PAN PIPES

 

Pan pipes

The little sparrows loved eating the crumbs off the Heptons' window sill. It made them so happy to hear the infant child gurgling, laughing, and clapping his hands while they ate.

It’s the month of March and still quite chilly. The window opened late this morning and the crumbs were put out, and the window closed straight away.

The birds flew up with surprise as the sash window was closed so abruptly.

They returned to the sill and glanced through the pane of glass. Something isn’t right; the baby is still in his cot and lying very still. Someone carrying a black bag came into the room and took back the blankets, and checked the child.

The sparrows heard the doctor say, “This is serious: the baby has a very high temperature, he’s very ill. I will call again tomorrow, if he gets worse then send someone to fetch me.”

They heard the whip crack and then watched as the horse pulled the carriage down the drive and out through the great gates. When the sparrows had finished eating, they flew down to the family grape vine. There are still some wrinkly grapes from last year along the vine. One sparrow pecked a wrinkly grape and spat it out and shivered, it tasted sour. The sparrows began to twitter, and gossip about the sick child, and news got to other birds and animals around about.

Soon the whole of the countryside creatures were alerted. The water animals and creatures in the River Bourne also heard about it.

The frogs croaked, saying, “We will miss seeing the nanny walking with the young Master in his baby carriage. It was nice when he gurgled and clapped his hands; it seemed that he was glad to know we are here.”

For some days silence fell through the woodlands and streams. The doctor kept calling, but there was no change in Master Simon’s health.

One early morning the creatures and people living in and around the great mansion heard a strange sound. “It sounds like music,” the birds tweeted. “How can anyone play music, when young Master Simon is lying so ill?”

“Perhaps it’s an attempt to cheer the infant up and bring him back to us, we do so miss him,” the pure white deer answered.

A strange person appeared, and this person was playing a flute. The creatures became afraid as they noticed a person with wings, and the flute player was sitting on the winged creature’s knee. Horror of horrors, when the creatures noticed a sickle wound around the base of the grape vine! A burned out oil-lamp lay beside the stream.

“Oh no, this is bad news,” the sparrows chirped. “We’ve heard of this happening in bad times. The musician with the flute is Pan and he is sitting on the knee of the angel of death, the sickle says he is here to cut someone down.”

“Yes,” said the white deer, “we have to pray for the infant. He is in deadly peril. These persons only come when it’s the end of life.”

“How do we pray, and who do we pray to?” the creatures of the River Bourne ask.

A bumble bee flew by and buzzed, “It’s easy-peazy, you just simply bow your heads and ask the Holy Nature Spirit to come and help the infant.”

The sparrows said together, “Please Bumbler, tell us the words to say to the Holy nature spirit.”

Bumble bee answered them and said, “Firstly show respect for the Holy Spirit by saying, Holy One we love you and respect you, and we know that it must be your will and not ours. Please come and stand by the infant Simon’s cot, and give him the strength to overcome his enemy, this illness. Please, if it’s your will, let him be well again. We miss him so much. Then stand back and wait for the answer, and it will come, but not always in the way you want.”

The frogs croaked saying, “When is the best time to Pray?”

The bumble bee buzzed, “Let’s do this right now, as now is when he needs the Holy Spirit’s strength to help him. One, two, three, altogether now, Holy One please hear our prayer...”

“How many times should we pray?” the white deer asked.

The bumble bee answered, “There’s nothing as strong as the power of prayer, and our prayer will have been heard. However you can pray as many times as you wish, but remember what I told you, it’s His will and not ours.”

The pan pipes could be heard for a few days after the prayers were said. Then the sound of pipes became lower and the image of the death angel became faint.

Then one morning the sparrows went to get their crumbs from the sill. Oh joy! The baby is gurgling and laughing and clapping his hands, his enemy has lost the fight.

Josie Smith