A wealthy man strolled through his garden and spied a little bird and tangled in a mesh of wire. He freed the frightened creature and held her in his hand. Suddenly the bird began to plead, “Kind sir, please let me go. I will be of no value to you for I am not beautiful. I cannot sing and I am not edible. If you will set me free I will offer you three valuable pieces of advice."
The amazed man agreed. The bird then spoke, “Do not worry over that which is gone. Desire not that which you cannot obtain. Believe not that which is incredible.”
The rich man appreciated the bird’s advice and set her free. The wise little bird quickly flew to the highest branch of a nearby tree and laughed heartily.
“Why are you laughing?” the man asked. “I am laughing at you,” the bird chirped, “for if you were not such a fool you could have been the wealthiest man in the world.”
“How?” the man asked, bewildered.
“Very simply,” the little bird replied, “for I carry a diamond the size of a hen’s egg with in my stomach.”
The man was stupefied. When you gathered his senses he tried to induce the bird to return.
"Dear little birdie,” he called, “your good fortune lies not in your freedom. Soon cold weather would approach and you will not find a crumb anywhere. Come with me and you will spend your days in peace and comfort.”
The little bird laughed again. “You freed me for the advice I gave you and you immediately forgot it. Remind yourself of what I told you –‘First, do not regret that which is gone’ – you are already sorry for setting me free. Secondly, desire not that which you cannot reach, and you want me to return to you, which would mean my instant death. Lastly, believe not that which is incredible, and you are foolish enough to believe that I carry a diamond within my tiny body the size of a hen’s egg, when I am alone and half the size of such an egg.”
With these words the bird spread her wings and sailed off into the distant sky.
Moral: That which is gone will not return. Let it go for you are holding nothing.
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