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So he put his head under his wing and in a minute was fast asleep. September went to sleep too. But when the dawn broke she was awakened by the little bird calling her at the top of his voice.
“Wake up, wake up,” he said. “Open the door of this cage and let me out. I want to have a good fly while the dew is still on the ground.”
“You are much better off where you are,” said September.
“Let me out, let me out,” said the little bird. And he tried to slip through the bars of the cage, but of course couldn’t, and he beat against the door, but of course he couldn’t open it. Then the eight Princesses came in and looked at him. They told September she was very wise to take their advice. They said he would soon get used to the cage and in a few days would quite forget he had ever been free. The little bird said nothing at all while they were there, but as soon as they were gone he began to cry again: “Let me out, let me out.”
Explanation:
The bird quickly nodded off, heeding September's instruction. Even Princess September slept off after a few minutes.
Finally, the sun came up. The high-pitched cries of the bird woke September up.
The bird screamed out repeatedly, pleading with the Princess to wake up. Based on the preconceived assumption that the Princess had trapped the bird to protect him from the cats, the bird urged that the Princess unlock the door and let him go. He stated that he wanted to go out on an excellent fly with the dew was still on the ground. The Princess responded, to the bird's surprise, that he was better off inside the cage.
In dismay, the little bird screamed out for him to be let free. He made many efforts to break out of the cage. He began by attempting to escape through the cage's bars. Then he banged on the door. But he failed in both situations.
At that moment, the other eight princesses arrived on the scene to see the caged bird. They commended the Princess for making the intelligent decision to accept their guidance. They even assured the Princess that the bird would become accustomed to life in a tight cage in no time. They also stated that he would forget what it was like to be free.
While the eight princesses were present, the tiny bird remained silent. The bird began pleading to be let out as soon as they left the room.
In this narrative, the eight princesses feel triumphant since they successfully influenced September's mind in the closing of the bird in a cage. Also, blinded by jealousy, the Princesses try to guarantee September of the impending misery, not deliberately mentioning the repercussions of a positive mindset. People with evil intentions generally come to us during our terrible times to add fuel to our miseries and enjoy themselves at our cost. But we may overcome this circumstance by carefully highlighting the benefits (even if only a few) of our misfortunes. Likewise, life is a combination of highs and lows. However, we can make the lowest of moments better by creating a tiny aperture for a positive change.
Meanings of difficult words from the paragraphs:
Sl. No. | Words | Meanings |
1 | Dew | Moisture condensed upon the surfaces of cool bodies especially at night |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2008). It so happened. Princess September - Somerset Maugham (pp. 34 - 44). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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