10 of 97

Write now Article Tools

Norman The Nightingale

Way up high, on a leafy, green branch of a weeping willow tree, sat three young nightingales. Their names were Harmony, Melody, and Norman. These little nightingales, as silly as they were, all tried to be the best at what nightingales do...sing!
When Harmony sang, the notes dripped down through the air like honey from a bee-hive, so sweet was the sound of her tune.

When Melody sang, the notes drifted down through the air as if riding a gentle wave in the sea, so smooth was the sound of her tune.
When Norman sang, or tried to sing, the notes whined and squealed down through the air like a saw cutting through a tree, so shrill was the sound of his tune.
This was sad, because of all the nightingales, Norman tried the hardest. The other little nightingales were not very nice to Norman. They would laugh and make fun of him. They did not understand what it was like to have such a hard time singing and even though Norman practiced long and hard it never seemed to help.
One day Norman was so upset he flew crying to his mother.
"Mommy," he cried, "why can't I sing like the other birds?"
"Son, no one sings the same song," replied Norman's mother. "Everyone's tune is different. Some songs are sweet and some songs are sad, some are loud and some are soft. They are all beautiful in their own way. Just remember, Norman, if a song is sung from the heart it will please anyone who hears it."
Little Norman did not understand what his mother had told him. He practiced and practiced and tried as hard as he could and still his singing sounded terrible to him.
It was very late and the sun was sinking in the sky. Norman was just about to give up when he heard something. It was a sad sound, almost as sad as Norman felt when he couldn't sing. He looked down below him in the middle of the great forest. There he saw a very small girl crying. Norman did not want anyone else to feel as badly as he did. He wanted to make the little girl feel better.
Suddenly, without thinking very much, or trying very hard, Norman was singing. He was singing a song to let the little girl know that she did not have to be sad. He was singing to let her know he was there with her and that she did not have to be frightened. It was the most beautiful song any nightingale had ever sung. The little girl, who had been separated from her parents, heard Norman and stopped her crying to listen. Not far away, the little girl's parents heard Norman too, and soon found their way to their daughter. They hugged her and kissed her and smiled as they carried her off toward their home.
Melody and Harmony and many of the other nightingales gathered around Norman. They told Norman how wonderful his song had been and how thoughtful he had been to help the little girl.
"Mother was right," said Norman, "a song from the heart is sure better than a squeak from the beak!"

Learn more about this author, Maryjo Courtin.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Short stories: Animal stories for children?
We want to hear your view. Write now!