"The Bird in the Bottle"


         
One day, the master told his students a story..

          “Walking along the road one morning, a man found a bird egg. Seeing it was lost from its nest, he took it home and placed it into a large glass jar for keeping. The egg soon hatched, leaving the bird inside. The man fed and cared for it, and the beautiful bird began to grow. Soon it became too large to be freed safely, for the glass was very thick, and surely the bird would be hurt or killed if the jar were broken to free her. Every time the man looked at the bird he was heartbroken that it could not be freed."
          The master then asked his students what could be done. Many students offered ideas, but no one knew how to free the bird from its glass prison without hurting it badly or killing it. At last, a young student raised her hand. And she smiled as she said very simply:
             “There. It is out.”
               For some time the master was silent. Then he nodded. For indeed the lesson was over.


                                          
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  Question: what is your response to this story? Is the bird in the jar, or out?
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©2002-05 jb
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