them, and she was very shy. She didn’t want them to think she was mean.

“Then give me a feather,” repeated the Blue Bird.

“But I can’t. I can’t give you one of my feathers.”

“Fine.” The little Blue Bird flew away. He was so upset, he told all his friends what had happened – that the Rainbow Bird was proud and vain, and yelled at him when he asked for one tiny feather.

From then on, no one would have anything to do with the Rainbow Bird. They turned away when she flew by. When she landed at the creek for a drink, the other birds would fly away from her. No one looked at her, or answered any of her calls.

What good were the dazzling, shimmering feathers with no one to admire them? Now she was the loneliest bird in the entire forest. Suddenly, she felt the light touch of a wing. The Blue Bird was back.

“I told you no one would want to play with you anymore,” said the Blue Bird, “but if you give me a feather I can tell them all we made up, and we can be friends!”

The Rainbow Bird wavered. Only one very, very small shimmery feather, she thought. Well, maybe I wouldn’t miss just one. Carefully the Rainbow Bird pulled out the smallest feather with a wince and gave it to the little bird.

“Thank you! Thank you very much!” The little Blue Bird warbled playfully, as he tucked the shiny feather in among his blue ones.

It hurt to pull out her feather. It still stung, long after giving it to the Blue Bird, but she smiled through it with the hope that they could be friends. A rather peculiar feeling came over the Rainbow Bird. For a long time she watched the little blue bird fly back and forth with his new feather in air.

The little Blue Bird whizzed through the forest with his feather flashing, so it didn’t take long before the Rainbow Bird was surrounded by the other birds. Everyone wanted a glittering feather.

The Rainbow Bird shared her feathers left and right, plucking them from her wings. And the more she gave away, the harder it became. When the air around her filled with glimmering feathers, she found herself stuck in the tree. Without her feathers, she had no way to fly.

The Rainbow Bird called out for someone to help, but the other birds were so excited with their new feathers that no one looked back at her. The Rainbow Bird was left alone, as the other birds flew off to go play.

The sun set. Day turned to night. The Rainbow Bird clung to the branch and cried, shivering in the cold wind. No one came to find her, not even the blue bird who had said he would be her friend.

Finally, her crying caught the attention of a passing Screech Owl, who landed on the branch next to her. “Why are you crying, strange little bird?” The Screech Owl didn’t play with the other birds, because she didn’t like to come out in the day, and because the other birds didn’t like that she screeched when she was excited. She wasn’t there when the other birds came to ask the Rainbow Bird for her feathers.

The Rainbow Bird poured out her troubles to the Screech Owl. The Screech Owl listened, and her big eyes grew wider.

“But your feathers are a part of you. You can’t just give them away! No wonder you’re stuck here.” The Screech Owl got louder the more upset she was for the Rainbow Bird. “They are not your friends! They are just bullies and liars!”

“I don’t think they really meant it-” Rainbow Bird tried to say, but the Screech Owl shook her head. She picked up Rainbow Bird in her huge claws and put Rainbow Bird in her nest in the hollow of a tree.

“I will go talk to the other birds, and make them give your feathers back,” Screech Owl said.

“But what if they don’t listen to you?” Rainbow Bird asked. “What if they turn away from you and ignore your calls?”

“Then I will screech until they listen.”

“What if they get mad? What if they try to tell everyone that you are being mean?”

“Then I will screech until they go away. I don’t care if they think I’m mean.”

And so the Screech Owl went to all the birds in the forest and asked them to give Rainbow Bird’s feathers back. Some of them understood when Screech Owl explained that it hurt Rainbow Bird to lose them. They came to Screech Owl’s hollow and said, “I’m sorry. I was just so excited to have feathers like you, because you are so beautiful. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” And they gave the feathers back.

Others did not understand. They said, “Rainbow Bird gave this feather to me, so it’s mine!” So Screech Owl screeched at them and screeched at them, until they could take it no more.

“Fine! Take your stupid feather!” They said, and Screech Owl brought the feathers back to Rainbow Bird before going back out to find the rest.

One by one, Rainbow Bird’s feathers were returned to her. She didn’t get them all back, but finally she was able to fly again, and that was all she wanted.

Rainbow Bird took the last feather that was given back to her, and held it out to the Screech Owl. “Here,” she said. “I want you to have this.”

“I can’t take your feather. It is very beautiful, but I don’t want you to not be able to fly because of me.”

“I can fly without this one feather,” Rainbow Bird reassured her. “But I want you to have it because you are a true friend, and were kind to me when I needed it. Thank you so much for helping me.”

“Well… If you insist.”

The Rainbow Bird tucked her shimmering feather in among the Screech Owl’s brown feathers, not because it had been demanded, but because she wanted to give it freely.

“Come on, Rainbow Bird!” the other birds called. “Come and play with us!”

“Sorry, maybe later,” said the Rainbow Bird and, happy as a lark, she flew off with her friend.A long way out in the dark green forest, there lived a bird. Not just an ordinary bird, but the most beautiful bird in the entire forest. Her feathers were every shade of blue, green, and purple, and sparkled in the sunlight.

The other birds were amazed by her beauty. They called her the Rainbow Bird. “Come on, Rainbow Bird,” they would call, “Come and play with us!” But the Rainbow Bird would just fly past, proud and silent, letting her feathers shimmer.

One day, a little blue bird followed after her. “Rainbow Bird,” he called, “wait for me! Please give me one of your shimmery feathers. They are so wonderful, and you have so many.”

“You want me to give you one of my special feathers?” The Rainbow Bird looked down at her wings and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but they are a part of me, and I could not fly without my feathers.”

The little Blue Bird puffed up his chest. “Then I will tell all the other birds you were mean to me, and no one will want to play with you anymore!”

“Please don’t do that.” The Rainbow Bird might not answer when the birds called her to play, but that was because there were so many of them, and she was very shy. She didn’t want them to think she was mean.

“Then give me a feather,” repeated the Blue Bird.

“But I can’t. I can’t give you one of my feathers.”

“Fine.” The little Blue Bird flew away. He was so upset, he told all his friends what had happened – that the Rainbow Bird was proud and vain, and yelled at him when he asked for one tiny feather.

From then on, no one would have anything to do with the Rainbow Bird. They turned away when she flew by. When she landed at the creek for a drink, the other birds would fly away from her. No one looked at her, or answered any of her calls.

What good were the dazzling, shimmering feathers with no one to admire them? Now she was the loneliest bird in the entire forest. Suddenly, she felt the light touch of a wing. The Blue Bird was back.

“I told you no one would want to play with you anymore,” said the Blue Bird, “but if you give me a feather I can tell them all we made up, and we can be friends!”

The Rainbow Bird wavered. Only one very, very small shimmery feather, she thought. Well, maybe I wouldn’t miss just one. Carefully the Rainbow Bird pulled out the smallest feather with a wince and gave it to the little bird.

“Thank you! Thank you very much!” The little Blue Bird warbled playfully, as he tucked the shiny feather in among his blue ones.

It hurt to pull out her feather. It still stung, long after giving it to the Blue Bird, but she smiled through it with the hope that they could be friends. A rather peculiar feeling came over the Rainbow Bird. For a long time she watched the little blue bird fly back and forth with his new feather in air.

The little Blue Bird whizzed through the forest with his feather flashing, so it didn’t take long before the Rainbow Bird was surrounded by the other birds. Everyone wanted a glittering feather.

The Rainbow Bird shared her feathers left and right, plucking them from her wings. And the more she gave away, the harder it became. When the air around her filled with glimmering feathers, she found herself stuck in the tree. Without her feathers, she had no way to fly.

The Rainbow Bird called out for someone to help, but the other birds were so excited with their new feathers that no one looked back at her. The Rainbow Bird was left alone, as the other birds flew off to go play.

The sun set. Day turned to night. The Rainbow Bird clung to the branch and cried, shivering in the cold wind. No one came to find her, not even the blue bird who had said he would be her friend.

Finally, her crying caught the attention of a passing Screech Owl, who landed on the branch next to her. “Why are you crying, strange little bird?” The Screech Owl didn’t play with the other birds, because she didn’t like to come out in the day, and because the other birds didn’t like that she screeched when she was excited. She wasn’t there when the other birds came to ask the Rainbow Bird for her feathers.

The Rainbow Bird poured out her troubles to the Screech Owl. The Screech Owl listened, and her big eyes grew wider.

“But your feathers are a part of you. You can’t just give them away! No wonder you’re stuck here.” The Screech Owl got louder the more upset she was for the Rainbow Bird. “They are not your friends! They are just bullies and liars!”

“I don’t think they really meant it-” Rainbow Bird tried to say, but the Screech Owl shook her head. She picked up Rainbow Bird in her huge claws and put Rainbow Bird in her nest in the hollow of a tree.

“I will go talk to the other birds, and make them give your feathers back,” Screech Owl said.

“But what if they don’t listen to you?” Rainbow Bird asked. “What if they turn away from you and ignore your calls?”

“Then I will screech until they listen.”

“What if they get mad? What if they try to tell everyone that you are being mean?”

“Then I will screech until they go away. I don’t care if they think I’m mean.”

And so the Screech Owl went to all the birds in the forest and asked them to give Rainbow Bird’s feathers back. Some of them understood when Screech Owl explained that it hurt Rainbow Bird to lose them. They came to Screech Owl’s hollow and said, “I’m sorry. I was just so excited to have feathers like you, because you are so beautiful. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” And they gave the feathers back.

Others did not understand. They said, “Rainbow Bird gave this feather to me, so it’s mine!” So Screech Owl screeched at them and screeched at them, until they could take it no more.

“Fine! Take your stupid feather!” They said, and Screech Owl brought the feathers back to Rainbow Bird before going back out to find the rest.

One by one, Rainbow Bird’s feathers were returned to her. She didn’t get them all back, but finally she was able to fly again, and that was all she wanted.

Rainbow Bird took the last feather that was given back to her, and held it out to the Screech Owl. “Here,” she said. “I want you to have this.”

“I can’t take your feather. It is very beautiful, but I don’t want you to not be able to fly because of me.”

“I can fly without this one feather,” Rainbow Bird reassured her. “But I want you to have it because you are a true friend, and were kind to me when I needed it. Thank you so much for helping me.”

“Well… If you insist.”

The Rainbow Bird tucked her shimmering feather in among the Screech Owl’s brown feathers, not because it had been demanded, but because she wanted to give it freely.

“Come on, Rainbow Bird!” the other birds called. “Come and play with us!”

“Sorry, maybe later,” said the Rainbow Bird and, happy as a lark, she flew off with her friend.

Short Story
1

About the Creator

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.