A Starling's plight

I was bored and longed for freedom. Most days and all nights I sat in my cage and looked out a small window, which was open often to let air in and bad smells out. One late summer day a crow landed on a nearby tree. It looked in, and investigated my door latch. My heart leapt. Maybe this crow could save me. Just then the crow said "Hi, I am Cawlin! If you can speak I'll save you."

"Of course, I can. My human taught me. I heard him comment I can speak well enough to make most fools believe I was human." Cawlin pulled on the latch and prized the door open. Just then a sparrow flew in. He introduced himself as Phillip, the chip-chirip and said "Come on, fly out of this cage! Narcissus is waiting for you! We were charged with bringing the talking Starling to him. You are the right Starling for what he wants." I had heard of Narcissus before. His wisdom is a legend. After we flew out the window, a second sparrow joined us in the willlow tree behind the house and said "I am Penelope. We saved you because we are going to India, and we need an interpreter who can speak Human. You will be another one of our team who does not harm birds to eat." Togther we flew to the nearest river where two white ducks were floating about and occasionally diving to eat water weeds. One was Narcissus, and the other Narcisa.

Above them was an owl, who stared at me. I worried it was hungry, while Narcissus introduced Athena. She is a calm, sensible creature. We are now friends.

Drunken men, the stinky sun from Sanovita and the talking Starling

Narcissus sleepily waddles out of what is left of the shelter. Narcisa was already up. I (Cawlin), Penelope and Philip were leaving.

Narcissus: Be very careful to not get caught. Come back soon!

Philip: yes, the faster we leave, the better!

Narcisa: Good luck!

In the backgroud we could hear a sleepy hoot. It was Athena.

We flew over the main road towards the old bridge that is right above the island. It is used by animals that go to pasture. Next to it, there is a higher bridge over which cars drive. Then we turned towards Sanovita. We met plenty of sparrows and starlings along the way. After about half an hour of flying we reached a herd of sheep. They were busy drinking water, and next to them there was a friendly lapwing. He had heard of Codrin, the talking starling, and confirmed that he was still in Gizela. He also said his song could be heard around the village: he sounded depressed, and clearly wanted to be free.

Sanovita is the city of the dump. It is a combination of the very old and the very new. Its streets are still roamed by turkeys, geese, ducks and chicken. The old men and women of Sanovita look as if time had been still for the past two hundred years or so. They wear dark, practical clothes. The men wear a vest and cotton approns, which clash with the phones in their pockets. The women wear head scarfes. One old lady dressed traditionally had a backpack of hierbicide. Its smell made me sick. We flew on past the shinny mountain. Sanovita is home to the biggest dump site in the Timis county. All the glass, metal and shinny plastics reflect the sunlight making it look like a glittering mountain or like a second stinky sun.

Me: "I'll give up collecting shinny things after this! They would remind me of this smell!"

Penelope: Humans wrap their food in almost indestructible plastics, foam or shinny aluminium. Then they trash them mixed with food and other forms of waste. This coupled with trash from factories make up the stinky mountain.

Philip: Watch out! Another stinking metal thing is coming. They all hold deliveries for the dump mountain.

Me: "It's hard for me to fly here because I'm new to this, but people put up with the smell, and even built new villas here. They must cost many pretty pennies. The houses here are either very old or very new."

Penelope: Here is a BMW. It's a car that used to be driven only by the very rich. This one is driven by the son of the old man over there.

Me: The one who looks as if it's 1821.

Philip: Enough with the chatter. Let's fly to Gizela and find Codrin.

Along the way there were plenty of bee-eaters. Before the village, we found the cows of Gizela. I have counted more than a dozen heads, and about five horses.

We soon heard lound, uncultivated human voices. They came from the bar. It must be the only entertainment that Gizela has. As we flew by, we heard someone say "Mircea, how is your starling? I'll buy you two beers if you bring it this evening!". "I might bring it for three beers or for a bottle of wine, but only after I plant my tomatoes" answered Mircea. It was easy to follow Mircea home. A starling's voice could be heard through his open window. Now it was crucial to make as little noise as possible. Philip flew in and introduced himself while myself and Penelope perched on a nearby tree. Codrin started speaking human to prove himself. I quickly went in to prick the lock. Soon Codrin was out. On our way back we avoided the main road, and flew over the fields instead. The path was full of shrikes. I had to watch over Philip and Penelope and caw loudly when any of them came too close. There were plenty of places to take a break. Codrin was out of practice because of his long period in captivity, and flew slowly.

We were back at the island just before the sun set. Everybody was waiting for us. I cawed unnecessarily:

"We are back! Here is Codrin!"

Codrin: I am the starling that talks human. As you got me out of that stinky cage, I will come with you part of the way, and be your interpreter.

Narcisa: good, you'll be a great distraction when we sneak onto our first ship.

Athena:"Ho, Ho!"

Codrin quickly tries to fly away, but I shout: "it's only Athena. She is our friend and protector. She won't eat you!"

The starling comes back rather nervously. Athena lands by Codrin.

Athena: "Don't be scared, I won't eat you. Starlings aren't tasty enough. I stand the temptation of Penelope and Philip, too. Since Narcissus wants you to help, I'll protect you!"

The council of war

It was sunset. The humans and Edwina had finally departed. The nights are too cold and too full of juicy blood-sucking bugs for them to enjoy the river. I looked around. The half eaten grass and the leafless branches stood out like the ruined columns of an ancient temple. Goat poop filled the floors of my tunnels. It was mixed with mud and with little bits of wood and wire left behind by the humans. I walked in, nervously stepping between piles of trash. The hiding place was ruined. It looked like a goat's toilet. I quacked loudly and clearly: " I call for a council of war ".

At the far end of the island there was a short tunnel that led to my last chamber. Edwina had not touched it because it was too far from where the two human children had been playing. Goats are herd animals, and Edwina is a very loyal member of the herd. We all gathered there to talk. Athena came rather grumpily. I had interrupted her hooting. Penelope, Philip and Cawlin looked sleepy, while Narcisa complained that I interupped her evening meal. The council was in the last hidden spot that was supposed to protect us from predator attack.

"The summer is coming to an end. We must leave now or never. The destruction of the shelter is a push towards departure" I say.

Cawlin: "To be safe from humans, we need an interpreter: a bird who can talk human."

Athena: "You understand human, but you can't speak it... not really"

Philip: "Maybe we should get a parot. They are famous for their human speach."

Cawlin:"Wrong! They are colorful and attrack attention. Humans sell them and will cage them whenever they see them. A talking parot would make us all a slowly waddling target! Some of us will be killed to be eaten, and some to be trashed."

Penelope: "Cawlin is right! We should befriend a startling instead. They are nicely coloured, and blend in the environment."

Cawlin: "I heard Mother say there is a talking starling half a day's flight from here in a town that humans call Ghizela."

Philip: "I know the place, and I think I know the man. He spends most of his time drinking some yellowish liquid by the one bar and getting louder and louder by the hour. He sometimes brings a bird along, who talks for him as he waddles home."

Narcissus: "Some of us are proud of waddling. But I see we must save this bird. You, Cawlin and Penelope can spend tomorrow by the bar, and watch for the man. If he comes alone, let the bird lose. Afterwards we can leave."

Philip, Penelope and Cawlin: "Great, we'll leave at dawn" they said in one-voice.

The council of war had ended. Cawlin, Penelope and Philip flew out together to find a tree to perch on and chat about their mission. Athena went on to hoot more and scare the old ladies of the neighborhood. Narcisa and I went to have a late dinner. There were some juicy water plants, a few dozen clams, and some snakes and fish who had gathered by the newly built dam.