The Songbird in the Garden

A long time ago, in a city called Tihrán in the country of Persia, there lived a small boy named 'Abbás. He grew up to be 'Abdu'l-Bahá. But this story is from when He was only seven years old.

The family had a garden behind the house. There were tall trees and small flowers and a quiet pool of water. Many birds lived in the garden. They flew from tree to tree and sang in the morning.

One day, one of the older boys in the household caught a small songbird in a net. He was very pleased. He wanted to keep the songbird in a cage so the family could hear its song every day.

Little 'Abbás watched the songbird in the cage. The bird was not singing. The bird was sitting very still. Its small eyes were sad.

'Abbás opened the cage door very gently. The songbird flew out at once. Up, up into the tall tree it flew. It sat on a high branch in the sunshine. Then it began to sing — the loudest, brightest song the family had heard in many days.

'Abbás listened. He smiled. He understood.

Every living thing should have its own free place in the world.

That was the lesson 'Abbás learned in the garden when He was seven. He carried it with Him for the rest of His life. And every time He saw a small creature in a cage, He remembered the song of the small bird in the tall tree.

Source: Baha'i Stories for Children (https://bahaistoriesforchildren.blogspot.com/), paraphrased short story for children.

Various. *Baha'i Stories for Children*. https://bahaistoriesforchildren.blogspot.com/