The Brave Little Parrot

The Brave Little Parrot: Rafe Martin, USA (1946-)

Summary

Rafe Martin is the author of the well-known tale "The Brave Little Parrot." Based on a Buddhist legend is this tale. It is both a mythical and a morality tale. This tale teaches us that the secret to a fulfilling life is bravery, compassion, and unselfish social duty. It also gives us hope that, if we keep up our diligent efforts, we will succeed in the days ahead.

The Buddha was a baby parrot when he was born. That small parrot formerly called a thick jungle home. One day, a storm blew through the forest, causing lightning to flare and sparks to catch on a tree. Due to the forest fire's extensive spread, all wild creatures are in risk. A small parrot uses his wings to fly out of them in an effort to save his life.

The little parrot sees the horrific scene where hundreds of animals are trapped by the fire and are about to perish as he flies to save his life. It's because they were unable of flight like birds. The small parrot plans to protect them from this threat. He makes use of his inventiveness for that. He flies to the river, jumps in, shocks his body upon exiting, and spews a few drops of water. The small parrot, however, was unable to stop working to aid other animals. Gods are actually made glad when they see the small parrot's bravery, devotion, and affection for other animals.

One God appears on earth as a golden eagle and stands close to the parrot. Additionally, he counsels the small parrot to flee his endeavor because it is hopeless and to save his life. The little parrot responds, however, that he requires appropriate advice and assistance in this circumstance. The God is embarrassed. He starts to cry and admire the little parrot's creativity. Even more, he pledges to assist him. The flames eventually go out and the smoke starts to clear as a flood of tears spills from his eyes. Finally, everything in the forest changes with the blessing of God. All forest animals emerge from such peril, anguish, and grief with a new life, tranquility, and contentment.

Application of Four Levels

• Literal Comprehension
  • This tale explains how the Buddha was born looking like a small parrot. The storm and gunfire appear out of nowhere in the area where the small parrot was last seen. The parrot, who is staring at a dreadful situation, uses the assistance of his fathers to fly through the air in an effort to save his life. He turns his gaze downward in the meantime, where hundreds of creatures are entrapped and in risk of peril. He then goes to the river repeatedly to dump a small bit of water on the fire in an effort to save their lives. He makes numerous attempts, but the hazardous fire has no effect. He yet persists in his work with valor and dedication. Gods are surprised by his labor, and one of them appears as an eagle and soars to the ground, where he gives the parrot the wise advice to abandon such an easy attempt at self-preservation. However, the parrot responds that he merely needs assistance in this scenario and does not need advise. God begins to cry in awe of the parrot's bravery and humanity as he listens to it and observes it. Fortunately, a torrent of God's tears begins to fall, and within a short period of time, the seriousness of the forest is resolved by putting out the fire. All of the jungle's animals then experience a brand-new way of life that is tranquil and joyful.
• Interpretation
  • The tale of "The Brave Little Parrot" might be seen as a piece of guidance for how to live our own lives. It teaches us that for life to have significance, goodness, selflessness, and bravery are necessary. If we keep up our courageous efforts no matter how demanding or terrible the situation, we can succeed. Additionally, this story places the crucial emphasis on having the bravery and confidence to succeed in life. A single helpless creature, a small parrot, saves all other animals, and even God has backed the fight for a just cause. As a result, generosity and dignity are usually admired. We should also consider about the consequence of our labor before deeds. The right choice combined with the right effort can result in a good outcome and a happy life. The moral of the story is that we should have faith in our efforts. People respect and assist us when we do the same for them. In other words, if we follow the example of the small parrot, we can arrive at our objective successfully.
• Critical Thinking
  • According to this tale, having courage is the key to happiness. It is a man's most reliable defense against all threats and issues. Additionally, this tale imparts wisdom on the moral lesson of love for all living things. It also instills in us the value of bravery, unselfish service to others, and kindness. In the culture we live in, these concepts are morally admirable. However, some of the themes in the novel are less persuasive. Was Buddha indeed a baby parrot when he was born? How do tears put out fires? Is it true that God sometimes manifests himself on earth as a golden eagle? Can a bird or another animal speak in a human-like manner? Is it feasible for a person to have a second birth as a deity or a parrot? Do you believe in God? Do they truly come to our aid during a difficult or important stage?
• Assimilation
  • I now believe that God loves whoever loves all living things after reading this narrative. It also demonstrates the importance of mankind. I had visited my home the previous year. A sick woman was discovered by me in the village. She used to endure a lot of hardship because her family was so impoverished. I gathered the donor from every family in the community in light of her harrowing situation, and she was just just admitted to the hospital. After receiving medical attention, she returned to normal and began her regular duties within two hours. Everyone praised me. After that, I kept providing assistance and performing other acts of social duty.

Referance

(Bastakoti, (2007). A Combined Guide To Compulsory English. Kathmandu: Kalyani Prakshan)