How the Dodo Became Extinct

              Once upon a time there was a rather peculiar bird named Sarah the dodo.  Sarah lived in a beautiful rainforest that was located in South America.  It seemed like Sarah was always sad.  Every day she would walk around the whole rainforest at least one-hundred times while muttering to herself.                               

              All of the animals thought that she was just snobby and introverted, so they made it their business to stay out of her way.  Every time that Sarah was spotted all the animals would run and hide from her.  There was a certain gang of funky monkey that would wreak havoc on the residents of the forest.  Every day the monkeys would hide up in their tree and wait for Sarah to pass by.  If Sarah happened to walk by their tree they would scoff at her and pelt her with mangos.  This act only contributed to Sarah’s sadness and it even made her bitterly angry.

              One sunny spring day the angry dodo plopped herself down on the wet forest ground and closed her eyes.  She decided that life was not worth living and that she would just lay there until she died.  An hour past and Sarah started feeling sleepy, so she drifted off into a deep sleep…

                Sarah was awakened by the sound of running water.  She had not fallen asleep beside a body of water.  Her eyes shot open in an instant.  Where was she?

                In front of her was a huge pond filled with shimmering crystal clear water.  The surface of the pond was undisturbed and it seemed to have a slight bluish appearance.  Tiny specs of light along with soft pink rose petals drifted free and unhindered in the balmy air.    About three yards from the edge of the pond and right behind Sarah was an unfamiliar dark forest.

                Mesmerized by the intense beauty of the place, Sarah waddled up to the very edge of the pond and attempted to drink a swig of water to satisfy her parched throat.  Suddenly the sound of another bird’s horrible screech startled her and made her fall backwards on what remained of her ugly tail feathers.  On an island in the middle of the pond another bird was screeching while stretching out her delicate glossy white wings. 

                  “What do you think you’re doing!?” The bird screeched angrily. “This is not just any pond!”

Terrified Sarah wanted to run back home to her forest and cry.  “I…I,” Sarah stammered, “I’m so… so sorry.  I didn’t mean to… to,”

                  “To what!”  The bird shouted.  Her wings were slowly folding back into place.  She seemed to be getting calmer.  “This is not just some ordinary water.  This is the Waters of Rebirth.”

                Sarah’s eyes stretched wide in shock.  “The Waters of Rebirth from the famous legend?”

         “Yes” the beautiful bird replied, “That Waters of Rebirth, the only waters in the whole, entire world that have the powers to reshape your body into the perfect form.”

         Sarah gasped.  “Did you drink from this pond?”

         “Yes” the bird replied sadly.  “I was an ugly bird.  I lived in South Africa.  There I left my home and dreamed of these very waters.  I longed to be beautiful, so I took a drink, and I got my wish.  However, ever since then, I have been enslaved to the task of defending the water.  I am the Guardian of the waters of rebirth.  I wanted to be beautiful so badly that I gave up my freedom for it.  I will never be able to enter into the waking world again.”

         A tear rolled down Sarah’s face, and she hung her head.  “What kind of bird were you before you drank the water?”

         The beautiful bird looked at Sarah longingly.  “I was a…a dodo.  I looked just like you.  I am here to stop you.  I know what you long for in your heart.  You long to be beautiful.  Nothing else in the world would make you happier.  I tell you, Sarah.  You are the last dodo on the face of the planet.  You are so special.”

         Sarah’s jaw dropped. “It can’t be.”  She whimpered.  “Then that means that I am truly alone, just as I feared.” 

         “Yes, I am truly sorry, but this is a burdensome fate that you alone must carry.”

         “What type of bird are you.  You are so beautiful,”

         The other bird sighed impatiently.  “I am a swan.”

         Sarah thought for a moment.  Then she said, “If I were to drink of the water right now, would I turn into a swan and be confined to this place for all eternity?  Is there a way out of here?”

         “I do not know the answer to that question.  I know that you would be confined to this place, but I am not sure what you would become like.  As far as escaping, you would have to go through the dark forest behind you.  The dark forest is full of trees that are alive and vile creatures that would swallow you whole and spit out your bones.” 

         Sarah smiled mischievously.  “That sounds easy enough.  I will just drink of this water, become beautiful, and find my way home through the dark forest.”  With that said, Sarah bent over to take a swig of the magical waters.

         “Nooo,” Howled the swan as she darted through the air over the water. “I won’t let you ruin your life like this.”  But it was too late.  Sarah had drunk the water already. 

         As soon as the water was in her belly, Sarah fell over on her side.  “I feel really weird” She mumbled “I wonder how beautiful I will become.”  Suddenly her ugly body began to sparkle and shimmer.  Soon a radiant light emanated from her dull feathers, blinding anyone that was around her.  Slowly the light began to fade away until a body of a bird was visible.

         “No!  Now look what you have done to yourself.”  The swan said.

         When Sarah tried to look at herself she glistened with rainbow colors.  “I’m a beautiful hummingbird,” She exclaimed overcome with joy. Her now beautiful long feathers flowed over her body in a graceful way.  Her stubby tail feathers grew out and became sleek and shiny.  She was also able to fly. “Now I can go back home and make my new life in the forest.”

         Sarah the humming bird then turned around and fluttered into the dark forest leaving the swan to grieve over her fate.  No one knows what has become of Sarah today.  All of the animals in the forest noticed her absence on the very first day and immediately started making up exaggerated stories of how she disappeared.  All of which were far from the truth. Sarah’s vanity compelled her to drink of the water causing her demise. 

         The swan, because of Sarah’s error, was set free from her post as Guardian of the Waters of Rebirth.  She is currently living in a beautiful pond somewhere in the center of Africa.  Her occupation is story telling. (And boy does she have a story to tell.)  She has three beautiful little swan babies and is a widow.  (Her husband died while trying to escape a hunter.)  All live happy in their new home.

         Sarah never returned to the forest again.  She was lost in the dark forest of dreams.  Some speculate that she may still be wandering around in the forest, trying to find her way home.  Or she might have been eaten by one of the creatures that wander around as well.  But I choose to believe that she is living on that glimmering pond as its new guardian, and maybe I will see her again one day in the future.  For now, however, I will just have to keep waiting.