THE ROBIN AND THE SPARROW, Chapter 3

Robbie shook himself awake, adjusted his wing flaps and prepared for fight or flight. Mother Robin remain still to keep their eggs warm until a signal might come from her mate. It sounded like a signal from Ole the Owl whose home was above in the same grove of trees but this time it carried a note of desperation. Perhaps he was aware of the unusual cloud that appeared during the day - yes, owls do see in the daylight as well as night. He was fondly known in the community as Dr. Ole Owl because of his wisdom. He had already been in touch with his bird committee and was preparing to make an announcement about what the next step would be to save the trees. They had decided to drop the BOMB.

This type of BOMB would harm no one physically but would create great joy for all Earth's people and creatures. The BOMB, an acronym for Birds Offer Musical Balm would be put into action. Birdsong with Performance art was already being being prepared. Included in the project were lilting dances that demonstrated their skills at catching harmful insects on the fly. The more birds that could be saved from the harmful sprays, the more grasshoppers and other harmful insects would be eaten. The first birds to be contacted were bluebirds, not only because of their beauty but also their aerial performance in the Sky Dome. People would notice the rapid decrease of their numbers and how the shells of their eggs were often so thin they broke before they hatched with none surviving. With the length of the season diminishing there would not be time to build a new nest and raise another family. Dr. Owl suggested that the mother bird flutter at a nearby window and when the human family noticed her they might go outside and follow her to see what had happened to her nest.

People would soon begin to miss the absence of the rhythmic songs and performances of the bluebirds, robins, and many other favorite songbirds. Some have compared them to the gentle melodies of the spheres and begin to realize how much they would be missed and make the necessary effort to have them placed on the endangered species list.