On a stretch of dry, cracked ground where the sun beat down relentlessly, someone had set a small bird trap. It stood alone in the dust, its metal frame glinting sharply in the light. Beneath it, a handful of seeds had been scatteredājust enough food to tempt any hungry bird passing through the barren land.
Not far away, perched on a crooked twig of a dry bush, sat two small birdsāa pair who were always seen together. The female bird shifted nervously, her tiny claws scraping against the brittle branch. She could sense something dangerous about the trap on the ground below. The male beside her, however, seemed calm but determined. He could feel her hunger, and his own, yet he knew she was too afraid to go anywhere near that strange metal structure.
Without a sound, he fluttered down to the dusty earth. The dry soil crunched beneath his tiny feet as he approached the trap. Every step made his heart beat faster, but he didnāt hesitate. He looked back once, just long enough to see his mate watching him with wide, worried eyes. Then he moved forward.
He slipped inside the trapās opening, careful not to touch anything that might trigger it. The air inside felt tight, dangerous. But he quickly grabbed a seed with his beak and hopped backward out of the trap, escaping just before the metal bar quivered ever so slightly.
He flew back up to the branch and gently placed the seed into his mateās beak. She chirped softly, a mix of gratitude and fear trembling in her voice.
But he wasnāt done.
Again he glided down onto the dry earth. Again he ventured into the trap, risking everything. Each time he entered, the shaky mechanism seemed ready to snap shut. And each time he returned, he carried another piece of food for herānever for himself.
With every seed he delivered, it was as if he was whispering to her, āStay safe. Donāt come near. Iāll take the risk for both of us.ā
The land around them was silent, except for the soft rustling of hot wind over the dry soil. Yet in that harsh, unforgiving place, something gentle was happeningāsomething powerful. A small bird, no bigger than a human hand, was risking his life again and again, just so the one he loved wouldnāt be harmed.
There, on the dry, lifeless ground where a cold metal trap lay waiting, their love shone brighter than the scorching sun.
