The Disciple and the Strange Bird
On another day the Disciple saw outside the Garden a bird with plumage so bright that it seemed to outshine all the splendid birds of the Garden. When he saw it the Disciple thought that so beautiful a bird should be in the Garden for the pleasure of the Beloved. So going out of the Garden with much difficulty he caught the bird and though it tried to escape took it into the Garden and putting it on a tree went about his appointed tasks. But no sooner had the Disciple departed than the bird flew from the tree and began to tear off the flowers of the Garden and scatter the fruits and it tore the wings off the butterflies and attacked the birds that were in the Garden and tore out their bright feathers and injured many.
When the Disciple returned and saw the havoc which had been wrought in the Garden, he was very angry, and after a long chase caught the bird and put his hand on its head to slay it although its beak pierced his finger to the bone. But at that moment he heard the voice of the Lover, who said, “My son, do not kill that bird but turn it out of the Garden, for the time will yet come when it will be serviceable to the Beloved although as yet it knows nothing of Love. Do not blame the bird, for the fault is yours for you brought it into the Garden although it was unwilling.”
When he heard this the Disciple wept and where his tears fell the flowers bloomed anew and the hurts of the birds were healed.
So the Disciple again perceived how the appearance of things may deceive.
