From a story told in many cultures.

There was once a wise woman who lived in a village. People came from all over to seek her advice. They said that she was never wrong—not ever.

Some of the children didn’t believe it. Surely she could not know everything! They decided to test her. They asked her questions about the planets, the animals, and the world. No matter how hard the questions, she always answered correctly.

The children were amazed at her knowledge. Most were ready to stop testing the wise woman. However, one child was determined to prove that the old woman couldn’t know everything. They told the others to meet at the woman’s home the following afternoon to prove she was a faker.

The next day the child caught a small songbird in a net. Triumphantly walking to the wise woman’s home, the child held the little bird behind their back so no one could see what was there.

“Old woman!” the child called. “Come and show us how wise you are!”

The woman walked calmly to the door. “May I help you?” she simply asked.

“You say you know everything. Prove it! What am I holding behind my back?” the youngster demanded.

The old woman thought for a moment. She could make out the faint sounds of a bird’s wings rustling. “I do not say I know everything. That would be impossible,” she replied. “However, I do believe you are holding a bird in your hands.”

The child was furious. How could the woman possibly know they were holding a bird? Thinking quickly, the child came up with a scheme. They would ask the woman whether the bird was alive or dead. If the woman replied, “alive,” the child would crush the bird with their hands and prove her wrong. If she answered, “dead,” on the other hand, they would pull the living bird from behind their back and allow it to fly away. Either way the child would prove their point and the wise woman would be discredited.

“Very good,” the child called. “It is a bird. But tell me, is the bird I am holding alive or dead?”

The wise woman paused for a long moment while the child waited with anticipation for the opportunity to prove her wrong. Again the woman spoke calmly, “The answer, my young friend, is in your hands. The answer is in your hands.”

The child realized that the woman had spoken correctly and truthfully. The answer was indeed in their own hands. Feeling the bird feebly moving as it tried to escape their grasp, the child felt suddenly very ashamed.

Slowly, gently the child brought their hands forward. Looking into the eyes of the delicate bird the child apologized, “I am sorry, little one,” and opened their hands to let the bird go free.

Wondering Questions

• What happens when something you do hurts someone else? Whether you realize it on your own or someone tells you about it, you might feel regret.
• In the story, the child apologizes to the songbird. In your life, who do you need to apologize to?
• When the child set the songbird free, did that make things right?

Additional Activities

Download the Spring 2019 UUWorld Families Pages (pdf) for more activities.

Originally published in the "Families Weave a Tapestry of Faith" insert in the Spring 2019 Issue of The UUWorld.