The Little Sunbird

The Little Sunbird - Author : Aysel Banu YAVUZAL

In a warm green garden, a little sunbird lived among the flowers. Her feathers were iridescent orange and crimson, and her throat shone deep purple in the sun. She had a long, slender, curved beak and bright black eyes that missed nothing. Every morning she flitted from bloom to bloom, sipping sweet nectar and singing a tiny, tinkling song. 1

The garden was her whole world, and she loved every leaf of it. Red flowers nodded. Yellow flowers laughed. Purple flowers rang like little bells when the wind passed by. The sunbird zipped through the petals on small, quick feet, and a single dewdrop sometimes clung to the tip of her beak. 'What a wonderful garden!' she chirped. 'What a perfect, perfect day!' 2

One morning, as she hovered near a leafy bush, a small voice said, 'Excuse me.' The sunbird spun in the air. Peeking out from under a leaf was a gecko, palm-sized and shy. His skin was soft mint-green with pale yellow spots, and his big amber eyes blinked slowly. He wore a tiny leaf on his head like a hat. 'Hello,' she said. 'I'm the sunbird. Who are you?' 3

'I'm Geo,' said the gecko, curling his tail around a stem. 'I live here among the leaves. I've watched you fly for days, but I was too shy to say hello.' The sunbird tilted her head. 'Well, hello now!' she sang. Geo gave a gentle, shy smile, and his sticky toe pads held tight to the branch. From that day on, the two were friends. 4

All through the green season, the garden hummed with life. The sunbird flew high, and Geo climbed low. She saw the whole garden from above; he knew every root and shadow below. 'The flowers look happy today,' Geo said. 'They do!' sang the sunbird. 'And you look happy too.' They laughed together under the warm, bright sky. 5

Then one day the rain stopped coming. The sun grew hot and round, and the ground began to crack like old bread. The flowers drooped their heads. The leaves curled up small, and the little stream at the garden's edge shrank to a thin, muddy ribbon. The dry season had arrived, and it was very, very thirsty. 6

'Oh no,' whispered Geo, pressing his soft belly to the warm soil. 'The garden is wilting. The leaves are folding, and the flowers are fainting.' The sunbird hovered beside him, worried. 'We have to help,' she said. 'But how? I'm so small, and you're so small. What can two little friends do?' Geo looked at the drooping flowers. 'I don't know,' he said quietly. 'But we can try.' 7

The sunbird thought and thought. Then her bright black eyes sparkled. 'I can fly high!' she chirped. 'I can look for water beyond the garden wall. You stay low and keep the soil cool.' Geo nodded, though he looked a little nervous. 'I'll do my best,' he said. 'I'm not very brave, but I'm very patient.' 'That's just what the garden needs,' said the sunbird, and off she flew. 8

Up and up she soared, over the hedge and past the tall trees. Her glossy wings shimmered green in the sunlight. She searched and searched, and at last she found a cool pond hiding behind a mossy rock. 'Water!' she sang. 'There's water nearby!' She flew back fast, her heart thumping happily. 'Geo! Geo! I found a pond! It's not far at all!' 9

Down below, Geo was already busy. He climbed low among the leaves, patting the dry soil with his sticky toe pads. He scooped cool mud from the shady spots and spread it around the roots. 'There,' he murmured. 'Stay cool, little roots.' He chased away hungry bugs that came to nibble the thirsty stems, flicking his long tail and being just a little bit fierce. 10

The sunbird led the way to the pond, and together they carried water drop by drop. She flew with dewdrops on her beak; he rolled tiny wet balls of moss to the roots. 'This is hard work!' panted the sunbird. 'But look!' said Geo. 'The leaves are lifting!' It was true. One by one, the flowers raised their heads. They were working as a team, and it was working. 11

Day after day, they kept at it. The sunbird found more water and sang to keep their spirits up. Geo kept the soil cool and the bugs away. 'You're braver than you think,' the sunbird told him. 'And you're steadier than I ever knew,' Geo replied. 'You fly high, and I stay low. Maybe that's why we fit together.' They smiled at each other, tired but happy. 12

Then one morning, the sky turned soft and gray. A cool wind blew. Plip! Plop! Rain fell on the garden, gentle and kind. The dry season was ending at last. The flowers drank and drank, and the leaves opened wide. 'We did it, Geo!' sang the sunbird, dancing in the raindrops. 'We saved our garden!' Geo laughed and curled his tail in a happy loop. 13

Soon the garden was bright again, fuller and greener than before. The red flowers nodded, the yellow flowers laughed, and the purple bells rang in the breeze. Geo sat on a leaf with his little leaf hat, and the sunbird perched beside him. 'You know,' she said, 'I used to think flying high was the best thing.