The Old Man and the Sparrow

Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived in a small village in the countryside. He had spent his entire life working as a farmer and had never married or had any children. Despite his age, he still worked hard every day in his fields and took care of his small house.

One day, while he was working in his field, he noticed a small sparrow lying on the ground. The sparrow appeared to be injured and was unable to fly. The old man picked up the sparrow and gently held it in his hands. He noticed that its wing was broken, and it looked like it would not be able to fly again.

The old man felt a deep sense of compassion for the little sparrow and decided to take care of it until it was well enough to fly again. He made a small nest for the bird in his house and would feed it with seeds and water every day. The sparrow would hop around the house, and the old man would watch it closely, making sure that it did not hurt itself.

Days passed, and the sparrow started to get better. It would flap its wings and chirp happily in the old man's house. The old man was pleased to see the bird's progress and felt a sense of joy in his heart. He had grown very fond of the little sparrow and had even given it a name, Pip.

One day, Pip was finally well enough to fly again. The old man knew that it was time to release Pip back into the wild. He took the bird outside and held it in his hands, ready to set it free. However, as he opened his hands, Pip did not fly away. Instead, the sparrow hopped back onto the old man's shoulder, as if it did not want to leave him.

The old man was touched by this gesture and decided to keep Pip as a pet. He built a small cage for the bird in his house and would let it out to fly around whenever he was at home. Pip had become the old man's companion, and the two would spend hours together, playing and singing.

However, one day, the old man fell ill. He was bedridden and unable to take care of himself, let alone Pip. The bird noticed that something was wrong with the old man and started chirping loudly, as if trying to call for help.

The old man's neighbours heard the bird's cries and came to his aid. They found the old man lying in his bed, weak and helpless. They immediately called for an ambulance and took him to the hospital.

Pip was left alone in the house, with no one to take care of him. The bird would sit by the window, looking outside, waiting for the old man to return. Days turned into weeks, and the old man did not come back.

One day, the old man's neighbours came to the house and found Pip lying still in his cage. The little bird had died of hunger and loneliness. The neighbours were saddened by the bird's fate and buried it in the old man's garden, beside his house.

The old man eventually recovered from his illness and returned home. He was devastated to hear about Pip's death and cried for days. He had lost his companion, the little bird that had brought joy to his life.

From that day on, the old man never forgot the little sparrow that had touched his heart. He would often sit by the window, looking outside, and remember the days he spent with Pip. He realized that even the smallest of creatures could make a big impact on someone's life, and that love and companionship came in all shapes and sizes.

The old man's story