The Lark and the Goldfinch
by Abdou Abdellah
It is told that a lark was soaring through the King's garden when her attention was captured by the voice of a beautiful bird, warbling and singing melodies that delighted the listeners and displayed colors that charmed the beholders. The lark drew closer to the soulful sound and sweet rhythms, only to find the bird dwelling inside a gilded cage hanging from the iron bars of a window. The lark marveled at the state of this bird, who sang and chanted as if overwhelmed by happiness and unceasing joy, even while living between the bars of a cage. The lark asked the goldfinch, "Are you truly happy in this cage, O Goldfinch?"
The goldfinch replied, "Yes, I am very happy, O Lark. The Princess takes the utmost care of me. I do not have to search for food; everything I need is right here in this cage. I was born here, as were my parents. The cage is my entire world." The lark asked, "Have you never tried flying in the open space and smelling the scent of freedom as you soar through the sky?" The goldfinch asked, "And what is freedom?" The lark answered, "Freedom is to live outside the cage, to fly wherever you wish, and to seek your own food." As she looked at the goldfinch, the lark thought to herself that he must have been imprisoned for the beauty of his voice and his magnificent colors to keep the Princess company in that desolate palace. She looked at her own dark feathers and whispered to herself, "Beauty can sometimes be a curse upon its owner."
So that the Princess would not notice his absence, the goldfinch said, "If you want me to try freedom, then you try living in the cage, and let us see who is happier." The lark accepted the proposal. The goldfinch took flight, soaring into the sky, while the lark entered the gilded cage. Silence fell over the palace, and the Princess was deeply saddened by the loss of that beautiful voice that used to fill the halls with cheer and comfort her loneliness in that room she rarely left. Sadness and gloom cast a shadow over the King and the entire palace. No one noticed the lark. She said to herself, "The goldfinch's happiness came from bringing joy to those around him. But now that he has tasted freedom, he has forgotten me in this cursed cage."