Once, a nightingale flew over a river and spotted a lush green bush growing by the bank.
“Oh, what a beautiful bush! What a beauty! I have never seen a bush like this before!” exclaimed the nightingale.
The nightingale began to sing joyfully because that’swhat nightingales do when they’re happy.
When the nightingale came closer to the bush, it noticed a small fruit growing on it. The Nightingale was once again filled with excitement and began to sing joyfully because that’s what nightingales do when they’re happy.
A little gray bird with a white tail flew over the bush.
The nightingale exclaimed, “Go away! This bush is mine! Don’t touch it or look at the fruit.”
The gray bird was puzzled and asked, “Yours? Why is it yours?”
The nightingale replied, “Because I found it, I sang beautiful songs next to it, so now it’s mine!”
The gray bird gently replied, “But you didn’t plant it or make it grow. It’s not yours!”
The nightingale said, “It doesn’t matter! I will sit here until the fruit ripens, and eat it all myself.”
The gray bird did not say anything in response and flew away.
The nightingale patiently sat on the bush, waiting for the fruit to ripen. One day, a beautiful pink flower bloomed from the green fruit, and the nightingale was once again filled with delight.
“What a beautiful flower! I have never seen such a flower like this before!“ exclaimed the nightingale.
It began to sing joyfully because that’s what nightingales do when they’re happy.
But then, a farmer arrived and came to the bush. Nightingale said to him:
“Don’t touch the bush! It’s mine, I won’t let you sit next to it or even look at the pink flower and the fruit!”
“Yours? And why is it yours?” the farmer was surprised.
“Because it’s mine! I found it, I sang beautiful songs next to it, so now it is mine”.
“But you didn’t plant it or grow it!” the farmer said.
“So what! Do you see the flower? The fruit will ripen from it, and I will eat it and won’t share it with anyone”.
But the farmer was wise; he smiled in response and left, saying, “Okay, but you should know there are things you can’t enjoy only by yourself.“
The farmer knew it was not a berry bush. That was a cotton bush!
First, a bud grows in a cotton plant. So the nightingale, seeing it, thought that it was a fruit. Then, a pink flower appears, followed by a little box around the flower. Eventually, the box peels off, and cotton flies out of it, and the wind carries it far in all directions.
But the nightingale didn’t know that, so it patiently waited for the fruit to ripen!
When the nightingale saw the cotton fluffs emerging, it began singing joyfully because that’s what nightingales do when they’re happy.
It flew closer to the box and looked into it. And what did it see? The box was empty!
The nightingale was so disappointed that it began to sing a sad song, because it could only express its emotions through singing.
“Oh, what a useless bush! Why do you grow here, when no one needs you?!” sang the nightingale.
A farmer listened to the nightingale’s song and said, “You are a beautiful bird, nightingale! But you are mistaken. This bush’s beauty isn’t in the fruit, but is in its snow-white cotton. Many people wear clothes made of cotton, and it’s essential to them. Just like this bush, you may look small and unremarkable, but your true beauty lies in your voice. Many people need your cheerful songs to stay happy”.
The nightingale learned that not everything is just for one person. Some things are meant to help everyone.
It happily flapped its wings and sang merrily: “Oh, what a beautiful bush! It bears fruits that cannot be eaten, but they are the best in the world! Because they are needed by everyone, everyone, everyone!”.
The End
Did you like the story? Why did the nightingale think the bush belonged to it? What did the nightingale think was growing on the bush? Was it right? What important lesson did the nightingale learn at the end of the story?
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Tags: stories for kids, bedtime stories, fairy tales for children, stories about birds stories about nightingale, stories for toddlers, stories for preschoolers, stories for kindergarten, fairy tales for 5-years-old, fairy tales for 6-years-old, fairy tales for 7-years-old, fairy tales for 8-years-old, fairy tales for 9-years-old, fairy tale for 10-years-old
