..::A Tale of Two Little Birds::..
In a deep valley surrounded by thick jungle, there was a little house in which a lonely orphan lived. In time, he grew up to be a strong and handsome young man. However, he was always sad for he had no friends to talk to. He felt as if he was the only person living in the whole wide world. Sine his parents died, he had not seen any living being other than wild animals in the jungle. He longed for his parents whom he missed and loved very much.
One night, an old woman appeared to him in a dream. She asked him to fell a certain coconut tree not far from his home. So the next morning, he woke up early, took his parang and went to look for the coconut tree. When he found it, he saw that there was a bird’s nest perching on top of the tree. It took him a long time to fell the tree but he finally succeeded, he quickly took the nest. Inside were two beautiful nestlings. He took them home and made a very nice cage for them. He also fed them with little insects.
As the days went by, the birds grew bigger and began to learn how to fly. One morning, the young man heard them talking. They asked him to go fishing in a small stream behind his house. In the afternoon, he went fishing and returned with two big fish. Upon seeing the fish, the birds volunteered to take them to a chieftain living not far from the house. But the young man refused to let them go for he feared they would not return. The birds promised not to fly away. In the evening, they returned with golden rings and earrings, as well as beautiful clothes presented to them by the chieftain’s wife. The young man was very happy.
Sometime later, the young man caught another two very big fish. The birds were so pleased that they took them to the chieftain’s house immediately. Again, his wife gave them more presents. This time however, she asked them to have a bath in a small stream behind their house before they went back to the young man. So on their way home, the birds went for a little dip in the stream. As they came out of the water, they were changed into two beautiful young ladies. But they were very shy and did not know what to do. They went up the house and hid behind the door. The young man who was waiting at home did not hear them come in, for he was fast asleep. When he woke up and realized they had not returned, he was very sad. Taking his parang, he decided to go out and look for them. However, just as he was about to close the door, he saw the two young ladies hiding behind it. He was surprised and asked who they were. When he heard their fascinating story, he was so delighted that he invited them to stay with him. He also showered them with the presents he received from the chieftain’s wife.
A few weeks later, a message was found on the door. It said that a young chief from a nearby village was coming to marry one of the ladies. In the meantime, the young man had asked the girl he loved most for her hand in marriage. Not long after their marriage, the chief came and took the other young lady away. But before they left, the chief used his magical power to change the little house into a big and beautiful mansion. The young man and his wife lived happily for the rest of their lives.
BY MARY GAKOI
