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Alex Munkachy

Once there was a little nest. In this nest, there were some eggs.

One day, the eggs cracked and crackled. They started to make little chirping sounds. The eggs were hatching.

The little baby birds poked tiny holes in the eggshells with their beaks. First, their round, golden little heads poked out, then a leg, and then a wing. The mommy bird helped them out if they were having trouble.

Some came out quicker than others, but soon enough all of the little baby birds were out of their eggs. As soon as they were out, they started to play with each other.

They played with each other by pecking at each other's eyes.

You and I may think that this is a mean way to play, since you and I are human beings. but that's just how little birds are. Besides, baby birds are too weak to hurt each other.

The mommy watched carefully as the baby birds played with one another. If one of the baby birds got too rough, she'd give it a nudge so that it'd play nicer.

Mommy bird paid close attention to the biggest baby bird in the nest. She was very worried that it might peck out one of the other bird's eyes. So she pecked him hard on the top of his head every time he tried to play with the other birds.

So the big baby bird quit trying to play with the other baby birds. Pretty soon, he didn't even want to play anymore. But the other baby birds still wanted to play with him. They pecked and pecked away at the big baby bird, but the big baby bird didn't feel a thing because the other baby birds couldn't even reach his eyes. The baby birds pecked and pecked away, and the big baby bird smiled and smiled through his beak. And the mommy bird smiled right back.

The mommy bird would often leave the nest to get food. The big baby watched in reverence as mommy bird spread her wings, threw her head back, and leapt out of the nest. But the best part was when mommy bird came back. First he'd hear the flapping and beating of mommy's wings, or he'd see a dark shadow on the ground or in the nest. He'd look up to watch mommy bird circle twice (always twice) around her nest. After she completed her circles, she'd descend slowly and gracefully until she landed right on her landing spot - a perfect landing every time.

Once, when the mommy bird was gone, the big baby bird started to think. He watched the little black-eyed baby birds peck at each other. He thought about how he wasn't allowed to play with the other baby birds, and about how the other baby birds couldn't reach his eyes. He also thought about how the little baby birds couldn't reach mommy's eyes, either.

The big baby bird decided that he wasn't really a baby bird after all. The big baby bird decided that he was really a mommy bird.

So the big baby bird stumbled out onto the edge of the nest and flounced into the air. He spread his little wings and threw his head back, just like mommy.

Then he fell to the ground and died.


Alex Munkachy lives in Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma, traveling intermittently to and from work, home and girlfriend. He enjoys writing, acting, photography and piano in his spare time.

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