
A curious boy discovers that the birds of the king’s garden hold a secret that could end the world. When a mischievous bird threatens to fly into a cuckoo’s open mouth, the boy’s quick thinking—tossing his cap to block the danger—spares everyone from disaster. Grateful, the birds gather to reward him, and a clever crow takes the boy under its wing, promising to teach him their hidden language.
Each day the crow perches on an ancient stone, sharing the songs and meanings of eagles, finches, swallows and more. As the boy learns to understand the chirps, whistles and calls, the forest comes alive with stories of bravery, wonder and ancient riddles. The tale unfolds with gentle humor and a sense of enchantment, inviting listeners to imagine what the world might sound like if we could hear the whispers of feathered friends.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (116K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Edwards, Diane Monico, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.)
Release date
2008-02-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1881–1972
An Irish poet, playwright, and storyteller, he helped shape the Irish Literary Revival and became especially loved for retelling myths, folktales, and classic stories for younger readers. His work moves easily between lyric poetry, drama, and folklore, with a warm feeling for rural life and oral tradition.
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