The Messenger Bird

Once upon a time, there were two sisters - Sunbeam (who was always bright and cheerful) and Starlight (whose eyes twinkled like the stars).  They loved each other so much and were so happy together that they never knew what trouble meant until, one day, Starlight got very sick and died.

For the first time, Sunbeam's heart was full of grief.  She had no one else to play with.  So she sat down by the river and cried and cried for Starlight to come back to her.

Her father told her that Starlight had gone to the Spiritland of love and beauty and would be happy forever and ever.  Sunbeam was comforted.

Sunbeam had heard people say that birds were messengers from the Spiritland.  So she hunted through the woods until she found a little songbird that was too young to fly.  She carried it gently home, put it into a cage, watched over it and fed it tenderly day after day until its wings grew strong and it filled the woods with its music.

Then she carried it to Starlight's grave and after she had loaded it with kisses and messages of love for Starlight, she told it never to cease its sweetest song or fold its shining wings until it had flown to the Spiritland.

When she let it go, the glad bird poured forth a song more joyful than any that Sunbeam had ever heard.  Higher and higher it flew, and sweeter and sweeter grew its song, until at last both its form and its music were lost in the floating summer clouds.

Then Sunbeam told her father, with a bright smile and a light heart, that she had talked with dear Starlight.

And Sunbeam was once more a bright and happy girl.

Love restores, even at times of death.  "Love cures people, both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it."