Brave Margot

Little Margot peered over the nest as her eyes grew in fear the drop below her. She trembled back in fright and shook her head and beak.

“No, Ma! I can’t! I just can’t!”

Her mother, Rita, took a deep breath in, reminding herself that she too was once a small bird afraid to fly.

“I can’t do it!” Margot pleaded. “It’s too far, Ma! It’s just too far!”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Rita comforted her daughter. “You won’t fall. As long as you fly, you won’t fall.”

“But I don’t know how to fly! I’ve never flowed before!”

“I’ll teach you,” Rita spread her wings wide to display her beautiful span of feathers. “Go like this, Margot.” Margot held out her little wingspan and tried her best to feel as big as her mother. “Up and down, up and down – like this.” Rita slowly pushed her wings in a flapping motion.

Margot followed poorly, believing she was exactly as her mother. Rita stopped flapping to redirect Margot’s focus – they both stood motionless with their wings spread wide. Then Rita resumed intently. Margot focused better and her wings were flapping stronger.

“Am I doing it right?” Margot asked hopefully.

“You’re getting there. Up and down, up and down. Good!” Rita smiled proudly as Margot grew in her confidence.

Margot started bobbing her head in a silly way as she suddenly felt she had mastered the art of flight.

“Slow down – slow down, Margot, you’re not there yet,” Rita reminded Margot. “One flap at a time.”

Margot’s patience was wearing thin as she felt her mother was putting her down. But she continued, becoming increasingly bored with the monotony of the simple motion. Up and down, up and down.

Suddenly Rita started flapping harder; wind was pushed from her wings into the nest as she flapped. Margot felt a burst of energy and began flapping as hard as she could. Margot used all her might and flapped as quickly as she could. Before she realized it, Margot’s little talons were floating above the nest.

Margot looked down in delightful surprise. “Whoa! Ma, whoa!” Margot was too surprised by her own effort that she fell back onto the nest.

She looked up giggling. “Ma… Ma, did you see? Did you see it? I flewed, Ma!”

“I saw, sweetheart! I’m very proud, but you have to stay in the air longer next time.”

Feeling put down again by her valiant effort and unbelievable accomplishment, Margot repositioned herself stubbornly in front Rita and flapped hard

Together, Rita and Margot flapped strongly, and Margot found herself floating above the nest again.

“Keep going, Margot,” Rita encouraged. “Don’t stop, keep flapping.”

Margot continued flapping and stayed suspended above the nest. She felt herself rising above the nest higher and higher. “Ma, whoooaaa! Look at me go!”

“Alright. Now, start flapping a little less – slowly, Margot. Slowly ease back down.”

Margot reduced her effort and started drifting back towards the nest, but she began easing too much and starting falling again.

“Pull back up, pull up,” Rita coached confidently. She watched as Margot wobbled in the air as she found her balance and began floating back up. “Slowly, now. Slowly ease yourself back down.”

Margot slowly eased the strength of her flapping and gently floated back into the nest. She landed upright on her talons. She began hopping around with joy.

“I did it! Wow, Ma! I went all the way up there!”

“Wonderful job, Margot, wonderful job!” Rita backed up suddenly and stood at the edge of the nest. “Come over here, now.”

Margot happily obeyed and stood on the edge, but in seeing the drop once more she cowered away.

“Margot, sweetheart, come back.”

“I’m gonna fall, Ma.”

“No, you won’t. Come stand beside me.”

Margot sheepishly stood beside her mother and felt paralyzed by the drop, unable to look away.

“Margot, look at me.” Margot did so, though it took most of her will. “Margot, listen,” Rita disciplined. “You’re going to have to jump with me, okay? It will be scary, but that’s okay. I remember being your age and doing the same jump, and I was very scared, too. But you know what, Margot? You’re a very brave girl, and you can do it. You’ll be able to jump off and fly. I’ll be right beside you, okay?”

Margot nodded nervously. She propped herself on the edge and looked at the horizon. The fear of falling was taking over her, but she looked up at her mother and felt bravery take its place.

“Are you ready?” Rita asked one last time.

“I’m ready…”

Together they jumped. Margot watched the ground zoom closer and closer. She spread her wings and felt the wind catch under her wings, lifting her upright.

“Flap, Margot! Flap your wings as hard as you can!” Rita watched her daughter plummet, trying her absolute best not to be terrified in order to keep her daughter calm.

Margot pushed her wings downward with all her might and flapped hard. She began lifting up, shooting up into the sky. Margot twirled in the air under the sun and flew in the sky.

“You’re doing it!” Rita cheered.

“I am! I’m flying, Ma! I’m way up in the sky!”

Rita caught up with Margot and flew beside her. Margot smiled, grateful she had her mother to teach her how to fly. “Whippee!”

Rita smiled, overwhelmed with joy at her daughter’s bravery.