Bedtime Stories for Kids - The broken Wings

The Broken Wings

A small island abounded in trees. There, in a rocky valley, lived a number of tortoises. One day a dove, swept by a strong wind, reached the island and sat down on a rock. Being tired, he sat there for a long time. The tortoises had never seen a dove. In fact, they had hardly ever seen a bird. They gathered around the rock and marveled at the stranger. "How wonderful is this creature!" said a tortoise. "Just godly!" said another. "How lucky we would be should this creature care to stay on with us!" said yet another. The dove understood that the tortoises were enamored of him. He felt proud and happy. He cooed and the tortoises were thrilled. "O sweet creature, will you mind living with us?" asked the tortoises. "To be frank, we have never known anything like you. We will bring you food and look into all the other needs of yours," they said further.

So far as the dove was concerned, he too had never known such warm reception. He agreed to stay on. The night passed happily for them. But as soon as it was morning, the dove took to wings. He flew from tree to tree and went round the island. The day was over and it was evening. The dove flew back to the rock. The tortoises heaved sighs of relief. "O sweet one," they said, "We have waited for you the whole day here, without attending to any work. We were afraid that you might not return." The dove felt quite flattered. He spent the night with them, but flew away again in the morning to return only in the evening. "Why do you leave us, sweet one?" asked the tortoises. "Don't you see I have wings? They make me restless in the morning. I flap them and rise high," said the dove. "We are afraid, one day you might not come back to us!" said the tortoises. The proud dove preened his feathers and smiled. The next day, after the bird was gone, a weasel peeped from a bush and asked the tortoises, "Fools, why do you let the bird fly away?" "He feels restless as he has wings. What can we do?" answered the tortoises. "I should still call you fools. Why don't you strip him of the feathers in his wings?" asked the weasel and he hid in the bush. The tortoises were happy with the weasel's free advice. When the dove was back in the evening, the tortoises told him, "We are not satisfied with your nightly stay with us. We want you to be with us in daytime as well. Please oblige us." "But my wings.."

"We have thought of that. We will pluck those things very carefully. Please sweet one, do not disappoint us!" so saying the tortoises came closer. The dove was moved by their love for him. He let them relieve him of the feathers in his wings. The operation was over in an hour. The dove tried, but could not fly any longer. He did not know whether to be happy or sad. But the tortoises were very happy. From the bush the weasel peeped out. Then he stepped out and advanced towards the dove. The dove shrieked in panic but could not fly away. The weasel caught him. There was great commotion among the tortoises. They started shedding tears."What! should you just shed tears but do nothing more?" asked the dove in great anguish. But that is about all the tortoises could do. They had no strength or swiftness to stop the weasel from carrying away the helpless dove. "What a fool I was to fall prey to your vain flattery and shed my feathers!" cried out the dove. "How stupid we proved in accepting the wicked weasel's advice without giving a thought to his motive!" lamented the tortoises. It was a great lesson for them but it was already too late.

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