Kite and Sparrow

Kite and Sparrow

There is a story you may have heard before, of how a tiny sparrow won a race against an kite. But the end of the story is usually not narrated and I have tried to do this here. To summarise the first part …

Once Kite and Sparrow got into an argument about which of them can fly the highest. Though the answer seemed obvious to most onlookers, Sparrow was persistent in challenging Kite and so the race began, and the birds settled in very reluctantly to watch, what they thought of as, the foregone conclusions of this impetuous challenge.

Kite was in no mood to waste time – he wanted to close the game and raise his left wing and show that he had won – asap – as they say today!

So he swiftly flew to mid-height and looked around, the sparrow was flying too, just some distance below him. Irked by this, Kite decided - to hell with humility, I will also show this chit of a bird that there is no hope of winning over me. He surged upward to the full, maximum possible height – and drew to a halt, panting with what had been an effort even for such a strong body. He thought he had won – but to his surprise and chagrin the sparrow fluttered above him to finish first!

In his desperation mania to win - he had not noticed that cunning Sparrow had sat on his back all the time, taken a free ride, and when he could do no more - had gone forth to vanquish him!

That is what we know, but the story goes on. To tell it further like it happened…

Kite had spent all his energy in getting to the highest point. He was very tired and was now feeling rather let-down at the thought that this slight creature should have overtaken it.

He glanced balefully at the sparrow and accused, ‘You Cheat!’
As Kite was too breathless to say any more, he made do a cold glare to finish up the accusation. Anyway, the journey to the ground was awaiting now. So, silently, he spread out his wings straight and started dropping to the ground in spirals. He noticed that Sparrow was struggling to glide down. Stopping, Kite said to Sparrow, ‘You know – you are out of your league here! I am king and you had no business to challenge me, and worse cheat me! If I did not let you get away now you could not on your own!’

To this Sparrow replied, ‘I know! But I was tired of having you lord over other birds and dominate the show all the time. We don’t really want to rule, but neither do we want to be your slaves. It’s a free country – and you ought not to brag and bend us to your wish everytime!! You are just a boastful, brawny, bully!’

Kite had been tired out by the flight. That was the only reason he had listened to Sparrow for so long. Now that he had rested a while, his anger grew and made as if to attack Sparrow. He said, ‘You had no business to cheat – whatever be your reason for doing so.’

Sparrow cringed in the face of Kite’s anger and said – ‘Look! My aim was never just to win this race! The only thing I wanted to win was some time with you so that I can have your attention and tell you to stop bragging and chasing and defeating people like us, breaking our spirits and always trying to appear to be a TOSBYPE - The Only Smart, Brave, Young Person on Earth! We never interfere with your plans, so why should you, too, not just let us live the way we want?’

Kite was now a bit confused but still listening. He tried to figure out how much effort Sparrow had put into flying and at what level she had resorted to cunning. Could it be that she was speaking the truth and that she had only wanted to deliver the message of liberty and peace as she professed?

Sparrow noted the doubt bubbling over Kite’s face expressions and knew she would never succeed in convincing, or even just communicating with, Kite whose only aim in life was to be Numero Uno – the winner – always.

She also knew that from this height in the skies, there was no way she was capable of descending to the ground without being vanquished by the squally winds and rough return flight. So in a last-ditch effort, she said, ‘I know that in truth I have lost this challenge – really – because I have lost my main goal – of getting you alone and telling you to let live. But I will show you that I meant every word – I am now going to go down, and I am not going to even attempt a safe return. To concede my defeat, I am going to drop from here like a stone’. Saying this, she mutinously folded her wings tightly about herself, and holding her breath like a stubborn child, fell, before the stunned Kite could say as much as, “wha...”!’

She dropped, dropped and further dropped, her speed increasing as she gained momentum. The skies fell behind and the ground, and sure death, approached quickly.

Kite could not believe his eyes, but all in a flash, something broke inside his mind. His heart was struck by a bolt of emotion and the bird equivalent of tears rushed to his head! Springing from his inactive state, he swooped down to the falling sparrow’s level. Being a bird of prey, Kite had sharp eyes to spot falling target prey and had no difficulty in spotting where Sparrow was heading. In a second he plunged below the tiny Sparrow and scooped her up swiftly but softly, too, on his feathery back.

It took a while for Sparrow to even open her eyes. She was in shock, trembling and sobbing silently at the near-death experience she had undergone. For a long time, she did not realise that she had been saved, and one can only guess whether she was wondering if she was dead or alive, in heaven or hell… Kite had brought her to the ground and gently deposited her on top of a haystack. Having done this, he had settled on the branch of a thick-trunked tree which grew at the level of Sparrow’s haystack. He now stood there with a strangely fearfilled expression in his kite eyes, awaiting Sparrow’s recovery.

Sparrow came to, finally, and eyed Kite unblinkingly. It was now Sparrow’s turn to be puzzled. She had never before been this close to Kite, to any kite, for that matter, and to have the latter watching her with such strange concern was simply mind-boggling and even a little soul-stirring! Sparrow was a sensible bird, though, and quite had her feet on the ground. She told itself not to imagine problems that did not exist. Yet, she was unable to trust the strong bully completely and put on a grim expression, which she hoped mirrored her inner strength of conviction. ‘Why did you have to rescue me?’ she asked coldly, ‘I am just one of many who fall under the strenuous race you guys make us run!’

Kite was totally regretting having got into this. He was now almost embarrassed at having done this insignificant creature a good turn. He had a thousand other things to do – places to visit, countries to explore, stories to collect, and so on, even apart from eating and living, which was all these little birds ever did! ‘I suppose I was not too tired to watch you fall down and shatter to silly pieces. I see now it was probably a silly and thankless effort. Now, you just forget it, and I have to go’. Though he spoke these words, he did not immediately take off. He still felt there was something left to be said and tilted his head to one side, looking down with one eye and wondering what it was he wished to say.

Sparrow could see that the big bird was really tired, despite his boastful attitude of strength. She observed the other silently and took in the lines of dust weaving through his feathers and even saw some imperfect broken tips to the wing and tail feathers. From here, Kite looked older and very much wiser than she had thought, as if he were meditating on something very profound.

Sparrow lost her belligerence as it saw Kite this way – to her mind – appearing somewhat vulnerable.

‘Well!’ said the ever-cunning Sparrow, deciding to strike when it was hot, ‘Thanks for saving my life! Now you know, don’t you, that there are good things to be brought about, other than flying high, being alone and proving that Only You Can?’

Hearing the edge to Sparrow’s voice, Kite made a speedy recovery! ‘I am sure you are about to enlighten me. Tell me, what matters more than winning – whining??’ He asked, almost knowing what her reply would be.

‘Look around you! There is so much to do in this world! You can grow stuff, you can build stuff, you can care for stuff, nurture others! There’s friendship and community! You can teach! You can empower! You can share your knowledge and the fruits of your success! Make everyone happy!’

‘M..hm…’ was the kite’s back-to-laconic response, ‘Let’s go and do that, by all means!’

‘Let’s? That’s a new word I’m hearing from you!’ Said Sparrow cheekily, knowing now that she had an audience.

Kite may have felt it was best to strike a deal now when he still had a chance to commit to as little as he needed to. Anyway, what followed surprised Sparrow as much as it did the other birds!

Kite said, ‘Yes, let’s do that together! Both of us and more of us! Let’s find a beautiful spot and I’ll do what I do best – fly high and teach other birds how to do that. I will teach every bird my secrets of achieving a great flight, conquering fear, handling sudden emergencies, whatever it takes to go far and gain knowledge and wisdom! You teach us the meanings that you are speaking so profoundly about! Speak to us about sharing our world. Tell us how people live and what communities are all about. Let us build – like you said and not bicker with each other for the first place… Okay?’ The kite was unable to stop speaking, having started. The normally laconic king-bird was looking almost bubbly, like a teenage mynah.

‘Right-ho let’s be neighbours by all means’, said Sparrow cautiously, as she was wont to be.

And at this point, a slow, cool, breeze set in, which ruffled the leaves of the tree, as if to welcome this, new, bonding.