The Fable of the Sparrow and the Rose

The Fable of the Sparrow and the Rose



The Sparrow, one summer day, was returning to his nest in the eaves of the master’s fine house when he caught sight of the beautiful Rose, blushing and smiling at the Sun. The sparrow was bewitched by the sight of the beautiful rose unfolding her petals under the sun’s warm touch. Day after day, the little sparrow returned to watch the lovely rose turn her face to the sky, vainly hoping that the mighty sun would leave his sky to place a kiss on her red lips. Soon, the sparrow forgot all about his daily chores and abandoned his little nest. Everyday he returned to admire the proud and lovely rose, but the rose never turned her gaze from the sun. The jealous sparrow took to swooping and diving through the air in front of the sun, but the rose would not look at him. One day, in desperation, he flew down to the earth beside her and asked, “Oh Rose, lovely and virtuous Rose, why do you waste your beauty in vain? The mighty sun will never leave his sky, but I will pledge my life to you, and serve you for the rest of your days.”

But the haughty rose laughed at the little sparrow, “I am too fine and beautiful for you, poor sparrow, go back to scratching for grubs in the earth and do not bother me.”

The wretched sparrow flew back to his nest in despair, and wept and wept, all day and night, consumed by yearning for the rose. He would not eat or sleep and tore at his humble feathers in misery. One night, as he lay, thin and cold in his bare nest, the kindly moon looked down from her silver chariot and saw the little sparrow and said, “Little sparrow, why do you weep so? Will the sun not warm your little breast? Will the golden corn not feed you? Why do you not fly through the air with joy like you used to?” The sparrow looked up and answered, “Oh moon, it is the sun, he has stolen from me my only love and joy and I cannot live without her, if you could only stay and rule in his place then the rose will love me instead.” The moon was surprised and answered, “Sparrow, the sun is my brother, I cannot banish him, all of the other animals and birds need his warmth and protection.” But the sparrow would not listen, he begged and insisted and pleaded with the moon, and would not be consoled. Eventually the gentle moon took pity on him and said, “I do not think you can win the rose from the mighty sun, but I will stay for one month and send my brother away.”

And with that she shone her silver beams over the sparrow’s nest in the eaves of the master’s house and into the garden. The sparrow was overjoyed and flew at once to the rose to court her, but instead he found her asleep with her petals closed. He chirruped and chirped and sang for her, but she would not wake. Confused he asked the blackbird why she would not waken, but the blackbird angrily chided him because he could not see to scratch for grubs in the dark. So the sparrow went to the field mice to ask for advice, but the field mice rebuked him for banishing the sun and ruining the golden corn. Next he went to the hens, but the hens were too frightened of the fox to come out of their coop at night. The sparrow was alone. He returned to the rose, and sang and chirruped and chirped, but she would not wake. Each day she grew paler and sadder without the sun. The sparrow brought her gifts of honey, pearls and precious stones, but still she faded and grew sicker in her sleep. The sparrow tended the garden and brought her water, but without the sun, the rose grew closer and closer to death.  Blinded by his desire for the lovely rose, the foolish sparrow would not stop his attempts to wake her. Without the sun, the other flowers in the garden grew weak, the golden corn did not grow and the fruit did not ripen. The other animals begged the sparrow to allow the sun to return, but the sparrow refused, bitterly jealous, he determined to let the rose die rather than let the sun have her, not caring about the other birds and animals.

Then on the seventh day, a dove flew down from the cherry tree, where the fruit was still hard and green and bitter, and she cooed to the sparrow – “Oh Sparrow, please ask the moon to retire and let the sun return. The rose, though beautiful, is proud and silly. She does not realize that her place is not in the sky, and her loveliness, though great to us, is but a mere dew drop upon the ground to the mighty sun.”

Next a nightingale flitted from within a dense bush and let forth a glorious whistle, trill and warble, pealing and ringing in the dark air like a magnificent crescendo.

“Look for the beauty around you sparrow”, he sang, “In even the lowest, darkest place there is love and goodness. The rose’s beauty is glamour and gilt. Let the sun return!”

Then a little, female sparrow hopped down from the eaves of the master’s fine house and spoke to her friend, “Sparrow, the rose’s love for the sun is not deep and true, but runs shallow like a babbling brook trying to catch its own reflection. She is vain and merely wants to be adored by one so great. Come back to the master’s house, the nest will be ever empty without you.’

And the sparrow felt a spark of something deep and true flicker within his little, beating heart, and the sky began to lighten. A violet haze at first, then pink, then an amber glow upon the horizon. A shaft of light lit up a spider web in a dark corner of the garden like a silk skein hung with diamonds and it trembled in the morning brightness. The birds and animals covered their eyes, unused to the light, then slowly, one by one, they opened them as gazed for a moment as the rays beamed and showed the world in all its glory. Then each rejoiced and hopped, skipped, tripped, flit and flew away.

The sparrow soared into the air and gave thanks for the care of his friends and the joy of his freedom and rejoiced with a great burst of song, before alighting happily in his little nest in the eaves of the master’s fine house.

And what of the beautiful rose? Well, she slowly unfurled her silken petals once again, her leaves arched, green and strong, and the blush bloomed in her cheeks. She looked around, blinking her pretty eyes, and exclaimed, “Why! What a beautiful garden I live in!”