A Swallow and other Birds

    One fine day in the middle of spring, a farmer was hard at work sowing seed. High above, in the clear blue sky, a wise old swallow saw him and realised that he was sowing flax. At once she darted off to call a meeting of the other birds who lived nearby.
    When all the birds were assembled, she began to speak:
    "Alas, my friends, the farmer is sowing flax! When harvest-time comes, the flax will be woven into nets and used to trap us, and so there is only one thing to be done. We must all follow behind the farmer and pick up the seeds, before they have a chance to start growing. Then, and only then, will we and our children be safe."
    But the birds took no notice of the far-sighted swallow. "How could a few seeds hurt us?" they scoffed. "Do you really expect us to waste our time picking up those evil-tasting seeds? We've got better things to do, thank-you very much!" And off they flew, leaving the poor swallow all alone to brood on the future.
    Spring turned to summer, and the flax seeds took root and began to grow. Once more the swallow summoned the other birds: "It's not too late to destroy the flax! Every day the danger grows greater. Soon harvest-time will come!" But still the birds would not listen. They laughed at the swallow, flapped their wings, and flew away.
    As the flax grew and flourished and produced little blue flowers, the swallow knew  that she could delay no longer. One last time she warned the birds and invited them to fly away with her to the city. But her pleading was in vain. Not one of her friends would take her advice.
    "Leave home?" they asked, shocked as can be. "Now? What nonsense you speak." So she bid them all goodbye and flew away from the woods where she had lived all her life.
    Not long afterwards the flax was harvested and woven into thick, strong rope ready for net-making. And sure enough those poor, heedless birds soon became helplessly entangled in the nets. At last they remembered the old swallow's warning. But, alas, it was too late.


from a bedtime story: Little Red Riding Hood and other tales
Retold by Geraldine Carter
Illustrated by Dorothea King