Are you a hummingbird?

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there was a beautiful jungle. The Jungle, like all fine jungles, was inhabited by all forms of animals from tiny hummingbirds to large elephants.

One day there was a huge fire in the jungle. No one knew who started it. The animals called a meeting. A vote was taken and it was agreed that all the animals should find and destroy the animal that started the fire. They all agreed, that is, except for one small bird. A tiny hummingbird spoke up and asked, "Shouldn't we put out the fire first before it burns our homes and destroys all our food?" But the hummingbird's tiny voice was not heard.

He was too small. And there was too much emotional hatred for the animal that started the fire to listen to a tiny hummingbird. The animals were outraged that someone would start a fire in their forest, and they would not be satisfied until the person that started the fire was caught and severely punished. Meanwhile, the fire raged on and grew in size each and every minute.

The hummingbird, with its tiny wings and tiny beak, flew over to a lake and captured a tiny bit of water in its beak. The hummingbird's beak was so small it could only capture a small bit of water. It then flew over the fire, opened its beak and dropped the tiny bit of water on the fire. The water evaporated even before it could reach the fire. The hummingbird undaunted by its seemingly lack of effect on the fire flew back to the lake, captured more tiny bits of water in his beak and dropped more water on the fire. Time and time again the tiny hummingbird grabbed a beak full of water and dropped it on the fire. The fire raged on, but the hummingbird kept trying- a drop of water at a time.

The elephants with their large trunks and the other animals scoffed at the hummingbird's efforts. They knew the hummingbird could never put out the fire. They ridiculed the hummingbird for wasting its time. However, the hummingbird with its wings flapping 80 times a second, and flying as fast as it could, persisted in dropping tiny bits of water on the fire. Yet, the fire raged on.

The hummingbird was not stupid. It knew it could not put out the fire by itself, but it knew it had to try. And so it did. Finally a single elephant, inspired by the efforts of the tiny hummingbird, went over to the lake, sucked in a trunk full of water, tromped over to the fire and sprayed water on the fire. Another elephant soon followed. Then other animals in the forest brought water, stomped on the fire with their hoofs, blew out the fire with the wind from their breaths and eventually together they put the fire out. With the fire out, no one even noticed that the hummingbird flew away back to his home. The animals never found out who started the fire. It could have been lightening from the storm, but the fire was out. The forest was saved. The tiny humming bird had shown the way.

Are you a hummingbird?

Who have you inspired today?

Not my original story, but the point still makes sense. Doesn’t it?