by Raymond Lim

Created on: May 29, 2008   Last Updated: June 09, 2008

`Grandma, grandma', the young lad shouted in an excited voice at the direction where a fragile old lady was standing at a corner of the garden, admiring the bloom of flowers. Half bending and gently touching the flowers, she was absorbed in admiration at those beautiful blooms of multi-colored flowers in peak season. Those were the flowers in her garden which she had tenderly nurtured and cared for; daily watering the plants twice and applying fertilizer on them once per month for the past couple of years.

She was totally absorbed in her own world, unaware of the approaching call of her grandson. Fully fascinated with admiration for those exceptionally large beautiful blooms of flowers which displayed their alluring beauty before her. Each bloom majestically sprouting from those species of flowering plants. Assorted plants neatly planted in rows in the garden with flower blooms of varied shapes and sizes. Myriads of color and hue emitting sweet aroma and fragrant blooms were indeed captivating to her senses. Each bunch of flowers from individual species (planted with planning and arrangement when she constructed this Japanese landscape garden years ago)fascinated her with their beauty and as though competing for her attention.
She was started when suddenly confronted by a figure running towards her and assailed simultaneously by loud shouts emitted by the approaching figure.

Up righting herself to assess the scenario, she gave a broad smile, when recognizing that the approaching figure was her beloved grandson.

`Hi Tuck Fook, you really gave grandma a pleasant surprise, startling me from my dream world!' `What is it dear that makes you so excited today and what is that thing which you grasped in between your palms?' `Do you have something to tell me?'
` Yes, yes, grandma. See! See! What I have caught?'
A baby magpie grandma! It was learning to fly when I saw it suddenly fell to the ground.'

`Oh dear Tuck Fook, you should not have caught this baby magpie for the mother magpie would be very sad and searching now for its lost precious little baby!'
`Birds are like humans you know and have feelings. Just like you and me!'

`Whenever we lost something precious we will be very sad and heartbroken.'
'This poor baby bird is now like an orphan without its parents.'
`And do you know the bitterest taste in life is not the taste of the bitter gourd but being an orphan!'
`So do not turn this chick into an orphan by snatching it away from its parents. Return it to its nest and family.'
`Is

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