Fiction: Group 2
The Little Birds
Lingnan University Alumni Association (H.K.) Primary School, Wong, Winston - 9,
Fiction: Group 2
ast summer, I came back to my hometown of Zhaoqing to visit my cousins. Zhaoqing is a city in the
province of Guangdong and considered part of the Pearl River Delta region. My hometown is
situated in the north-east part of Zhaoqing and is the most beautiful ancient village in China. Here
we could experience the peaceful, local lifestyle. We could assist with farm chores. There were apples to
pick, goats to milk and eggs to collect.
It was my first time to visit Zhaoqing and I loved this rustic place so much. There were a number of aged
trees reaching into sky and birds singing happily amongst the fragrant flowers. For a city-bred child, this was
indeed an eye-opener for me.
When the next day arrived in Zhaoqing, I was woken up by a rooster in the early hours of the morning.
Unable to return to sleep, I decided to get up and take a walk. The sunrise on that day was captivating. As I
walked along the way to the river, I discovered a wild bird's nest placed just under a coop in the farmyard
which contained two fluffy birds. But, alas! I also found a dead bird lying alongside the nest. I believed it was
their poor mother. The two birds were chirping sadly. I decided to take them back to the garden of my
cousin’s house where I could watch over them.
After going back to the house, I gave the birds a bowl of water and some tiny pieces of bread. When they
smelt the food in front of them, they tumbled over one another in their excitement and chirped in
happiness. Finally, they ate up the food and lay down in their coop to have a rest. In order to protect my
little birds, I made a hedge to keep out the crows and wild cats that were constantly on the watch to carry
them off.
Day by day, with constant care and attention, they grew very tame. Grey feathers began to show on their
wings. Worms made a substitute for their natural food. On one particularly sunny day, I took them to the
nearby pond. When they came near to the pond, they were very cautious and took much prodding before
they even got their feet wet. Finally, they splashed in the water and cooled off on the hot day. In the pond,
they plumed themselves and I found my little birds full of glee.
I had often looked forward to the time when they would attempt to use their wings and fly. The day came
at last. One morning, they ate their last meal and let me have my final hug. Then I saw them wheeling high
up in the air and they left. From their glimmering eyes, I knew that I would never see them again.
I must say I took a lot of satisfaction from taking care of these birds. I always hoped that my birds might
have stayed with me or even that they would return from time to time but all my efforts were in vain. I
only wish that they take good care of themselves and have a happy life. I hope that I can meet my little birds
again in this beautiful and prosperous Pearl River Delta.
L
