The dawn light shimmers on the horizon.
A pale-yellow orb rises and casts golden beams through breaks in the clouds.
Skylark peeks out of his sheltering nest as the sun climbs above the horizon. He emerges from under a bush and walks around in the early morning dew.
He pecks at insects and seeds.
Skylark pauses in his foraging to look around. In the quiet hush of early morning he suddenly leaps into the air and soars high. He trills his song of joy. His jubilant song flows across the land as he rises ever higher.
Skylark flies free through the morning sky. He spies a man sitting lonely on a bench. The old man’s head hangs down and his shoulders sag. The lark descends, his song filling the air.
The old man raises his head at the joyful sound. The lark lands at his feet. Skylark looks at the man sitting sad and lonely, like the last leaf clinging to a winter tree. The skylark cocks his head. The old man cocks his head. The lark suddenly leaps into the air trilling and singing. The old man lifts his head to follow the bird as it rises ever upward.
Skylark hovers in the air. The old man tilts his head back to watch the bird. After a moment, the lark swiftly descends all the while singing. Again, he drops to the ground in front of the old man.
The old man smiles. The lark walks in a circle and stops to face him. Skylark cocks his head again.
The old man sits back and laughs. Skylark leaps into the air offering his song to the heavens as he ascends higher and higher.
With a smile on his face the old man rises. He tips his hat to the lark and walks on. His head is high and his shoulders are straight. He whistles the song of the lark as he strolls along the path.
Skylark flies on, soaring through the clouds. The lark looks to the ground when he hears the plaintive wail of a child. A small girl sits in her stroller crying as her mother tries to soothe her. The lark descends trilling his song.
The child stops crying as bird song fills the air. She looks up to see what is making this wondrous sound.
Skylark drops to the earth in front of the child and walks around.
The child points at the lark and looks at her mother. “Bird! Bird!”
The lark cocks his head. The child’s crystal notes of laughter chase away the tears. She bounces in her stroller and flaps her hands in delight. The lark leaps into the air singing joyously.
“Bye-bye. Bye-bye.” The child sings and wags her fingers in farewell. She watches the bird rise until it is no more than a dot in the sky. The magical notes of birdsong and a child’s laughter sparkle in the sun.
Skylark flies on. A hawk appears and chases the lark. The hawk nips at the lark’s wing and he falls to the ground. A lady nearby sees the lark fall. The hawk sees the lady and flies away. The lady gently lifts Skylark and presses him to her heart. She takes him to a sheltered place and offers water. She carefully checks his wing.
Soon, the lark is recovered. Skylark walks around pecking at the ground. He looks at the lady.
“Fly high, little friend,” she says softly.
Skylark leaps into the air trilling his song. He circles around and swoops down toward the lady and then rises. The lark’s song fades as he flies toward home.
The lady waves farewell, watching the little brown bird until he disappears. She goes about her day with a smile on her face and the lark’s song in her heart.
The day is coming to a close. Rain clouds gather and the sky turns grey. Gentle rain falls to nourish the earth.
Skylark descends and his song falls silent. He returns to his nest. The night is hushed. Stars emerge to fill the sky. Skylark dreams of flying high and singing his joyful song.