The little blue heron enjoyed a bath in the sunlight. His feathers were streaked with the most beautiful shades of blue. They were glittering and sparkling in the sunlight.
He lived by a tiny river, its banks covered with the rarest and most beautiful plants you can imagine. There was more than plenty of food for the little blue bird. Seeds, little tiny fish, red berries, everything was there for the little blue heron to enjoy. He didn't have to exert himself, everything was there in abundance. This was truly the paradise for the little blue beauty.
He was so beautiful that all the other birds around envied „Little Blue“. This was his name, so he was called by the others. He felt that the other birds were marginalizing him and became very sad. They could not understand nor except his beauty. For them, he was just another little blue bird.
Little Blue felt, he was simply different from the others. He always had such a beautiful blue glow around his feathered body. A kind of a magic glow, by day and also by night. When he first noticed his lovely glow he was astonished. It was one of those nights when Little Blue could not sleep because of all these thoughts in his little blue head.
What was this blue glow all about?
He got more and more afraid of his thoughts, that followed him into the night, into his sleep. There was a day, he could not even sleep anymore. He just wanted to be like all the others birds. He just wanted to belong to them, be part of their community. He wanted to be part of all the fun-filled activities of the other birds. He felt expelled. Alone. His sadness grew from day to day.
Why was he so different?
Where did Little Blue come from?
What was going on?
He had no answers to all these questions.
With all these questions, thoughts and sadness, he strolled through his little paradise without even noticing where he was going. He did not notice how the plants around him changed from happy colorful shades to brown and grey tones. The river, once filled with so much life, changed in this part of the world. It was now grey and dark.
Two small birds looked at him, as they passed by. They looked at him in a way, that Little Blue felt their eyes touching his blue body. Touching his body firmly, more like a knife that glides through a piece of butter.
Also here he was avoided. The other birds which lived at this part of the river were happy to be fed by the people. They did in no way recognize where they live. They felt very comfortable in their area. A group of other birds was curious who this little blue beauty is. They chose the finest and most glittery words to spoil Little Blue.
And so, the little blue heron bird enjoyed living like this. He was sure, this must be the right place. This freedom, this beauty, and this connectedness. But as Little Blue grew older, he missed something. He could not really name that something. It was just there. He felt it in his little blue heart. When the darker season came, he felt lonely and alone.
He wondered if it would make any sense to just move on, leave this place and move to the other birds at the huge beautiful tree some miles away. He was not sure but he wanted to give it a try. Just for a few days. He wanted to discover that something that made him so sad, so he moved to the other birds.
When he arrived, he settled down on the beautiful big tree. As soon as he had settled in, a big stork bird came by and shouted at him badly:
„Why are you here? What do you want? You don't belong here, you don’t fit in, go away!“
Little Blue moved under a large branch and decided to hide. He stayed there for a few hours, the sunset and that something came again. It felt even worse now. Fear of being discovered. Fear of the darkness. Little Blue was full of fear that he would not be able to stand it until the next dawn of the morning sun.
The fear, the loneliness, the sadness. He no longer wanted to be alone, whatever the cost. What use is the most beautiful paradise for him if he is to enjoy this beauty alone? He needed someone to accompany him, to understand him, to support him and most important to enjoy the beauty of his paradise with him.
Now that Little Blue could define that something more clearly, now that it formed more and more into a precise image, it became much easier for him. The sadness was slowly vanishing, giving way to clarity. Even if it was only a small ray of hope, it was enough for Little Blue to smile again.
He had learned a lot now. He decided to stay here and not let himself be chased away anymore. Little Blue wanted to see how the other birds live. Unfortunately, this was not as easy as he was used to from his paradise where he grew up a long time ago. He hardly found something he could eat. There were no fish or seeds. No berries at all.
Then he met a little green bird that looked at him curiously. He asked: „Why are you so blue? Who are you? What are you doing here? I have never seen you around before!“
"I want to stay here for a while, I'm looking for something that shares my sadness and my loneliness with me. I live alone. Now I want something that is at my side, something … something“ Little Blue answered.
The green bird laughed at him. "Oh, you are looking for a woman. I can help you there!“
Little Blue was curious. He had observed from his hiding place under the branch how two birds hugged and kissed. That felt so beautiful. Yes, that's exactly what I want, he thought.
„Yes, then I am looking for a woman.“ Little Blue said.
The green bird was from then on the friend of Little Blue. He was not surprised about the glow at day or the glow at night. He simply took the little blue heron as he was. The two close friends had a lot of fun together. „Green Joy“, that was the green bird’s name, showed the places where they got food. They flew together over to the area, where they got food from the humans. „Green Joy“ introduced him to the other birds. Even if most of them were very reserved, they let Little Blue live with them.
But Little Blue knew that he was just tolerated. He had a friend, Green Joy. That something faded. His loneliness and his sadness disappeared. But there was still something left behind. Deep in his blue heart, he felt a longing. He missed his paradise. Where everything was so beautiful, the wonderful plants, the fresh water, the clear air, he missed his home again.
There came that sadness again, which he already knew. Now he had a friend but Little Blue no longer understood the world. He told Green Joy about that and the little green bird was very smart. He thought about it for a while, then he laughed and said:
"We are looking for a woman to accompany you to your paradise. It is for sure possible that you can have both, your paradise and friends.“
Said done.
Green Joy went on a search. He introduced him to some bird women. But every time Little Blue told of his paradise, the bird women froze and they were gone. No one wanted to move with Little Blue to his paradise. They wanted to stay in the community that they knew.
After some weeks Little Blue gave up. He did not want to search any longer. There was no woman who wanted to go to his paradise with him.
His longing to return to his paradise grew stronger with each passing day. But, Green Joy one day said, he would love to accompany him. The little green bird wanted to see whether paradise was really as beautiful as the blue glowing heron bird had described it. And so they flew off. Back into paradise!
After a long journey, they landed in Little Blue’s paradise. Green Joy could not believe his eyes. He was so surprised. This paradise was much more magnificent, as it was described by Little Blue. It was really beautiful, everything was there. Plenty of everything.
Green Joy could not understand why nobody wanted to come here. He wanted to stay, he wanted to spend some time in Little Blue’s paradise and explore it.
After quite some exploring, Green Joy had a surprise for Little Blue. He took him with him to a particular place in paradise, where the glowing blue beauty had never been before.
Many blue colored birds lived here. And all are glowing blueish, by day and by night.
Why had he never seen them?
They were there all the time, but Little Blue had never discovered them. He was so busy with his sadness and loneliness that he never had the idea to look in his paradise in detail. He never really explored it. He had searched outside. Little Blue even wanted to give up his beloved paradise for that strange something.
Little Blue was ashamed. Green Joy felt that of course and sad: „Now we gonna find a woman for you!“
But Little Blue felt nervous but somehow, he could not hold back anymore. Full of love and happiness, he kissed and hugged his dear friend Green Joy. At this moment Blue and Green were one.
They were so happy and felt so warm. This was the moment both became aware, that everything is just perfect.
This is my entry for the challenge run by 
Prompt: Little Blue Heron
Here you can read all about this amazing challenge!
Source: Photography by Freepik Premium(SXC) Writing, Editing, Artwork
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