{"id":3250,"date":"2018-11-13T08:51:28","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T08:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/?p=3250"},"modified":"2018-11-13T11:39:42","modified_gmt":"2018-11-13T11:39:42","slug":"e-the-bird-in-the-cage-in-poetic-form-the-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/further-information-and-teaching-resources-primary\/concepts-stories-further-information-and-teaching-resources-primary\/e-the-bird-in-the-cage-in-poetic-form-the-soul\/","title":{"rendered":"(E) The Bird in the Cage (in poetic form) (the soul)"},"content":{"rendered":"

STO-101<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a9 Copyright. Sakshi Gopal das, 1984. Many thanks to Sakshi Gopal for kindly allowing the publishers to reproduce his poem, which he has also set to music.<\/p>\n

This story, in the form of a poem, relates to the notion of the atman, the real self within, and the need for spiritual nourishment. This song has been sung with mime, using a gigantic bird cage with a model parrot (whose head turns, and who eventually falls off his perch, dead). It is possible to use it in a similar way in school.<\/p>\n

Exquisitely the cage was wrought with pillars carved in jade
\nAnd perches made of ivory, all beautifully inlaid.
\nWith semi-precious stones and pearls that glittered in the light
\nReflected off the golden floor \u2013 a truly royal sight.<\/p>\n

She saw it though the door way as she passed by on the street,
\nStanding in the corner of the shop of antiques.
\nShe went inside and said, \u201cMy man, that cage is very nice.
\nBut tell me \u2013 where\u2019s it come from? And I want to know the price\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Queen of Sheba owned it once\u201d, the man replied with haste.
\n\u201cA very rare and fine antique for people who\u2019ve got taste.
\nA bit of polish here and there will bring it up a treat.
\nBut don\u2019t forget the bird inside \u2013 he also needs to eat\u201d.<\/p>\n

She took it home that very day and placed it in the hall,
\nBeside the walnut writing desk that stood against the wall.
\nIt sparkled as the evening sun shone through the open door,
\nFor she\u2019d washed it down and polished it until her arms were sore.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeed me, feed me\u201d sang the bird. \u201cFeed me please!\u201d he cried.
\nBut the lady only saw the cage and not the bird inside.<\/p>\n

That night when she retired to bed she dreamt of royal cages \u2013
\nThat kind enjoyed by kings and queens and princes through the ages.
\nShe dreamt of Chinese mandarins, of Rajas and of Sheikhs,
\nBut no-one had a cage to match her newly found antique.<\/p>\n

And when at last the sun arose she woke up from her sleep,
\nAnd though she wasn\u2019t washed or dressed she ran to take a peep.
\nAnd stood there in the hallway gazing at her new possession,
\nBut never heard the plaintive call \u2013 so great was her obsession.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeed me feed me,\u201d sang the bird. \u201cFeed me please!\u201d he cried.
\nBut the lady only saw the cage and not the bird inside.<\/p>\n

She thought a party would be nice, in honour of the cage,
\nSo going through her address book she went from page to page,
\nInviting all the people whom she wanted to impress
\nTo come for tea on Saturday, in formal evening dress.<\/p>\n

She hardly could contain herself while sending out the cards,
\nFor thinking curtains would be nice, she purchased several yards
\nOf silk brocade to make the cage more beautiful than ever,
\nAnd stayed up sewing all night long, so great was her endeavour.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeed me, feed me\u201d sang the bird. \u201cFeed me please!\u201d he cried.
\nBut the lady only saw the cage and not the bird inside.<\/p>\n

On Thursday night she started making all the preparations
\nFrom currant buns to angel cakes in great anticipation
\nOf all the guests who said they\u2019d come to see the new antique:
\nThe Vicar, Mrs Balderdash and all her social clique.<\/p>\n

She cleaned the cage on Friday until it sparkled like a pin,
\nBut never heard the starving bird, who begged for food within.
\nAnd so, forgotten for too long, he tumbled from his perch,
\nYet managed with his dying breath a final, feeble chirp.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeed me, feed me\u201d, called the bird. \u201cFeed me please!\u201d he cried.
\nAnd then – without another word \u2013 he breathed his last and died.<\/p>\n

On Saturday she cleaned the cage and polished it with pride \u2013
\nQuite unaware the bird was dead and lying there inside,
\nBut by the time the doorbell rang, the smell was growing strong.
\nShe thought \u201cAlthough I\u2019ve cleaned the cage, there\u2019s something very wrong!\u201d<\/p>\n

In twos and threes the guests arrived and gathered in the hall,
\nAround the antique bird cage where it stood against the wall,
\nUntil an unknown guest arrived without an invitation
\nHis shaven head and flowing robes a source of consternation.<\/p>\n

A lady dropped her sandwiches, the vicar spilled his tea,
\nBut then the guest began to speak with utmost gravity \u2013
\nAnd one by one they all agreed it really was absurd,
\nThat only one with half a brain could fail to feed the bird.<\/p>\n

Shocked at her shortsightedness they asked why she\u2019d never
\nThought to give the bird some food, enquiring \u201cIs it clever
\nTo only see the cage and not the bird that lives within?
\nYou\u2019ve killed it with your negligence \u2013 it really is a sin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cage, my dear, is very nice, as anyone can see,
\nAnd shouldn\u2019t be neglected by the likes of you and me,
\nBut what a dreadful thing you\u2019ve done, so foolish and absurd,
\nTo think the cage is everything and never feed the bird!\u201d<\/p>\n

So great was her embarrassment, she tried to run and hide,
\nBut slipped upon the Persian rug and fell upon her side
\nInto the antique birdcage which then toppled to the floor
\nAnd broke into a thousand pieces \u2013 some say even more.<\/p>\n

For those who haven\u2019t understood, we\u2019ll leave you with a clue:
\nThe pampered cage is flesh and bone, it\u2019s owner really you
\nWho think this body all in all, who starve the soul inside,
\nAnd risk the chance of human life \u2013 misled by foolish pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeed me, feed me\u201d, sings the bird. \u201cFeed me please!\u201d he cries.
\n\u201cThe passing cage is flesh and bone, but take a look inside!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

STO-101 \u00a9 Copyright. Sakshi Gopal das, 1984. Many thanks to Sakshi Gopal for kindly allowing the publishers to reproduce his poem, which he has also set to music. This story, in the form of a poem, relates to the notion of the atman, the real self within, and the need for spiritual nourishment. This song […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[305],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-concepts-stories-further-information-and-teaching-resources-primary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3250"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3740,"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3250\/revisions\/3740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iskconeducationalservices.org\/HoH\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}