The Egg Story (A Scapegoat Fable)

by Jp Bailey-Ma

One day while a mother bird was busy,
an egg rolled out of her nest, and down the hill,
and right into a nest of snake eggs.

When the mama snake came home,
she didn't even notice the difference.

When the snake eggs and the bird egg hatched
the mama snake barely took care of them and
then sent them on their way.

The bird thought that snakes were sources of love
but they were cold.

The bird wasn't ready to leave the nest
but had to go and be alone, on her own.
Or stay and get bit by snakes.

Eventually the bird found other birds
who were very loving
and the bird got the nurturing it needed.

Every once in awhile the bird would see a snake
and think "mama" and fly down to hug her,
only to be almost bitten by a snake,
even those that were born in the same nest.

The bird would fly away confused and distraught.
The bird didn't know that she had bonded with a snake
who was a different type of animal than what she was.
But she knew that she felt at home with the other birds.

Eventually the bird found a mate and learned the new ways of bird love
and how to take care of eggs that hatch
and keep them in the nest a lot longer.

She saw that she was in the wrong nest before
and that she didn't get enough time to grow up,
and didn't get warm hugs there.

She knew she belonged with the birds.
But secretly she always wanted to fix the snake somehow
or get it to love her.

Snakes were cool and exciting and sometimes
she couldn't help but go hang out with them.
But in the end she always left hurt and bewildered
or unfulfilled and realized that she should not do that anymore.

The bird now loves being a bird with other birds,
and avoids, and teaches her chicks to avoid, snakes.

Every once in awhile she sees an awkward young bird
walking around confused and she says,
"Ah ha" that bird must have gotten lost too,
I'll go help her feel welcome here with us birds.