"Guardian Angel"

Young William was a quiet young lad, he did not have that many friends living way out in the Country. He had an elder Brother, Tom

Tom often helped out on the Farms and got to make many friends this way, meeting others his own age from surrounding villages also helping on the farms

Tom often teased William and make him look daft in front of these friends. He was some what elder by 7 years, you see. William used to look up to Tom though after all he was his favourite only Brother. Perhaps if Tom had of known this sooner he may of treated William a little better at times. Tom had a Hobby too, collecting Birds Eggs. He used to pierce each end, blow the inside out and then add them into his small collection

One very fine clear day, young William, out in the Country lane, noticed a Sky Lark taking worms to a nest high in a tree he watched for a while then climbed up to peek. The Mother flew off, he noticed three Chicks all newly hatched, and another egg still intact. He grinned and thought of Tom, he was sure Tom did not have one of these eggs. Carefully reaching across, he picked out the egg. He climbed down again and excitedly raced home thinking this was sure to please Tom. But Tom, upon trying to blow the egg out, found a chick still inside. He threw the egg down and walked away, again laughing at William

Young William looked at the egg lying there and noticed the young chick half hanging out. He gently picked up the shell and chick and looked closely and curiously at the poor thing, it was surely dead, but he felt tears welling and a lump in his throat at what he had caused. He rushed all the way back to the tree with the nest carefully holding the damaged egg in his cupped hands

When he got there, a reasonably old man was sitting resting near the road side he was watching William

William began to get upset as he knew he could not indeed climb the tree and also manage to hold the chick. In desperation, he asked the old man if he could help. Hurriedly William explained what had happened. The old man asked to see the chick William showed him and asked him to hold it while he climbed that Tree, then the old man could pass it up, to be placed back in the Nest

He said to the Old man that this might help the chick because then its Mother might look after it. The old man sighed, he said Son, I am really sorry I think its already dead and any way, even if it was not,the Mother would smell you, on it and push it back out, so instead they should maybe bury it

Tears began to stream down Williams face, he sobbed bitterly, but I didn′t know, I didn′t mean to hurt anything he sobbed. The Old man looked up and held the chick up high a light seemed to radiate from heaven towards his hand. He smiled and said, don′t fret Son, I was wrong, look its still alive. Showing it to William proudly

William smiled gulping between tears of joy and sadness, he climbed that tree in record time, the old man carefully passed the chick up to William, the Mother who had again flown off returned, she landed on Williams shoulder, this time. Stay real still Son, said the man, she thinks you are part of the tree, so the smell of you on her chick won′t matter to her now she whistled aloud, it sure sounded like talking He thought she said so you be good now and Thank you

The Mother hopped back in the nest and snuggled down tucking all the chicks under her wings once more. The Father Sky Lark returned with a beak full of worms, and she took them and fed all of her chicks, even the one William had taken away and now returned. Wait till she turns round then climb down real slow whispered the old man, so you don′t scare her off again

As William finally slowly really quietly climbed down he heard as if a very large bird flying away. Did you hear that Mister, did you heart that, but the old Man was no where to be seen nor found. Thank You Mister Thank you shouted William, His young little voice echoed across the fields. He was sure he heard an Angelic voice sing back to him, God Bless you little one

He got back home and told Tom what had happened, Tom was quite upset to realise his actions.He had thought the egg no good, and also hurt his young Brothers feelings, later that Night, Tom and William took their small collection of egg shells and buried them in the Garden, No more egg collecting
In that exact spot every Year, daffodils and fox gloves and other flowers bloom radiantly, Tom never again made William feel small or silly

Poet Christopher R Slater ®©2000
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