The Bird of Happiness

Who is a patriot?

Once, near a forest ant hill, a grand argument broke out. A wolf, a tiger, and a snake decided to determine who the best protector of this forest—their common home—was.

- While I am in the forest, no one will dare to enter, - declared the tiger.
- Everyone is afraid of me in the forest and runs away, - boasted the wolf.
- And I, the strongest of all reptiles, can kill anyone with my bite, - said the snake.

Just then, they caught a whiff of smoke—there was a big fire in the forest. In less than a minute, abandoning the forest in trouble, all three—the tiger, the wolf, and the snake—ran away.

Only an accidental witness to the argument—the ant—remained behind.

It turned out that even while dying from the heat of the flames, the ant not only did not leave its home during the fire. Instead, it secreted acid from its body, which extinguished the fire.

The best protector of the forest is not always the one who is bigger and stronger than the others.

Bird of Happiness

In ancient times, there lived a tribe among the mountains. Their life was restless—quarrels, wars, and poverty. There was a legend that life would not improve and there would be no peace until the bird of happiness arrived for this tribe.

Therefore, when a new leader was chosen for the tribe, he made his fellow tribesmen search for this bird. Everywhere, in the forests and swamps, among the mountains and valleys, hunters searched for this bird. But none of the birds they brought back turned out to be the bird of happiness and did not bring good fortune to the people. Decades passed. Eventually, tired of their efforts, the people overthrew the ruler who could not procure the bird of happiness for them. A young leader was elected. He gathered all his tribe and announced the following:

- How much strength, time, and lives we have spent trying to find the bird of happiness. But it turns out we did not do the most important thing. We did not learn to live in peace and harmony. After all, the bird of happiness is very delicate, easily wounded, and sensitive. It fears conflicts and noise. It will only come to us when there is peace, friendship, and understanding in our tribe.

No one knows if the bird of happiness ever came to this tribe. However, it is well known that there were no more conflicts and quarrels in those lands. After all, the bird of happiness is merely a symbol of unity and prosperity. And it is not the bird that creates them, but the people themselves.